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BDR-0003 – Domain Strategy (AI/IO/DEV/CO.IL)

  • Type: Business Decision
  • Status: Accepted
  • Date: 2026-01-01
  • Owner: Dmitry
  • Related Areas: Branding / Go-to-Market / Domains

This decision document defines ConnectSoft's domain strategy and how we use different domains to reach different audiences. It is written for marketing, product, and anyone working on ConnectSoft's web presence.

Decision

Use all four domains with clear separation of purpose: .ai for Factory (control plane), .io for Platforms (data plane), .dev for developer resources, and .co.il for local presence. This separation aligns with our mental model of Factory vs Products.

Context

ConnectSoft has four domains: connectsoft.ai, connectsoft.io, connectsoft.dev, and connectsoft.co.il. We need to define a clear strategy for what each domain represents and how they work together.

Options considered:

  1. Use all domains for different purposes (current approach)
  2. Consolidate to fewer domains
  3. Use subdomains more strategically

Decision

Use all four domains with clear separation of purpose:

  • connectsoft.ai - AI Factory & control plane (vision, story, Factory console, APIs)
  • connectsoft.io - Ready-made SaaS platforms (Identity, Audit, Config, Bot - data plane)
  • connectsoft.dev - Developer & docs hub (technical documentation, APIs, SDKs)
  • connectsoft.co.il - Local Israeli site (Hebrew, local services, consulting)

Key principle: Clear separation between control plane (.ai) and data plane (.io).

Rationale

  • Clear Branding: Each domain has a distinct purpose and audience
  • SEO Benefits: Separate domains can rank for different keywords
  • Mental Model: Easy to understand: .ai = Factory, .io = Products, .dev = Docs
  • Scalability: Can add subdomains under each (e.g., audit.connectsoft.io, console.connectsoft.ai)
  • Local Presence: .co.il provides local/regional presence without diluting global brand

Consequences

Positive Consequences

  • Clear mental model for customers and team
  • Better SEO (each domain can target different keywords)
  • Scalable subdomain strategy
  • Professional appearance (dedicated domains for different purposes)
  • Local market presence without confusing global brand

Negative Consequences / Risks

  • More domains to manage and maintain
  • Potential confusion if not clearly explained
  • DNS and SSL certificate management complexity
  • Need clear cross-linking strategy

Mitigation

  • Clear documentation of domain strategy
  • Consistent cross-linking between domains
  • Unified branding and design language
  • Clear navigation and messaging on each site

Subdomain Strategy

.ai Subdomains

  • www.connectsoft.ai - Marketing
  • console.connectsoft.ai - Factory UI
  • api.connectsoft.ai - Factory API

.io Subdomains

  • www.connectsoft.io - Product catalog
  • app.connectsoft.io - Unified portal
  • {product}.connectsoft.io - Individual platforms (identity, audit, config, bot)

.dev Subdomains

  • www.connectsoft.dev - Dev portal
  • docs.connectsoft.dev - Documentation site

.co.il

  • Simple Hebrew site, links to global domains for deeper info

Follow-up Work Required

  • Create DNS subdomain map document
  • Define routing strategy (Azure Front Door / Application Gateway)
  • Create cross-linking guidelines
  • Update all sites with clear navigation to other domains
  • Set up SSL certificates for all subdomains