How Do I Check Domain Name Availability
When you are ready to launch your own website, one of the first things you need to do is check the availability of your desired domain name. After all, you want your website to have a unique and memorable name that people will easily be able to find online. Checking domain name availability is a simple process that can be completed in just a few minutes. Heres how:
1. Use a Domain Name Checker
The easiest way to check domain name availability is to use a domain name checker tool. There are many different domain name checkers available online, and most of them are free to use. Simply enter your desired domain name into the checker and it will tell you whether or not it is available.
Search for the Domain Name on Google
If you dont want to use a domain name checker, you can also search for the domain name on Google. If the domain name is available, you should see it listed as one of the top results. If not, youll see a message saying that the domain is not available.
3. Check the WHOIS Database
Another way to check for a domains availability is to look it up in the WHOIS database. This database contains all of the registered domains on the internet. To do a WHOIS lookup, simply go to any WHOIS website and enter the desired domain name. If it comes up as available, youre in luck!
Placing A Domain Name Bid
Sometimes the domain you want will already be owned by someone else. If the domain isnt being used for an existing website or application, then you can usually get in touch with the owner and place a bid on the domain.
For example, heres the website of a domain name that someone else owns. You have the option to reach out and purchase the domain.
Keep in mind that the owner might not always respond, or they might want more than youre willing to spend. Generally, when you place a bid youll be spending a couple of hundred bucks at the very minimum. Sometimes these domains will run up into multiple thousands of dollars.
For example, take a look at some of these domains offered on Sedo.
Overall, the price of domains will go up the simpler they are. Youd be hard pressed to find a single word domain of a dictionary word for less than a few grand.
If youre placing a bid on a domain name, expect a little negotiation back and forth until you land on the selling price.
Final Word: Store Name Generator
So above are all the steps you need to produce the perfect name for your new store brand. This steps include thinking about your niche, what you plan to sell and what your store means to you. You can use the store name Generator to come up with a great list of potential names. Choose the ones you like and also find out what your friends and family think. Check your potential names are available as a domain and on various social media and market place platforms. Then finally check that your name hasnt been taken already.
Make sure youve done your research and followed all the steps above and then your good to go!
Don’t Miss: Will My Website Go Down During A Domain Transfer
Can I Register For New Domains Via Whois Domain Lookup
You can use the Whois lookup service to find the registration status of a domain name. If the domain has not been registered and is available, you can use Whois.com to register the domain name.
Alternatively, if the domain name has already been registered, you can either register similar available domain names that we suggest, or use the contact information provided in order to get in touch with the owner and respectfully negotiate a sale. Do note that unsolicited contact is forbidden using the information provided via the Whois lookup service.
Use A Domain Name Generator
If youre not the creative type, you can use a domain name generator to help spark some ideas. Simply enter in some words or phrases that describe your brand or website, and these tools will give you a list of ideas that you can then check for availability.
Bring your brand to life with your own website. Design from scratch, connect a domain, analyze traffic, and optimize for SEO.
Recommended Reading: How To Make My Own Email Domain
What Do I Do Once I Have Bought My Domain Name
After buying a domain name, you can connect your domain name to a website to publish it to the world. When people type in your connected domain name, theyll see the website youve built. Of course, youll also need a server to host your website on.
First, make sure you write down your login information for your domain registrar of choice. This login information is important when it comes time to connect your domain to your website or renew your domain registration. You can always contact your registrar for help logging in to manage your domain, but its easier to store your login information somewhere safe. You can use a secure password manager if you want to store this information on your phone or computer, or you can simply write it down on a piece of paper and keep it somewhere safe.
When you use a website builder like Mailchimp, you can easily connect your domain name in just a few minutes. Youll also need to choose a web hosting provider, which essentially acts as a server to store the files that make your website work. You can purchase both your hosting package and your domain name separately and connect them to your website using a website builder. However, you also have the option of purchasing a domain name directly through Mailchimp when you build your website.
Bring your brand to life with your own website. Design from scratch, connect a domain, analyze traffic, and optimize for SEO.
What Do I Do If A Domain Name Is Already Taken
If the domain name that you want is already taken then your best bet is to look at minor variants. For example, perhaps you can add another word to the name or you can switch one word out for another. Perhaps you can register it using a different extension, such as by using a ccTLD instead of the .com domain.
