Three success definitions for DIY-builder sites — subscription active vs domain resolving vs content updated

Claim: "Live" has at least three separable meanings, and they diverge:

1. Subscription active — the customer is still paying the platform.
2. Domain resolving — the URL still loads something.
3. Content actually updated within period — the site is being maintained, not just preserved.

A site can satisfy (1) and (2) while failing (3). A site can satisfy (2) while failing (1) (e.g. domain points at vendor parking). Independent data exists for (1) and (2) at the platform level; (3) data is survey-based and survivorship-biased. Outcomes — leads / sales — are a separate fourth category with essentially no DIY-segmented data (DIY-platform outcome data (leads / sales / conversions) — essentially nonexistent in independent literature).

Source: Synthesis of the magnitude entries in this brief.

Confidence: Framework / synthesis.

Why this matters for Candid: Any client-facing claim about DIY-builder longevity must state which definition is in play. Conflation is the single most common error in vendor marketing AND in anti-DIY agency content. See R1 — Always state which "live" you mean (subscription active / domain resolving / content updated).