Monetization FAQs


Getting Started
The standard ABOVE.COM service is free. Unlike other services, we do not take a percentage of your parking revenues and there are no hidden costs.
Setting up with Above.com just takes minutes. If you have a large portfolio you can upload your domains in a file or email the list to your account manager and we can do it for you.

A Quick Start guide is also available.
Getting started is easy. If you are an existing Trellian member or customer, log in to Above.com using your Trellian services login.
To create a new account click here.
Monetization supports most domain TLDs and ccTLDs (for example .com, .net, .co.uk, .de) and includes support for new gTLDs such as .directory, .clothing & .plumbing.

See the Supported Domains manual page for a complete list.
There are no limits. You can use Above.com with any size portfolio, however please let us know in advance before adding portfolios generating over a million uniques per month.
No, there is no need to change parking companies. With Above.com you keep your existing parking services and maintain a direct relationship with each parking company. Also, every company you work with will continue to pay you directly.
No, you keep your existing accounts along with any settings and benefits such as rev-share that you already have.
Above.com supports most parking companies. A current list of supported parking companies can be found on the Domain Parking Services page.

Note: You will need your own account at each of the Above.com supported services you wish to use.
That is up to you. Our aim is to provide support for every parking company, but you decide which of these you want to work with.
If you are using a parking services not currently supported by Above.com, please let us know. We can usually add a new service within a few days.
A parking company may not be on our system for a variety of reasons. The biggest is probably that they're new and our customers do not appear to be using them. If you're working with a parking company that is not on our system, let us know! We will see what we can do to get them added in.
Yes, multiple accounts can be used with all services except Skenzo. When using multiple accounts please ensure that you do not specify a custom redirect in the account settings. Contact your account manager for more information.
Your account will remain in a limited state until the account has been verified.
Getting your account verified is quick and easy with our automated verification system.

To use the automated system, please log into your Above.com account and click on the Account Status Restricted link beside your account name in the upper right.

From here you can see what has not been verified and can then use the verification link to verify that item.
Without boring you with the technical details, this is how you point your domains so that when someone lands on them the correct information is shown. Think of it as the details of your web address.
If you only want to use Above.com for reporting, you do not need to change the DNS.

You do need to change the DNS if you want to take advantage of our Auto Optimization functionality. You also need to use our DNS if you want normalized statistics or use the traffic analysis tools.
No, this is not supported.
You will need to log in to your domain registrar. Every registrar is different so we cannot provide a one size fits all answer. This option is typically in your dashboard or within your domain at the registrar. Look for DNS or name server. If you cannot find it, you will need to contact your registrar for assistance.
You can use the default DNS below or have a Custom DNS created on the Add Domains page.
  • ns1.abovedomains.com
  • ns2.abovedomains.com
You have two options. You can either manage your domains manually and move them between parking services at will, or you can use the Above.com Auto Optimizer and let our system work out where each domain performs the best. The system will tell you which service each domain is pointed to currently and which service is scheduled for testing.

The Auto Optimizer also monitors every domain on daily basis and if revenues drop for a set period of time, the domain is moved to the next best performing service. Above.com is a complete solution to help you maximize your parking revenues.
This could be due to caching. Try clearing your browser and viewing the page again. The search engines also cache pages, so it could take up to three days for the changes to fully propagate across the internet.
You may add them in either order, just make sure that you do add both your domains and your parking accounts. If you do not add both your domains and your parking accounts, when you point your DNS to Above your domains will not resolve correctly and you may lose revenue.
The prime culprit is usually an incorrect user name or password. If you have double-checked both and it's still not working, let support know. (Support@above.com).
No, do not point your domains until everything has been set up on your account. Otherwise your domains will not resolve to a page and you could potentially lose revenue.


Above Maximizer
The Maximizer is an exclusive monetization program that offers your domain traffic to premium direct advertisers through the Trellian Direct Search Network.
As an approved Maximizer account, your domains are added to Trellian's premium advertisers network where advertisers competitively bid to win your traffic. Only bids that exceed your current parking earnings are sent to the advertisers. All other traffic remains at your established parking services.
  1. The DNS settings for each domain must be set to ns1.abovedomains.com and ns2.abovedomains.com or the custom DNS created for you on the Add Domains page.
  2. Your account must be Maximizer authorized. Contact us at support@above.com to authorize your account.
  3. All of the domains in your account need to be mapped to keywords by the Above staff in order to be offered to Trellian's premium advertisers. Your account manager will perform this step when your account is authorized.
Your Maximizer balance is paid out at the end of the following month if your balance is at least $100. For example, Maximizer revenues earned in March will be paid out by the end of the April. Be sure to set your Payout Details -> Maximizer Payout Options in your 'My Account' settings.
In order for your domains to be offered to the Maximizer direct to advertisers your Above account requires proper set up and authorization by your account manager. Contact your account manager at support@above.com.


