According to the Domain Name Industry Brief, Q4 2023 ended with 359.8 million registered domain names worldwide. That makes the chances of your preferred domain name being open for registration slim.
In this article, we’ll show you how to see if your domain name is available and how to choose a high-quality domain name.
Check Availability of Domain Names
Before you start building a website and working on your branding, it’s important to know what your domain name will be. No two domain names are the same, and you can only choose a domain name that’s available to you.
Steps to check domain name availability:
1. Find a domain name checker,
2. Enter your preferred domain,
3. Learn if it’s available or not,
4. Register the domain or find the current owner’s contact information.
To do that, you need to do domain name search using a domain name availability checker, but don’t worry; they’re free. A checker, also called a WHOIS lookup tool, can be used to see if the name is available and, if not, to get information about the registration, such as:
- Hosting servers,
- Length of ownership,
- Registrar used,
- Registrant contact information,
- Renewal expiration date,
- Domain name system (DNS) records.
How to Check if the Domain Name Is Available
To check that the domain name is available, you can visit who.is and enter the domain name you’re interested in.
If the domain is available, the WHOIS lookup tool will report that the object you’re looking for doesn’t exist in the DNS, leaving it open for registration.
When you use our domain availability checker, you’ll see if your name is taken, but you can also learn about domain types in which your preferred domain name is available (i.e., what top-level domain is unregistered). For example, businessnamegenerator is unavailable in .com, .us., org, and .net, but you can use a .io domain.
What Should I Do if My Domain Name Is Taken?
If the name is taken (as is the case with our domain), you’ll find all the information we talked about above.
When you see a screen like this, you have two options.
- Choose an alternative name: This can mean using a different name altogether or switching to a different domain type. If you pick the latter, make sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s trademark.
- Contact the owner: You can use the displayed contact information to reach out to the current owner and see if you can buy the usage rights. This usually comes with a hefty price.
MORE: Domain acquisition
How Can I Get a Domain Name That Is Already Taken?
If the name is available, you can begin the registration process. If that’s not the case, but you’re adamant about having it, use the lookup tool to learn who owns the name. You can contact the registrant and try to buy the domain name rights from them.
When you enter a name into our checker, there will be a Make an offer button next to taken domain names. If you click on it, your browser will open a GoDaddy page where you can hire a domain broker to assist you in contacting the current owner and making an offer to buy usage rights.
However, getting a domain name this way can get quite costly. People often register domain names to sell them for a profit (called domain flipping). The most expensive domain names can go for hundreds of millions of dollars.
MORE: Learn how to value a domain name.
What Other Options Do I Have If My Domain Name Is Taken?
If your domain name is taken, but you don’t want to pay the premium price to buy usage rights, all is not lost just yet.
Use a lookup tool to learn the length of ownership, i.e., when the current subscription expires. There’s a possibility that the owner decides against renewing the registration. In that case, you can register the domain name for the regular price.
Make sure to set up a reminder to check in on the availability on time and not miss out on the domain name again.
Mistakes to Avoid When Checking Domain Name Availability
- Despite evolving domain name trends, .com remains the most popular extension. Don’t get too creative and obtain an obscure TLD that’s associated with spam.
- If .com is not available, you can still choose an alternative TLD that can help you build a niche audience(e.g., .ai domain for an AI company). Make sure it’s a trustworthy extension.
- Make sure your name is catchy and easy to remember. Avoid:
- Long names,
- Using hyphens, numbers, or any special characters,
- Inappropriate words when spelled together.
What Are the Next Steps if My Domain Is Available?
Once you decide on a name and find that it’s available, it’s time to register it. To do that, you need to:
- Select a registrar and visit its website,
- Enter your preferred domain name,
- Choose additional features (optional),
- Enter payment information,
- Complete the purchase.
Check out our video guide on how to complete the process:
Takeaway Points
Picking a catchy domain name is easy; picking a catchy domain name that’s also available is not. When you want to register a domain, you need to check its availability first, and you can do that by using various checkers and lookup tools online.
Once you find a domain name that’s not taken, you can begin the registration process. If you need help coming up with a catchy, memorable name that will rightly represent your industry and products/services, use our AI-powered domain name generator to get unlimited name ideas you can fine-tune with advanced filters. The generator will automatically check availability and suggest the best extensions.