Domain Categorization Check: see any website's category
Enter a domain or URL to see how our database categorizes it: the IAB Content Taxonomy path, the web filtering categories and the country. The checker reads the same records that ship in our 120 million domain file, so you can test coverage before you license it.
Classifying domain…
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This domain is not currently in our database. Our coverage spans 120 million domains representing over 99.9% of active web traffic.
How to check a website's category
A check takes a few seconds. These steps also explain what happens to what you type, so the result is never a surprise.
- Type a domain or a full URLYou can paste techcrunch.com, www.techcrunch.com or a deep article link. Protocol, www, paths and query strings are removed before the lookup.
- Complete the verificationThe Classify button becomes active once the check box confirms you are a person. This keeps automated traffic away from the records.
- Read the result cardThe IAB tile and the web filtering tile at the top give the answer. The fields below show how the match was made and how strong it is.
- Decide what to do nextA single answer is enough for a spot check. For a list of domains, use the API or the database, as compared further down this page.
What sits behind the checker
The checker is a window onto the full database, not a separate service with its own data. These figures describe the records every lookup reads from.
categorized domains, from global platforms down to small local business sites.
of web traffic and usage falls on the 20 million most visited domains, the core of the file.
newly registered domains are categorized daily, then checked again after a week and after a month.
in the web filtering taxonomy, from Adult and Gambling to Travel and Webinars/E-learning.
IAB Content Taxonomy categories, with v2 and v3 paths stored side by side for every domain.
for all other domains, so sites that change their content get new labels over time.
What the domain categorization check shows
Every result card has the same fields, in the same order. This is what each field means and how data teams use it once the same data sits in their own systems.
The main IAB Content Taxonomy v3 path for the site, from tier 1 down to the deepest tier that fits, such as Entertainment > Music for spotify.com. Use it for contextual targeting and reporting.
One or more of our 58 web filtering categories, such as Podcasts and Streaming Media. They drive security policies, brand safety exclusions and broad market counts.
The registrable domain behind what you typed. Enter blog.hubspot.com and the root domain shows hubspot.com, whose record answers the check.
The country attributed to the site where one is clear, such as Sweden for spotify.com. The field is hidden when no single country applies.
Every IAB path stored for the domain, each with its own score in brackets. When a site fits more than one path, all of them appear here.
Green badge. The result comes from a stored record, so you can use it as it stands.
Amber badge. Check the site yourself before you rely on the label for a rule or a list.
Red badge. Treat the domain as unknown and look at it again later.
Is the label good enough for your job?
| Job | Field to use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Brand safety exclusions | Web filtering categories | Sites that carry a sensitive label next to a harmless one |
| Contextual inclusion lists | IAB v3 path, tier 2 or deeper | Broad portals that stay at tier 1 |
| Security and access policy | Web filtering categories | New domains that have no record yet |
| Market sizing and research | IAB tier 1 or web filtering | Overlap when a site carries several labels |
| CRM and lead routing | IAB tiers 1 and 2 | Company sites hosted on shared platforms |
Domain categorization in two taxonomies
Domain categorization means giving each website topic labels that describe the whole site. Every check returns labels from two systems at once, because advertising teams and security teams ask different questions.
| Question | IAB Content Taxonomy | 58 web filtering categories |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Advertising: contextual targeting, brand suitability and inventory reporting | Security and access policy, content filtering and broad analytics |
| Size | About 700 categories in up to four tiers | 58 flat categories, such as Gambling or News/Media |
| Labels per domain | One main path, with any extra paths under IAB Multiple Categories | One or more, depending on how many subjects the site covers |
| Example: spotify.com | Entertainment > Music | Podcasts, Streaming Media |
| Example: blog.hubspot.com | Technology & Computing > Computing > Computer Software and Applications | Advertising/Marketing |
| Full reference | IAB Content Taxonomy reference | Web filtering categories reference |
Sample results from our file
These well-known domains show how the two systems sit side by side. Run any of them through the checker above to see the full result card.
| Domain | IAB v3 path | Web filtering categories |
|---|---|---|
| webmd.com | Medical Health > Diseases and Conditions | Health & Medicine |
| coursera.org | Education > Online Education | Education/Reference, Web-based Applications, Webinars/E-learning |
| indeed.com | Careers > Job Search | Business, Job Search/Careers |
| airbnb.com | Travel > Travel Type > Hotels and Motels | Travel |
| github.com | Technology & Computing > Computing > Programming Languages | CDN / Hosting / Infrastructure, Developer Tools / Code Hosting, Freeware/Software, Web-based Applications |
| allrecipes.com | Food & Drink > Cooking | Advertising/Marketing, Food & Drink, Restaurants & Dining |
A label describes the site as a whole. A single article about travel on a news site does not turn the news site into a travel domain.
