How Can I Check Domain Name Availability
Do you have a website project, web hosting? You still have one essential step before you can put your project online: check the availability of a domain name. There are hundreds of millions of domain names already registered, and you are specifically looking for a domain name that is not registered to give your web pages an address that will allow users to find it easily.
There are countless domain names out there, so it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of which are available domains and which are not. How can you know which available domains you can register, then? Using Gandis domain name checker tool, you can quickly check domain name availability in each of hundreds of different domain endings like .com, .net, .de, .nl, .se, .co.uk, and many more!
How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
The exact cost of your new domain name will vary based on the registrar, the specific top-level domain you’ve chosen, and the quality of the domain name. Domain.com is proud to offer more than 300 unique TLDs to help your new website stand out. Some domains may be pricier due to their intrinsic benefits, like being short and memorable, or the use of very competitive keywords such as cars.com. Browse our premium domains to jumpstart your website performance.
How Do I Search For Expired Domain Names
Expiring domain names are just what they sound like: Domain names that were unavailable because they were already registered but are about to expire, making the website name available for purchase again. You can search for expiring domain names using keywords or you can check the list of about-to-expire names. Search domains expiring now
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Protect Your Brand With Multiple Domains
Even if you manage to snag a coveted .com address, you might consider purchasing other TLD variations and setting up redirects. You can even go a step further and buy common misspellings of your domain name that way, youre not missing out on traffic lost due to user error.
You can apply this strategy to social media as well. Even if you dont think youll use Twitter, you might want to grab a decent handle if one is available. That way, youll be ready if you ever decide to tweet, and youll prevent anyone else from taking that username.
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Are Parked Domains A Security Threat
Static pages showing messages for a parked domain may hide malicious code/malware behind some elements that seem ads but, as long as, you dont link on them, you should be fine.
Having said that, following the better safe than sorry approach in life, we suggest to always run a WHOIS lookup or use a domain registrar search to check more info on the domain youre interested in.
On the other hand, parking a domain isnt a security threat at all as it can help protect your business from cybersquatting and competing companies getting your domain names first.
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Use A Domain Name Generator
Chances are you have brainstormed a list of potential domain names by now. You may have even thought of the ideal one. However, sometimes your perfect domain name might not be available.
Once again, theres no need to panic. You can always get creative and slightly modify your domain. If youre having trouble finding inspiration, you can use a domain name generator like Domain Wheel:
This tool prompts you to enter a few keywords and then provides you with an extensive list of possible domains. These options may include TLDs that you havent even heard of. For example, you might see .biz or .info.
Be wary of some suggestions, though, as they often contain hyphens or other elements that you should avoid. Even if you dont find the right domain name with a generator, one of the recommended options may give you a new idea.
However, if youre brimming with your own ideas, you may find useful as well.
Keep Your Domain Name Short
There are several reasons short domains work better. First, theyre easier to remember and faster to type. Therefore, they are more likely to support a positive UX.
This is especially important as more and more people are browsing the internet on mobile devices. A short domain name means fewer opportunities for mobile users to get blindsided by autocorrect.
Furthermore, an overly long URL is yet another way to scare off visitors. If youre overcomplicating your domain with unnecessary keywords, your users might get suspicious.
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Check Domain Name Availability
Our tool checks domain availability by doing a DNS query to get search results as fast as possible. WHOISdomain lookups are much slower than DNS queries, but provide more information about who registered the domain name.
Red results mean the name is taken. Do aWHOIS lookup to see when the current domain registration expires.
Green results mean the name is available and you can register with one of our partners!
Blue results show names for sale. Buy them from one of our auction partners.
Search Features
How To List Your Parked Domain For Sale
Do you have a great idea for a domain name and youre blown away that it isnt taken yet? With changing trends and new products and product categories appearing every year, its not impossible to stumble across a gem.
If youre willing to invest some of your budget in buying and parking one or more domains to sell them eventually, you want to list them for sale. But how do you do that?
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If Im Canadian Should I Choose A Ca Or Com Domain Name
As a Canadian, choosing between a .CA or .COM really depends on the nature of your business. In short if youre in Canada and you have a Canadian target market, choosing .CA is the ideal choice. However, if youre planning on offering your services abroad, then a .COM domain name is better for reaching an international audience.
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Contact The Current Domain Owner
If you discover that the domain name you want is already taken, try to figure out who currently owns it. This can be done using a WHOIS lookup tool.
Once you know who the owner is, you can contact them and ask if they would be willing to sell the domain name. Avoid making an offer in your initial email, and instead wait for their answer. If they reply positively, let them suggest a price and make a counter-offer. Expect to see a high price at first, and be prepared to negotiate. If they respond negatively, its time to move on to tip #2.
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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.
Available Domain Name Checker
The domain name availability checker tool works just like a classic search tool, but for available domains. You only need to type the name that you’re thinking about into the domain name checker and click the “Search” button to check domain name availability. From here, you can choose to refine your domain name availability search using “Filters” to show you available domains based on keywords, whether they’re on promotion, the current release phase, etc. And if you already have a few ideas for domain names in mind and you’re not sure which available domains to choose, the domain name checker tool enables you to search for domain name availability with more than one term at once. There’s no doubt that our domain name checker is a powerful tool in your search for available domains.
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What Can I Do If My Domain Is Taken
See if the taken domain is for sale
Sometimes, the domain name may have been purchased by a legitimate business owner, but they never ended up doing anything with it. If thats the case, you can use the Domain.com WHOIS lookup to explore if you can contact the owner of the domain and purchase it at a fair price. You may have to pay a premium, but its worth a try to grab the perfect domain.
