Domain Classification Taxonomy

This document defines the hierarchical taxonomy for classifying domains. The classification system uses a tree structure where tier1_type is determined first, then domain_type is constrained to valid children of that tier1.

Classification Hierarchy

tier1_type (7 archetypes)
    └── domain_type (child of tier1)
            └── industry (vertical)
                    └── subcategory (niche)

Key Principle: tier1_type is the trunk, everything else branches from it. Once tier1 is determined with high confidence, it doesn't change - child classifications are constrained to valid options within that tier1.

Tier 1 Types (7 Universal Archetypes)

tier1_type	Description	Business Model
`platform`	Tools you log into and use	Subscription/usage fees
`marketplace`	Connects buyers and sellers	Transaction fees, listings
`commerce`	Sells products directly	Product sales
`service`	Sells services	Service fees, billable hours
`information`	Content is the product	Ads, subscriptions, leads
`community`	User-generated content dominated	Ads, premium, donations
`institutional`	Authority/trust-based orgs	Taxes, tuition, donations

Domain Types by Tier1 (The Tree)

PLATFORM (tools you log into)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`saas_product`	Business software, productivity tools	Slack, Notion, Asana, Salesforce
`code_repository`	Source code hosting	GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
`app_platform`	App stores, distribution platforms	App Store, Google Play
`documentation_portal`	Hosted docs, wikis	GitBook, ReadTheDocs, Notion docs
`messaging_platform`	Communication tools	Slack, Discord, WhatsApp
`social_network`	Professional/personal networking	LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
`audio_platform`	Podcasts, music streaming	Spotify, Apple Podcasts
`video_platform`	Video hosting/streaming	YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch

Note: If a domain is a tool that users log into to accomplish tasks, it's a PLATFORM regardless of industry.

MARKETPLACE (multi-sided, connects buyers/sellers)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`ecommerce_marketplace`	Multi-seller retail	Amazon, eBay, Etsy
`ticket_marketplace`	Event tickets	Ticketmaster, StubHub, AXS
`real_estate_marketplace`	Property listings	Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin
`job_marketplace`	Job listings	Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, Glassdoor
`service_marketplace`	Freelance/gig services	Upwork, Fiverr, Thumbtack
`app_marketplace`	Software/plugin listings	Chrome Web Store, Salesforce AppExchange
`review_marketplace`	Business reviews + leads	G2, Capterra, Yelp
`directory_citation`	Business directories	Yellow Pages, BBB

Key distinction: Marketplaces connect multiple sellers to buyers. If a site only sells its own products, it's COMMERCE, not MARKETPLACE.

Example: Ticketmaster is a MARKETPLACE (connects ticket sellers to buyers), not COMMUNITY (even though it's sports-related).

COMMERCE (sells directly, single seller)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`ecommerce_store`	Direct retail/D2C	Nike.com, Apple Store, Warby Parker
`travel_booking`	Airlines, hotels, car rental	Delta, Marriott, Hertz
`subscription_commerce`	Subscription boxes, services	Netflix, Dollar Shave Club
`product_manufacturer`	Brand/manufacturer sites	Apple, Samsung, Ford

Note: If a company sells its own products directly to consumers, it's COMMERCE. If it hosts other sellers, it's MARKETPLACE.

SERVICE (sells services, not products)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`agency_provider`	Marketing, PR, consulting	Ogilvy, McKinsey, Accenture
`pr_distribution`	Press release wire services	PR Newswire, Business Wire
`professional_service`	Law, accounting, consulting	Baker McKenzie, Deloitte
`healthcare_provider`	Hospitals, clinics, telehealth	Mayo Clinic, Teladoc
`financial_service`	Banks, credit unions, fintech	Chase, PayPal, Stripe
`legal_service`	Law firms, legal services	Baker McKenzie, LegalZoom

Note: If the primary business is selling human services (billable hours, expertise), it's SERVICE.

INFORMATION (content is the product)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`news_publisher`	Journalism organizations	NYT, TechCrunch, The Verge
`magazine_publisher`	Magazines, periodicals	Wired, Forbes, Inc.
`blog_publisher`	Blog platforms hosting multiple blogs	Medium, Substack
`content_publisher`	Generic content sites	BuzzFeed, HuffPost
`review_site`	Editorial reviews (non-affiliate)	Wirecutter, Consumer Reports
`affiliate_review_site`	Affiliate-driven reviews	NerdWallet, The Points Guy
`reference_wiki`	Reference/encyclopedia	Wikipedia, Investopedia

Note: The domain's PRIMARY business is creating/distributing content. A SaaS company with a blog is still PLATFORM, not INFORMATION.

COMMUNITY (UGC-dominated)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`forum_community`	Discussion forums	Reddit, Stack Overflow, Discourse
`gaming_community`	Gaming forums, fan sites	Discord servers, IGN forums
`sports_community`	Fan forums, fantasy sports	ESPN forums, Fantasy Pros
`qna_platform`	Q&A sites	Quora, Stack Exchange
`ugc_video`	User-generated video	YouTube (as community), TikTok

Note: The domain's PRIMARY value comes from user-generated content, not editorial or company content.

