What counts as a newly launched store, a newly registered domain versus a verified newly launched storefront, with a Count / Do not count / Depends decision for every edge case.

Methodology v1.0 · effective 13 September 2026

“Newly launched” is only useful if it means one precise thing. This is our canonical definition, the two signals we separate, and a clear Count / Do not count / Depends decision for every edge case, so you can judge and cite it without guessing.

Two signals, not one

A new domain is not the same as a new store. We track two distinct things and keep them separate:

1. Newly registered domain

The web address was created within the last few days. This is a freshness signal about the domain, verifiable against registry records (see the accuracy audit).

2. Verified newly launched storefront

We watched the actual shop go live, open to the public and selling. This is the real launch, and it can happen on a brand-new domain or an older one.

The launch timeline

A domain is registered first, then built, then the storefront goes live. A domain-age tool reads the first date; we record the third. That is why our launch date can differ from a WHOIS or domain-age lookup, and both are correct.

Discovery is not verification

We discover candidates early from many public signals (newly registered domain feeds, certificate transparency and more). A candidate is not counted as launched on discovery alone. It is only listed once the storefront is independently verified live. Discovery finds it; verification confirms it.

Edge cases, decided

Every difficult case gets a clear rule and a one-line reason.

Freshly registered domain with a live storefront

A genuine new launch on a new address.

Count

Old or reused domain, brand-new storefront just went live

We date the storefront going live, not the domain. A new store is a new store.

Count

Domain registered but only a parked page

No storefront exists yet; the owner has the name, not a shop.

Do not count

Coming-soon or placeholder page

Not open for business. It becomes eligible when the shop actually goes live.

Do not count

Password-protected / pre-launch store

Not publicly selling yet. Counted when it opens to the public.

Do not count

SSL certificate renewal on an existing store

A renewal is a routine infrastructure event, not a launch.

Do not count

Recycled / expired domain re-registered by a new owner + new store

New owner, new storefront. The prior life of the domain is irrelevant.

Count

Platform migration (WooCommerce to Shopify) of an existing business

Same business, new tech. Flagged as a platform change, not a new launch.

Depends

Reopening after a long closure

Judged case by case on whether it is genuinely a fresh storefront.

Depends

Domain change or redirect of an existing store

Same business at a new address; not a new business.

Do not count

Methodology v1.0, effective 13 September 2026. Material changes to this definition are versioned and dated.