Try an abbreviated version of the domain
You can still get the point across and convey your brand by using an abbreviation of your business name in the domain. For instance, instead of www.AcmeCompany.com, you may opt for www.AcmeCo.com.
The easiest way to try out abbreviations is to open up your word processor and create a list of potential abbreviations. Then, copy and paste that list into Domain.coms Bulk Registration tool to see what is available.
Use a new top-level domain
Without compromising the integrity of your domain name, you can simply change the domain ending . Of course, the most used top-level domain is .com, but you have a variety of top-level domains at your fingertips, including .net, .biz, .co, .business and more. Using a top-level domain that applies to your business will help to further convey your brand and the products or services you offer.
Use a tagline or slogan instead
Consult a web design expert
Choose Your Top Level Domain Extension Carefully
A Top-Level Domain extension is the last part of your URL that comes directly after the name of your site. Some of the most popular TLDs are .com, .org, and .net.
Among all the TLDs, .com is often a popular choice. However, if .com is taken, its not the end of the world.
Other popular TLDs such as .xyz, .shop, .club, .online, .art, .inc, and even .party are becoming increasingly common. TLDs like .marketing and .technology allow you to go with something more relevant to your industry. The usage of ccTLDs is also an extremely popular option. In recent years, more technology startups are using .io , .ai , and .co , for example. Ultimately, youll want to choose a domain name extension that is cohesive with your website and signals credibility.
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Check If Its Not Trademarked Or Already Used
Before you move forward with a specific domain name, check to see if the name is available on social media sites, as well as if there are any trademarks already registered to the name.
To build your brand, its ideal to have the same name across your domain and social networks. This builds familiarity and makes it easy for your visitors, fans, and customers to find you around the web.
Avoid legal issues you should stay away from names that already have trademarks.
How can you quickly check social networks and trademarks for your potential domain name?
Its quite easy with a tool like Knowem. Search your potential domain name itll show you if its available throughout over 25 popular social networks and if there are any trademarks already registered to the name.
If its taken, consider tweaking it so that you can create original social media profiles.
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How To Find Out If A Domain Name Is Available
Most of the good domain names are already registered. This makes it incredibly hard to find a suitable name for your website without spending a huge amount trying to secure a taken domain.
Now there are many online checker tools that let you run an instant domain search. You can use them to check if a domain name is already taken or available for registration.
All you have to do is type in your domain name in the search bar and the tool will check if the domain name is available.
Depending on the tool you use, if a domain name is taken, youll see a list of similar suggestions with different extensions .
Or the tool will give you the option of domain broker services to help you buy the taken domain name.
If it is available, you can go ahead and register it in your name. In case the domain search tool doesnt offer registration services, theyll redirect you to their preferred domain registrar where you can go ahead and buy it.
Since there are so many domain search tools out there, its important to pick a reliable one thats actually helpful in finding available domain names.
Weve narrowed down the search to the top 5 best ways to check if a domain name is available for your to register.
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How Does Namechk Work
- Start with several name ideas and type each one into the search bar.
- Namechk takes your username idea and checks its availability as a domain name and username on dozens of social channels and online platforms.
- If the name is available on a certain channel, the channel turns green. If the name is dim, its not available.
- No credit card necessary.
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. You’re 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? Don’t worry, you have choices.
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Wpbeginner Business Name Generator
If youre starting a new business and want to find a domain name that represents your brand perfectly, then, WPBeginners Business Name Generator is the best platform.
WPBeginner offers a smart Business Name Generator tool that searches for new company names using artificial intelligence. It is also a reliable tool for finding what domain names are available.
With the integration with Bluehost, this is a pretty great domain name generator tool that gives you domain suggestions that are available in real-time.
The tool is fast and reliable. Plus, you can secure an available domain name right away with a discounted offer from Bluehost. In case your preferred domain name is already taken, youll see similar suggestions and an option to make an offer on the domain name.
This will take you to the WHOIS database lookup where you can find the domain owners details to contact them and make your offer to buy an already taken domain name.
What Is A Domain Name What Is A Tld And What Is A Ccltd
A domain name is how users on the internet identify your website. As opposed to memorizing and entering your sites IP address, users use your domain name to locate and access your website.
A top-level domain refers to the domain or URL extension. TLDs with no registration restrictions such as a .com may also be referred to as gTLDs .
TLDs can be a streamlined way of communicating the purpose of your website. There are more than 2,000 different TLD options available some have broad applicability , while others have narrower uses cases and in some cases, use requirements or restrictions .
A country code Top-Level Domain is a domain extension reserved for specific countries or territories. ccTLDs always appear as two letter extensions, and are often used to indicate the region and language that will be displayed while using a site.
Examples of ccTLDs include .ca, .us, .uk .
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What Is A Parked Domain
A parked domain is any domain name that isnt directly connected to a website or email service. They also dont redirect traffic to another domain with a working website.
Kinsta spoiled me so bad that I demand that level of service from every provider now. We also try to be at that level with our SaaS tool support.
Suganthan Mohanadasan from @Suganthanmn
At most, it displays a page that explains that this domain is parked or maybe its available for sale.
A parked domain is a domain name that someone has registered without actively using it. Its simply sitting there at the side of the digital highway. Its waiting to be used or sold, in limbo. This is exactly why we call it a parked domain.
A domain name is a tool to help people locate different websites on different servers around the globe. In simple terms, when you enter a URL in your browser, the browser translates the URL into the servers IP address.
Instead of pointing to a specific server, a parked domain will either point nowhere or itll serve a generic parked page from the DNS registrars own server or a third-party service.
These domains are also known as aliases and can be used for a lot of different purposes. Its not uncommon to secure misspelled versions of your primary domain name or you might register your primary domain using other Top-Level Domains , like a .co or .net address.
Well cover why companies do these things in more detail later.