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# IANA's email about why example.com changed

**[Lobsters](https://daily.dev/sources/lobsters)** · 2 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

An email exchange with IANA's VP Kim Davies explains why example.com's content was recently changed. The site splits content into a basic HTML page plus a separate JavaScript file with additional detail, reducing bandwidth since most traffic is automated and doesn't fetch the script. Davies clarifies the domain exists for documentation purposes (placeholder text in examples and configs), not as a general-purpose uptime or availability testing endpoint, and that no HTTP service is strictly required there.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.oliverdunk.com/2026/09/30/iana-reply>

## Questions this post answers

### Why did example.com's page content change recently?

IANA split the page into a more basic HTML page augmented by a separate JavaScript file containing additional content, in order to reduce bandwidth. Since most traffic to example.com is automated and doesn't fetch JavaScript, this cuts the overall data served, while humans loading it in a browser still see the fuller content.

_Developers tracking infrastructure quirks like example.com's behavior can follow explanations like this on daily.dev._

### Is example.com meant to be used for uptime or availability testing?

No, IANA explicitly discourages using example.com as a general-purpose endpoint for availability testing. The domain's fundamental purpose is for documentation, such as illustrative examples in instructions and sample configuration files, and there is no requirement that an HTTP service even be present on the host.

_Anyone deciding which domains are safe to rely on for testing can find clarifications like this on daily.dev._

## Community take

How the wider developer community reacted, aggregated from 2 discussions and 51 comments across lobsters, hackernews (as of 2026-10-01).

**TL;DR:** Discussion centers on dissecting and nitpicking the technical and linguistic details of the example.com page change, with people golfing the HTML down further, debating grammar in the translated text, and speculating about the rationale behind language ordering, while broadly accepting IANA's explanation.

**Sentiment:** 20% positive · 55% mixed · 25% skeptical

**The case for**

- Some see value in IANA keeping tight control over example.com rather than outsourcing it to a commercial host.
- The split of HTML and JS is appreciated as a sensible way to cut bandwidth for automated/non-browser requests.
- Keeping data-collection businesses away from the domain is seen as a good public service given how much stray traffic it receives.

**The pushback**

- Several think the new page is actually more complex (added JS, animation, multiple languages) than before, contradicting the stated bandwidth-reduction goal.
- The English text's use of a comma instead of a semicolon is called out as a grammatical error.
- The language ordering (English then Arabic before more widely-spoken languages like Spanish/Mandarin) seems arbitrary or biased to some.
- Moving to HTTPS breaks informal uses like checking captive Wi-Fi portal connectivity.

**By community**

- lobsters (mixed): Conversation splits between golfing the page down to the smallest possible bytes and debating grammar/semicolons, alongside genuine appreciation for IANA's stewardship of the domain.
- hackernews (mixed): Mostly light curiosity about language ordering and minor technical quibbles, without strong positive or negative consensus.

**Hottest debate:** Whether a comma or semicolon should separate the two clauses in the new English text.

**Open questions**

- How many requests per month example.com actually receives.
- Why the languages appear in the specific order they do on the new page.

**Highlights**

> For reference, what it was like a few days ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20260928000041/https://example.com/ > # Example Domain > > This domain is for use in documentation examples without needing permission. Avoid use in operations. > > [Learn more](https://iana.org/domains/example) That second paragraph itself was a change made late last year; for some years before that (e.g. 2020), it had read: > This domain is for use in illustrative examples in documents. You may use this domain in literature without prior coordination or asking for permission. And before *that* (e.g. 2015) it had read > This domain is established to be used for illustrative examples in documents. You may use this domain in examples without prior coordination or asking for permission. They’ve also fiddled with the styles a few times, mostly to make it trivially worse in my opinion, or to partially roll back such a change. To my knowledge, this new one is the first time it’s included scripting or multiple languages, and I very much dislike it: you look away, and it’s replaced with something illegible; pretty, perhaps, but significantly worse. In light of these things, I’m very baffled by the line from the email > one of the changes we made this week was to split the page content into a more basic page, augmented by a separate Javascript file with additional content beyond that. when they’ve *actually* made it significantly more complex than it’s ever been, by adding JavaScript and animation and multilingual content. Still by no means *complex*, but at least three times as complex as it was. With how they’ve cut the wording down over time, and more recently finally minified the response, they *have* cut bandwidth down, but it was never a big difference. Though I have golfed the example.com response multiple times in the past for fun. I know that website well. I remember noticing various tiny style changes and when they switched from talking of *examples* to *literature*. Though funnily enough I *don’t* remember noticing the big change at the end of last year. I must be slipping.
> — [chrismorgan on lobsters · 3 points](https://lobste.rs/s/qgd17n/iana_s_email_about_why_example_com_changed#c_39rwqb)

> As of right now, this is the response they serve. It's 713 bytes (excluding HTTP headers): ``` $ curl example.com <!doctype html><html lang=en><head><meta charset=utf-8><link rel=icon href=data:,><meta name=viewport content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1"><title>Example Domain</title><style>html{color-scheme:light dark;background:light-dark(#eee,#222)}body{font:16px/1.6 system-ui,sans-serif;max-width:30em;min-height:100vh;margin:auto;padding:4.75em 2em 20vh;box-sizing:border-box;display:grid;place-content:center;text-align:center}</style></head><body><p>This domain is for use in documentation examples without needing permission. This is not a service, avoid relying on it for testing and monitoring purposes.</p><a href=https://iana.org/help/example-domains>Learn more</a><script src=/s.js></script></body></html> $ curl -s example.com | wc -c 713 ``` If their primary objective is cutting bandwidth, then I'd suggest something like this (274 bytes after removing unnecessary whitespace): ``` <!doctype html> <html lang=en> <head>     <meta charset=utf-8>     <link rel=icon href=data:,>     <meta name=viewport content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">     <title>Example Domain</title> </head> <body><a href=https://iana.org/help/example-domains>Understand this page</a></body> </html> ``` The link is already part of the page now, and all real users can just click it to understand the page; the information is all there already.
> — [thasso on lobsters · 1 points, 3 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/qgd17n/iana_s_email_about_why_example_com_changed#c_kyoj3o)

> Eh I don't like this idea. `example.com` is explicitly set aside as a dummy domain, making it (somewhat) part of the infrastructure of the Internet. Handing control over to a private entity is never a good idea IMO, especially if it's making them commercial money.
> — [junon on lobsters · 12 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/qgd17n/iana_s_email_about_why_example_com_changed#c_97zfgb)

> It should be a semicolon, the clauses are independent. A lot of people make this mistake, that doesn’t make it right. One of my teachers said “if you can replace it with a period, it should be a semicolon”, she was a great teacher. I hope these are clearly examples of what not to do, I know sometimes irony doesn’t come across on the internet.
> — [wrs on lobsters · 7 points, 1 comments](https://lobste.rs/s/qgd17n/iana_s_email_about_why_example_com_changed#c_equjo1)

> Sure! It was quite brief but here you go: Hi, I noticed that the content on https://example.com has been updated! Can you share any context on the changes and who worked on them? I work at Google - would I be able to share your answer on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@ChromeDevs) or on my own personal social media? I haven't spoken to my team so just asking in a personal capacity at this point, but maybe it could make a fun video! Thanks, Oliver
> — [oliverdunk on hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49919876)

**Source threads**

- [lobsters](https://lobste.rs/s/qgd17n/iana_s_email_about_why_example_com_changed) · 87 points · 34 comments
- [hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49915060) · 29 points · 17 comments

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