How to Tell If a Domain Is Really Available (Why "Likely Available" Is Not Enough)
A domain is really available only when a registrar will sell it to you. Everything before that is a signal. The bulk domain availability checker reads two public ones for each name: whether the TLD's registry has a record (over RDAP) and whether DNS has nameservers for it. Neither present gives Likely available. It checks up to 100 names a run, or 500 after a free Google sign-in.
Step 1: run the names
Paste domains, one per line, or bare names to try across TLDs. The tool finds each TLD's registry in IANA's RDAP bootstrap file, asks it for the name, then looks for nameservers. Results come in batches of 20.
Step 2: read each status
| Status | What we saw | How far to trust it |
|---|---|---|
| Likely available | No registry record, no nameservers | Probably free; confirm at a registrar |
| Registered | A registry record, or DNS shows the name delegated | Taken |
| Unknown | No clear answer either way | Never treated as available |
Why "likely" and not "available"
A registry can withhold a name without publishing a record for it. Three common cases:
- Premium names. The registry sells them at a higher price. They can look unregistered.
- Reserved names. Held by the registry and not open to registration.
- Blocked names. For example, trademark-protected strings.
In all three the registry says nothing, so the name looks free. The registrar's checkout is where it becomes real, and it also shows the price.
Why some TLDs come back Unknown
Some country-code registries publish no RDAP. .io, .co, .me and .de are among them. For those, a name with nameservers is shown as Registered, which DNS proves, and a name without nameservers is Unknown: it may be free, or registered but parked with no DNS. The checker does not use public redirectors that answer "not found" for everything, because they would show taken names as free. If a registry is slow or rate-limiting, Unknown also appears; run those names again a minute later.
Step 3: confirm at a registrar
Tick Show only likely available, download the CSV and check each name you want at a registrar. That step shows the price and catches premium and reserved names.
A website that does not load is not an available domain
A domain with no site can still be registered. Parked domains, domains with expired hosting and domains held for resale all look dead. Only the registry record or nameservers prove a name is taken, which is why the checker reads those and not the website. See how to check many domain names at once for a longer-list workflow.
What this check cannot do
- It cannot say a name is definitely free or give its price.
- It cannot see premium, reserved or blocked status.
- It cannot read registry records for TLDs with no RDAP.
- It cannot say who owns a taken name; contact details are mostly redacted.
- The limit is 100 domains a run without an account and 500 signed in.
Before you send from a new domain
Correct DNS and a good domain get mail to the door; the address still has to exist. Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Check your names now
Paste them into the bulk domain availability checker.
Common questions
How can I tell whether a domain is really available?
Look for two signals: no record at the TLD registry and no nameservers in DNS. That means likely available. A registrar's checkout confirms it and shows the price.
Why does a domain show as available but I cannot buy it?
Registries can hold names back without a public record. Premium names are priced higher, and reserved or blocked names cannot be registered at all, yet all of these can look free.
Why does the checker say Unknown for .io or .de?
Several country-code registries, including .io, .co, .me and .de, publish no RDAP service, so there is no standard way to ask them. A name with nameservers is shown as registered; one without is Unknown.
Is a domain with no website available?
No. A domain can be registered but parked or have no DNS at all. Only a registry record or nameservers prove it is taken, and a missing site proves nothing.
Does the bulk checker work for email addresses?
It reads domains. Email addresses and URLs pasted in are reduced to the domain.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.