lookalike domain
A domain built to be mistaken for a well-known one: a letter swapped for a look-alike from another script, a one-letter typo, or the brand plus a word like login or support. A match is only a lookalike until other evidence corroborates it, such as a recent registration or a homepage copying the brand.
What lookalike domain means
Brand owners often register lookalikes defensively, and those redirect to the real site.
Where lookalike domain comes up on this site
- How an AI agent should verify a website before acting on it
- Do AI agents stop before acting on a lookalike? We tested 4Lookalike (4 hazards, 4 controls): a lookalike domain against the real one.
- DMARC p=none to p=quarantine without losing mail: a guideA phishing message that uses a lookalike domain, or your brand name in the display name over a different address, passes DMARC because it is not claiming your domain.
Related terms in Security and privacy
Where an agent, a tool or a page can be turned against its operator, and the controls that limit the damage without proving safety.
homoglyph · incident switch · high-risk field · Indirect prompt injection · Direct prompt injection · Jailbreak · Data exfiltration · Sensitive information disclosure · Secret leakage · Insecure output handling · Excessive agency · Least privilege · Trust boundary · Input validation · Output validation · Allowlist · Denylist · SSRF · RCE · Credential scope · OAuth scope · API key · Bearer token · mTLS · Rate-limit policy · Audit log · PII · Data minimization · Purpose limitation · Retention period · Data residency · Tenant isolation · Threat model · DMARC · DMARC alignment · SPF · DKIM · MTA-STS · TLS-RPT · CAA record · DNSSEC · hard bounce
Questions about lookalike domain
What is lookalike domain?
A domain built to be mistaken for a well-known one: a letter swapped for a look-alike from another script, a one-letter typo, or the brand plus a word like login or support. A match is only a lookalike until other evidence corroborates it, such as a recent registration or a homepage copying the brand.
What does lookalike domain not show or guarantee?
A match is only a lookalike until other evidence corroborates it, such as a recent registration or a homepage copying the brand.
Which area of the glossary does lookalike domain belong to?
Security and privacy: Where an agent, a tool or a page can be turned against its operator, and the controls that limit the damage without proving safety.
See it in the full glossary · 731 terms across 19 areas.