Another option is to hyphenate, so instead of using mywebsitename.com you could try my-website-name.com. Just be careful, though the last thing you want to do is to cause confusion by having a name thats too similar to someone elses.
Finding the right domain name requires a little bit of art and a little bit of science. It also often takes patience and a lot of trial and error. But thats okay too. Remember, the right domain name is out there, somewhere. You just need to keep searching around until you find it.
Recommended Reading: Point Godaddy Domain To Squarespace
Read Also: How To Set Up Custom Email Domain
Find A Custom Domain For Your Site
Whether youre working on a blog, an online portfolio, or an online shop, Mailchimp offers custom domains that can make all the difference to your online presence. And theres no reason to stop there. Use Mailchimp to build your website and connect it to our all-in-one marketing platform to really make your offerings stand out from the rest.
Learn more about how to get a free domain name from Mailchimp and how our offer compares to the competition.
Check Domain Name Status
At the same time, you need to check that the domain name is available for you to use. With the domain name generator, this is very easy to do. All you need to do is to click on the name and you will be taken to a page where it says whether or not the name is available.
This part of the process should be one of the fastest and take only a few seconds.
Read Also: How To Transfer My Domain From WordPress To Squarespace
What Is Domain Privacy And Do I Need It
Domain privacy and security is as important to us as it is to you. Without domain privacy, your private and sensitive information may be collected and displayed in ICANNs WHOIS database when you register your domain. Domain privacy ensures that these details are hidden from the public view. Our Domain Privacy + Protection package will make ICANN display our contact information in lieu of yours.
You May Find That Someone Else Has Snapped Up The Domain Name Of Your Dreams Here Are Your Options
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. Youre excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Dont worry, you have choices.
Recommended Reading: How Much Does It Cost To Secure A Domain Name
How Do I Check If A Domain Is Available
To check if a domain name is available, just type it in GoDaddys search bar and well tell you immediately if someone else already owns it.
We also offer a Domain Backorder service, where you purchase a backorder credit to give you a chance to get the domain you want when it goes to auction.
Take The Opportunity To Brainstorm A New Brand Name
You might be thinking this tip is a cop-out.
But theres a lot of value to this idea.
Let me explain.
Imagine two entrepreneurs have just created a search engine. The working name? BackRub.
But that could be easily confused with massage services. People dont normally associate search engines with the term back rub.
So these entrepreneurs choose another name, a better one: Google.
Thats rightthe worlds most popular search engine started its life as BackRub.
So if your perfect domain name is taken, it could be an opportunity in disguise.
Youll have to hit the drawing board again, but you can come up with a different, unique name that will stand on its own.
Read Also: Transfer Wix Domain To Squarespace
Read Also: How To Change A Domain Name On Squarespace
Set Up Domain Monitoring
Still after that perfect .com URL?
Maybe none of these techniques have persuaded you to try something else, and thats okay. If your dream .com is what youre after, you can get it.
Lets say you only want a certain .com address, but its taken by someone.
If you dont have the funds to buy it outright , then the next best thing is to monitor the domain to check if it expires.
You can use a tool like DomainTools Domain Monitor to track any changes in its registration status.
If it expires and the owner doesnt renew it, you can swoop in and snatch it.
This isnt a surefire technique, but it can get you exactly what you want.
In the meantime, you can use one of these other strategies to set up a temporary domain. When youre able to grab your ideal domain, you can set up 301 redirects to the new URL.
We Take Care Of Your Privacy
With Hostinger, you can keep your personal information safe. Spammers won’t be able to see your domain name or personal information if you use our domain privacy protection service.
Your personal information is normally made public when you register a domain name using databases like WHOIS.For optimum domain privacy and security, we’ll substitute your personal data with generic site information.
Recommended Reading: How To Create A Business Domain Email
Why Choose Namecom
Free products & services when you register
Name.com offers more for less, with free perks like URL and email forwarding to sophisticated account features like Two-Step Verification and DNS templates.
Fair, transparent pricing
We clearly display domain discounts and renewal pricing during the domain search process so there are no nasty surprises when your domains renewal comes up.
Everything in one place
Once you have a domain in hand, we make it simple to attach email, hosting, website builders, and more. Its everything you need in one convenient place.
Your trusted registrar
Weve been in business since 2003, and weve grown into one of the webs largest and most trusted domain registrars. Weve registered millions of domains and offer more than 300 top-level domain extensions. You can rest assured that when you check domain availability through us, we leave no stone unturned.
