GoDaddy’s most recent earnings report provides the usual corporate twist: robust business performance marginally eclipsed by the specter of last year’s accounting one-off. In Q1 2025, the web services provider reported revenue of $1.2 billion, a solid 8% increase from the comparable quarter in the prior year. Yet net income dipped to $219.5 million—down from a seemingly juicier $401.5 million in Q1 2024, a figure that was bloated by a one-time tax benefit now absent from the balance sheet.
Peel back that anomaly, though, and GoDaddy’s underlying business is clearly tightening its game. Bookings also rose 8% to $1.4 billion, and operating income jumped a hefty 40.6% to $247.3 million. Free cash flow? Up 26% to $411.3 million. All signs of a company quietly becoming more efficient, more deliberate, and more cash-generative.
Its applications and commerce unit, driven by demand for online tools and AI-powered features, grew a robust 16.5% to $446.4 million. Meanwhile, its domain-focused core platform posted more modest growth at 3.1%, bringing in $747.9 million. The aftermarket domain segment also got a lift, thanks in part to higher average transaction values—proof that digital real estate still holds premium appeal.
GoDaddy isn’t just sitting on its earnings, either. A new $3 billion share repurchase program, running through 2027, is a sign of its continued move toward rewarding shareholders. It has already retired more than 25% of its outstanding shares since 2022. The balance sheet indicates $719 million in cash against $3.1 billion in net debt—heavy but manageable for a company of this size.
Operationally, GoDaddy continues to push its AI-fueled Airo® platform and expand partner programs through its new Agency initiative, signaling its intent to play a bigger role in the web services ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the company expects to hit up to $4.94 billion in revenue for the full year and generate at least $1.5 billion in free cash flow. In a digital world that rarely slows down, GoDaddy seems poised to grow deliberately—even if the math doesn’t always sparkle at first glance.
