• OpenAI has acquired the “chat.com” URL, which now redirects to ChatGPT.
• HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah previously owned the domain and paid over $10 million.
• Analysts say the move strengthens OpenAI’s global reach and consumer product positioning.

Branding experts told Business Insider that OpenAI’s acquisition of a four-letter domain name was a smart strategic play.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Wednesday sent On social media, “chat.com” is now a URL that automatically redirects to ChatGPT’s website.

The domain was previously owned by HubSpot founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah. approved after selling the domain to OpenAI I will buy in 2023.

Although Shah did not disclose the exact selling price, he had previously said that he “sold it for more than I paid.” In his post on Wednesday, he hinted that he was buying shares in OpenAI as a result of the transaction.

OpenAI did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Could OpenAI be trying to make ‘Chat’ the new ‘Google it’?

Branding experts told BI that the latest addition to OpenAI’s collection of domain names, which also includes “chatGPT.com” and possibly “ai.com,” signals a branding shift towards a broader consumer audience.

Margarita Polishchuk, head of strategy HairOpenAI, a UI/UX design and branding agency with clients such as Amazon and Google, said it had “secured and strengthened their position” with the new simpler and therefore more powerful domain.

“It’s so catchy and so on point,” he told BI. “From a strategy standpoint, I think buying a domain like this for ChatGPT and OpenAI signals a shift towards a global audience.”

While Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot also stick to one-word monikers, DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria said the domain name is “the most intuitive name” for how consumers think about chatbots.

“I think the clue we can take from this is that they might want to productize their chat as a consumer product,” he said. He added that the new domain “could be a very important asset in driving consumer adoption of a particular technology.”

The new URL may also be the more practical consequence of a common language error. Nicole Ferry, chief strategy officer Sullivan NYCThe brand engagement firm said it often notices people changing the letters ChatGPT to “GTP.”

“‘ChatGTP’ actually redirects to NinjaChat AI, which is clearly not OpenAI’s product,” he said. “So having chat.com is also an easier URL to use in a call to action.”

He also added that the company’s decision to focus on “chat” rather than “GPT” makes the product more approachable.

“Sounds easy,” he said. “I can do this. I chat with my friends on my phone or DMS or something like that. It feels like something I can already do instead of something I need to learn.”

While “conversation” is part of the English lexicon to refer to human interaction, Polishchuk said it signals a “major technical shift” is coming in how people might perceive the term.

“So now any user who is not really tech-savvy, when they type on chat.com they will be immersed in the world of Masters and Artificial Intelligence,” he said.

While people might not exactly be saying “Go to ChatGPT,” Polishchuk said getting a domain name that includes only the word “chat” could push AI to become similarly ubiquitous as “Google search.”