Account Maintenance
Copy a list of the domains that you want to move into the new Folder. When you do this, it associates the domains to the new Folder and all rules you have in place associated to that Folder.
No, your domain can only be in one folder at a time.
If you only want to block it at one parking company but keep in rotation with the others, the best way is to blacklist it at that parking company. Log in to your Portfolio Manager account, click on Monetization to expand it and select the Blacklist Manager. Choose the service you want to block the domain(s) at and paste your domain(s) in the text box, one per line. Click Add. If you later want to remove them, simply follow the same steps but instead of clicking Add, you will click on the Remove option.
If you are unsure of who your account manager is, please click on the Account Manager at the bottom of the menu when logged in or contact us at https://www.above.com/contact.html or email us at support@above.com and your account manager will respond to you directly.
From within the Portfolio Manager, click on the Folders link. Add a new Folder and provide it a name that means something to you. Then click the Edit link for the folder and choose Custom Settings. Set 100% to the Parking Service you want to use or choose multiple services totaling 100%.

Note: You will have to move the domains into the folder for the Custom Setting to take effect.
A conflict occurs when a domain was previously listed with another client and they did not remove it from their account.
A number showing how many domains are in conflict will display beside the Conflict link.
If this occurs, you will be notified by email and a number will display beside the Conflicts link in th Portfolio Manager menu. Navigate to the Conflicts page and if the domain is yours, place a check mark beside it and click the Claim button. If the domain is no longer yours click on the Delete option. If both parties Claim the Domain, customer support will resolve the conflict.

If you are using the default DNS ns1.abovedomains.com and ns2.abovedomains.com you will need to send a screen shot showing the domain in your registrar account to support@above.com or you can generate and use the custom DNS provided on the Add Domains page and your domain conflicts will automatically be resolve in 6 hours or less.
You will need to block the domain from parking at that company. Log in to your Portfolio Manager account, click on Monetization to expand it and select the Blacklist Manager. Choose the service you want to block the domain(s) at and paste your domain(s) in the text box, one per line and click Add. If your domain was in a folder that was only pointing domains to one parking company, you will want to move it to either another company, or into auto rotation.
Bots are fake traffic that is generated typically with a script to inflate a site's traffic and may also involve false clicks that will result in parking companies clawing back (removing or charging back) any revenue earned.
Clawbacks refers to the revenue pulled back from an account that is related to traffic and clicks that a parking company or their partners deems as fake or bot.
Yes, but you may be removing your largest potential revenue source.
Unfortunately, you cannot. You will need to log in to your parking company accounts to adjust any of their settings that impact your domains.
Every company has their strengths and weaknesses. Some companies do better with a particular vertical than another, or they may do better with a demographic, or a language, or a geographic area. And sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason, but the results are still there.
No, you cannot specify a testing order at this time. Although, you can slow down the process by limiting how quickly you add new parking companies to your account.


Getting Paid
When using Monetization, you maintain a direct relationship with each individual parking service. Your parking companies will continue to pay you directly subject to their regular payment schedule. For clients that have Maximizer enabled, Maximizer earnings are paid Net 30 once balance reaches over $100.
Yes. You can make a request to be paid out funds from your Above.com account balance via PayPal or a bank transfer. To request a payout please:
  1. Log into your Above.com account.
  2. Select "My Account" from your account menu then, "Request Payout" in the "Payout Details" section.
  3. Select the payment method.
  4. Enter the amount to be paid out from the total available.
  5. Click on the "Request Payout" button.

Your payout request will then be processed at the end of the month.

Note: A minimum request of $100 is required for a payout via PayPal and a minimum request of $1,000 is required for a bank transfer.



Stats and Reports
Revenue statistics are updated daily, traffic statistics hourly.

A re-import feature is also available to update your stats on demand throughout the day.

Note: Many parking services provide estimated revenue stats for the first few days. Estimates are always reported in red and are updated as soon as final results are available.
Normalized statistics are important because not every parking company tracks a visitor the same way. If someone visits your site multiple times in a short period of time, some parking companies will recount them if it's been a few hours, some if it's been 12, some 24, some 36, and some 48. By having the same criteria for every parking company, you can better understand the results you're seeing. You will also be able to view the parking company's statistics next to the normalized statistics.
Most reports can be exported to a CSV files. Many different reports and statistics are available including historical data.
Make sure that you also add your domains at your Parking Service providers. If they receive traffic from your domain, but do not know at their end that the traffic is associated to you, then you would not see credit for the domain. We recommend that you provide each parking company included in your accounts with a full list of your domains as you have listed at Above.com.
A number of factors can impact your stats, from stats not being finalized to something more severe. As each situation is unique, please contact your account manager and they will work with you directly to find the cause.
This can vary depending on the parking company, but typically 1-3 days.


Monetization & Portfolio Manager API
Yes! It is open to any users with parking revenue higher than $200 per day. Contact your account manager for more information or Request Access from the My Account - API Access Details page.
No, the API is open only to users with parking revenue higher than $200 per day. To access the Monetization API, you will need an API key. Contact your account manager to obtain one or Request Access from the My Account - API Access Details page.


Other Questions
You just need to contact us with your request. You can use either our Contact Us form or email us at support@above.com.
We regularly receive questions from users about purchasing domains that are on the Above.com system or on the Above.com DNS. The Offer feature allows for potential buyers to make an offer directly to domain owners, even if the domains are not listed for sale in the Domain Marketplace.

If you have received an offer, you can:
  • Accept this offer
  • Submit your own counter offer
  • Reject this offer and close negotiations