Important: Sports media sites like ESPN.com are INFORMATION (they produce content), not COMMUNITY. Fan forums are COMMUNITY.

INSTITUTIONAL (authority-based orgs)

domain_type	Description	Examples
`government_site`	Government agencies	IRS.gov, CDC.gov, FDA.gov
`education_academic`	Universities, schools	Stanford.edu, MIT.edu
`nonprofit_org`	Nonprofits, NGOs	Red Cross, Wikipedia Foundation
`healthcare_institution`	Hospital systems, health orgs	Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
`financial_institution`	Banks, credit unions	Federal Reserve, FDIC
`legal_institution`	Courts, bar associations	Supreme Court, ABA
`trade_association`	Industry associations	IEEE, ACM, NAR

Note: These are trust-based organizations, often with .gov, .edu, or .org TLDs. Their authority comes from institutional status, not commercial activity.

Classification Flow

1. Determine tier1_type FIRST (highest confidence)
   ├── Known domain in database? → Use stored tier1
   ├── TLD rules (.gov → institutional, .edu → institutional)
   ├── Platform patterns (Shopify, WordPress, etc.)
   └── LLM classification (constrained to 7 options)

2. Once tier1 is locked, determine domain_type
   ├── Only show valid domain_types for that tier1
   ├── Use URL patterns, content signals
   └── LLM classification (constrained to tier1's children)

3. Determine industry/subcategory (optional granularity)
   ├── sports, gaming, finance, healthcare, etc.
   └── Stored in industry + subcategory fields

Database Schema

The domains table stores:

Column	Description
`tier1_type`	One of 7 archetypes (platform, marketplace, etc.)
`domain_type`	Child type within tier1
`tier1_confidence`	Confidence score for tier1 (0-1)
`domain_type_confidence`	Confidence score for domain_type (0-1)

The CSV master file (classification-data/domains/_master.csv) stores:

Column	Description
`tier1_type`	Archetype
`domain_type`	Granular type
`industry`	Vertical (sports, finance, healthcare)
`subcategory`	Specific niche

Common Misclassifications to Avoid

Domain	WRONG	RIGHT	Reason
Ticketmaster	community/SPORTS_MEDIA	marketplace/ticket_marketplace	Connects sellers to buyers
Shopify.com	marketplace/ECOMMERCE_MARKETPLACE	platform/saas_product	It's a SaaS tool, not a marketplace
Apple.com	platform/saas_product	commerce/product_manufacturer	Sells hardware products
InsideEVs.com	commerce/ECOMMERCE_STORE	information/news_publisher	EV news site, not a store
Three.js	community/GAMING_PLATFORM	platform/documentation_portal	JavaScript library docs
Ahrefs.com	service/telehealth_provider	platform/saas_product	SEO SaaS tool
ESPN.com	community/sports_community	information/news_publisher	Produces sports journalism

LLM Prompt Guidelines

When asking the LLM to classify a domain:

Ask for tier1_type FIRST with only 7 options
Then ask for domain_type constrained to that tier1's children
Provide clear definitions for each tier1 type
Give examples of common misclassifications to avoid

Example prompt structure:

First, determine the tier1_type. Choose exactly one:
- platform: Tools users log into (SaaS, apps, dev tools)
- marketplace: Connects buyers and sellers (multi-sided)
- commerce: Sells products directly (single seller)
- service: Sells services (agencies, consulting, healthcare)
- information: Content is the product (news, blogs, reviews)
- community: User-generated content dominated (forums, Q&A)
- institutional: Authority-based orgs (gov, edu, nonprofit)

Then, based on tier1_type, choose the appropriate domain_type...

Files

File	Purpose
`src/lib/classification-constants.js`	Enum definitions and mappings
`src/data/domain-database.js`	Generated from master CSV
`classification-data/domains/_master.csv`	Single source of truth for curated domains
`src/lib/classifier-llm.js`	LLM classification prompts
`src/lib/classifier-rules-engine.js`	Rules-based classification

Updating the Taxonomy

Edit the constants in src/lib/classification-constants.js
Update the master CSV if adding new domain_types
Run npm run build:domains to regenerate domain-database.js
Update the LLM prompt in src/lib/classifier-llm.js
Update this document

Classification Hierarchy​

Tier 1 Types (7 Universal Archetypes)​

Domain Types by Tier1 (The Tree)​

PLATFORM (tools you log into)​

MARKETPLACE (multi-sided, connects buyers/sellers)​

COMMERCE (sells directly, single seller)​

SERVICE (sells services, not products)​

INFORMATION (content is the product)​

COMMUNITY (UGC-dominated)​

INSTITUTIONAL (authority-based orgs)​

Classification Flow​

Database Schema​

Common Misclassifications to Avoid​

LLM Prompt Guidelines​

Files​

Updating the Taxonomy​