GoDaddy has announced the creation of the Agent Name Service (ANS), an open standard designed to establish a global trusted identity naming system for AI agents. As AI agents proliferate at an unprecedented rate, with more than one billion agents projected to be developed by businesses in the next three years, the need for verifiable identity and secure agent-to-agent interaction has become increasingly urgent.
Addressing the Rise of Rogue and Imposter AI Agents
With AI agents beginning to communicate autonomously across platforms and services, a fundamental challenge emerges: how can users and systems distinguish legitimate agents from malicious bots or impersonators? GoDaddy’s ANS initiative aims to solve this by creating the internet’s first dedicated trust layer for AI agents, helping safeguard individuals and organizations from rogue entities in the rapidly evolving agent ecosystem.
ANS: A Domain-Based Trust Framework for AI
The Agent Name Service leverages the same foundational infrastructure that underpins today’s internet, including domain names, Domain Name System (DNS), and public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates. Under the ANS framework, each AI agent must be assigned a unique, human-readable name paired with a cryptographically verifiable identity. This approach enables secure discovery, validation, and governance of AI agents across the open web.
By building on established internet protocols, ANS ensures compatibility with existing systems while introducing standardized verification mechanisms for AI-driven entities.
GoDaddy ANS Registry Enables Verified Agent Identity
Aligned with the ANS standard, GoDaddy has also launched the GoDaddy ANS Registry, which binds an AI agent’s identity to a verified domain name. This allows users and systems to confirm domain ownership and, where extended verification applies, validate the associated organizational identity.
Agents registered through the GoDaddy ANS Registry receive an ANS-verified badge, offering a clear visual signal that the agent has undergone identity validation. This initiative supports GoDaddy’s broader mission of extending internet-scale trust into the emerging AI agent landscape.
Built on Proven Internet Security Infrastructure
The ANS Registry builds upon GoDaddy’s longstanding experience in internet infrastructure and security services, including domain management, DNS operations, and SSL certificate issuance. By applying this expertise to AI identity management, the company aims to introduce structured accountability to a space that is rapidly scaling.
Why the Agent Name Service Matters
ANS introduces a universal naming and identity framework that enables interoperability across platforms and ecosystems worldwide. The open design specification follows W3C/DID standards and is designed to be resolved within any browser without requiring additional plug-ins.
The system incorporates immutable transparency logs that permanently record an agent’s registration, renewal, and revocation history. This creates a verifiable audit trail, strengthening compliance and trust. At the same time, a centralized yet open trusted registry simplifies agent discovery, evaluation, and adoption, accelerating responsible growth within the AI agent ecosystem.
Strengthening Trust in the AI-Driven Internet
As AI agents increasingly operate on behalf of businesses and individuals, trust and verification become critical pillars of the digital ecosystem. With the launch of the Agent Name Service and the GoDaddy ANS Registry, GoDaddy positions itself at the forefront of establishing a secure and standardized identity framework for the next generation of internet participants.
Leadership Quote
“AI should move the world forward without putting people at risk,” said Travis Muhlestein, GoDaddy product and AI chief technology officer. “ANS makes that possible by providing responsible builders a clear badge of trust and giving every user a quick way to see who—and what—is behind an AI agent.”
Also read – OfficeNet Recognised as Most Trusted ICT Brand in HRMS and Global Payroll at CIO CHOICE 2026
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