Domain categorization vs other domain checks
A category check answers what a site is about. Other common lookups answer different questions, and many teams combine two or three of them by domain.
| Check | Question it answers | Typical output | Where categories add value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category check (this page) | What is the site about? | IAB path and web filtering categories | The base for targeting, filtering and segmentation |
| WHOIS or RDAP lookup | Who registered the domain, and when? | Registrar, dates, sometimes the holder | Age plus category spots new sites in risky categories |
| DNS lookup | Where does the domain point? | IP addresses, mail and name servers | Categories explain the traffic you see in DNS logs |
| Reputation or block list check | Is the domain known to be harmful? | Listed or not, often with a threat type | Categories give context for domains with no threat record |
| Technology lookup | What software runs the site? | CMS, analytics and ad tags | With a category, it narrows B2B target lists |
Our records add country, personas and popularity groups to the categories, on the same row. Join them to your other checks by root domain in your own systems.
Domain categorization terms in plain words
The part of a host name you can register, such as hubspot.com. Records are kept per root domain.
Anything in front of the root, such as blog in blog.hubspot.com. It answers with its root's record unless it has its own.
An IAB label written from tier 1 down, with each tier separated by a greater-than sign, such as Careers > Job Search.
A domain that carries more than one category because the site covers more than one subject.
A domain registered in the last few days. It gets labels once it shows content, and a second look after a week and a month.
A registered domain with no real site, often showing ads or a for-sale notice. It carries the Parked / For-Sale Domains category.
From one check to millions of domains
The checker is built for spot checks. When you need categories for a customer list, a log file or a whole market, the same records come through the API or as a database file.
| Question | This checker | Lookup API | Database file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume | 2 lookups a day, up to 10 with a work email | Batches of up to 1,000 domains per request | All 120 million categorized domains |
| Best for | Spot checks, sales calls, testing a few domains | Live enrichment inside an app or a data pipeline | Log enrichment, list building, offline and air-gapped use |
| Delivery | Result card in the browser | JSON over HTTPS | CSV, Parquet or JSON files in your own systems |
| Fields | IAB v3 path, web filtering, country | The same fields for every domain | IAB v2 and v3 tiers, web filtering, personas, country, popularity groups |
| Keeping current | Live records | Live records | Monthly refresh plus daily files of newly categorized domains |
A practical path for data teams
- Spot-check your own domainsRun a handful of domains you know well through this checker, including a few awkward ones such as subdomains and new sites.
- Test a real sample through the APISend a batch from your customer list or logs, and compare the labels with what you use today. The API documentation shows the request and response format.
- Choose your fields and taxonomyDecide whether you need IAB v2, v3 or both, the web filtering categories, and extras such as personas or country.
- Load the full fileLicense the URL categorization database and load it into your warehouse, filter or ad stack. Formats are covered on our download formats page.
- Keep it currentApply the daily files of newly categorized domains and the monthly refresh, so new and changed sites carry labels too.
Not sure which route fits? Our guide to the URL categorization API vs database compares cost, speed and control for each.
When a domain is not found or looks wrong
Most surprising results have a simple cause. Work through these checks before you draw conclusions about coverage.
Common mistakes when you check website categories
Who uses a website category checker
Teams usually start with a few manual checks, then move the same labels into their systems. These are the most common reasons to look up a domain category.
Ad operations
Check a publisher before it joins an inclusion list, or confirm why a site is blocked. At scale, the same labels power domain exclusion lists for brand safety.
Security teams
Look up an unknown domain from an alert, then label every domain in DNS and proxy logs. See enriching logs with website categories.
Sales and marketing ops
Tag accounts by what their website is about, then route leads by segment. Our guide to domain enrichment for CRM covers the fields.
Payments and risk
Check what a merchant's site sells before onboarding, and flag restricted categories. See merchant website classification.
Researchers
Label the sites in a panel or crawl to describe what people read and where. See website categories for web measurement.
Data buyers evaluating sources
Test coverage and label quality on your own domains before you buy. Our evaluation checklist lists what to test.
Domain categorization check: questions
What is domain categorization?
Domain categorization assigns each website one or more topic labels, such as Travel or Health & Medicine, based on what the whole site is about. Our database holds these labels for 120 million domains in two systems: the IAB Content Taxonomy and 58 web filtering categories.
Why does a domain show several categories?
Many sites cover more than one subject, so a domain can carry several web filtering categories. A large platform such as linkedin.com carries eight in our file, from Business to Job Search/Careers and Social Networking.
Can I check thousands of domains at once?
Yes, but not in this checker. The API accepts batches of up to 1,000 domains per request, and the database delivers all 120 million categorized domains as files for your own systems.
Why is my domain not found?
The domain may be very new, unused, parked without content or misspelled. About 300,000 newly registered domains are categorized every day and checked again after a week and after a month, because many sites add content after launch.
How many lookups can I run in the checker?
The checker allows 2 lookups a day, or up to 10 a day after you confirm a work email. For more volume, use the API or license the database.
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