Setup and maintenance made simple
When you work with us, you can do more than simply register your new domain. Well be there to support you every step of the way with our email products, easy-to-use website builder tool and comprehensive hosting services.
Dedicated support
Our dedicated support team is available to live chat from 12AM – 5PM MST, with automated support backup to ensure your site is always up and running. We also offer a wide range of resources including online guides, tutorials, and FAQs.
Keeping your domains safe and secure
What Is A Pre
When a new gTLD launches, it goes through a series of phases before it becomes available to the general public. In order to help our customers register the domain name they want, weve created the Pre-Order system to reserve a domain before it launches. Once a Pre-Order is in place, well attempt to register it when it becomes available. Placing a gTLD Pre-Order is completely free, but we will pre-authorize credit cards two days before the TLD goes live.
Pre-registration, on the other hand, allows you to create a watch list. Pre-Registration is only available for domains that havent launched yet. When you Pre-Register for a gTLD, well add the domain to your account and notify you when it becomes Pre-Orders become available. Like Pre-Orders, Pre-Registering for a gTLD is free.
Read Also: What Is A Good Da
Also Check: How To Get Free Domain
Finding The Right Domain Name
Theres a lot that goes into choosing a domain name. Your domain needs to succinctly sum up what your site is about while being catchy and easy to remember.
Your domain will define your brand and be the first thing that visitors see. As a result, your domain will create either a good or bad impression of your website.
Here are some tips for finding the best possible domain name for your new website:
Avoid Numbers Hyphens And Other Characters
A memorable site name can go a long way towards helping your site gain traction. One quick way to make things more difficult is by adding hyphens or numbers to your domain name.
Hyphens not only make it more difficult to pass on your domain, but itll probably lead to a lot of misspellings and people not being able to find your site.
For example, whats easier to remember and type into your browser? C-N-N.com or CNN.com. Or how about Face-book.com, or Facebook.com?
The same goes for numbers. Adding numbers to your domain can come across as spammy and much more difficult to pass on.
Also Check: How To Determine If A Domain Name Is Available
Connecting Your Domain Name To Mailchimp
Whether youve bought your domain through Mailchimp or a third party, you can transfer your domain name and connect it to your Mailchimp account. Once connected, you can use that domain with a custom landing page or Mailchimp-hosted website. If you dont already have a website, Mailchimp offers a free website builder that you can use to make your brand stand out with no coding skills required.
Whats A Domain Name Checker
Domain name checkers are tools that help you to determine if a domain name is still available. Often, these tools can also suggest other related domain names, along with presenting other domain name extensions that might be available under your chosen domain name.
There are also other related domain finder tools that are more focused on helping you generate unique domain names, while at the same time searching for availability.
Read Also: How Do I Choose A Domain Name
How Do I Find Out When A Domain Name Is Available
One way to find out if a domain name is available is to use a whois search. Whois is a directory of records that contain the contact and registration information for a domain name. By doing a whois search, you can see if the domain name you want is available as well as get other useful information such as the registrar, expiration date, and more.
Understand The Price Of A Domain Name
You will surely notice it, but the simplest and most effective domain names are often taken by sites that already exist or are reserved. And those that are still available sometimes display prices well above the average. These domain names, qualified as “premium domain names” often accompany generic extensions that have recently appeared to offer alternatives to the traditional .com or .net, and display a higher price to discourage speculation around these highly requested web addresses. If you really want this domain name, you will have to put the resources into it and offer content and products capable of making this investment profitable.
But beyond pricing, what are the attributes to consider when it comes to picking the best domain name for you?
Don’t Miss: What Do You Do After You Buy A Domain
What Does Make Offer Mean In Domain Name Search Results
New domain extensions like .CLUB, .XYZ and .NINJA can cost as low as USD $14.99 while others including .ATTORNEY, .LAW and .CONSULTING can be priced a little bit higher. The varying prices are affected by the domain registry or domain operator of the extension.
You might also encounter domain names marked as Premium. These Premium domains are designated by the gTLDs registry and youll frequently see one-word and generic names marked as such.
For new domain extensions that dont have any pricing information included, this simply means that the domain has not been assigned to an operator or the domain operator has not released information about it yet. When the domain becomes available and as we receive more information about it, we will update the domains pricing and inform you about it.