What to Do When the Domain You Want Is Taken

When the domain you want is taken, work out whether it is truly gone, then widen the search. Paste the name into the bulk domain availability checker with several TLDs ticked. Each name comes back Likely available, Registered (with registrar and expiry where the registry shares them) or Unknown, read from the registry's RDAP server and DNS. Up to 100 names a run, 500 after a free Google sign-in.

It checks registries, not registrars, so nothing is offered for sale and nobody is told you looked.

Step 1: find out who holds it and until when

A registered row shows the registrar and the expiry date. Paste the name on its own and read the row. A date a year away means waiting is pointless. A date that has passed or is close is worth watching, but do not count on it: the registrar can hold an expired name before deleting it, and for most generic TLDs the previous owner then has a 30-day Redemption Grace Period to restore it. Many expiring names are renewed or sold before release.

For TLDs with no RDAP (.io, .co, .me and .de among them) the expiry is not shown. See how to find when a list of domains expires for the options.

Step 2: try the same name on other TLDs

Paste the bare name, such as acmehq, and tick the TLDs you would accept. Each pairing is checked and counts toward the 100 or 500 limit. Tick Show only likely available to cut the list down.

Pick TLDs your audience will trust. For a company sending email, the extension also matters; the best TLDs for cold email domains covers that side.

Step 3: try close variants

Add a short word, drop a vowel, or change the order. Examples for acme: getacme, acmehq, acme-app, useacme. Put 20 or 30 of them in the same run. The available domain name generator builds variants from your brand and checks them the same way. Hyphens and long names are harder to say aloud, so weigh that before you settle.

Step 4: read the status carefully

Status	What it means	What to do
Likely available	No registry record and no nameservers in DNS	Confirm at a registrar, which also shows the price
Registered	The registry has a record, or DNS shows the name in use	Read the expiry, or choose another
Unknown	The registry could not be asked or did not answer	Run again in a minute, or check the registry directly

Likely available is not a guarantee. Premium, reserved and blocked names can look free and still be expensive or unobtainable. The registrar's checkout has the final word. More on this in how to find an available domain name.

What about buying it from the owner

A registered domain with no website is still someone's property. A parked page or a blank one does not mean it is abandoned. If the name matters, the registrar and dates in the record help you decide whether an approach is worth making, but this tool gives no owner contact details and cannot say whether anyone will sell.

What this check cannot do

• It cannot tell you a name's price or whether it is premium.
• It cannot confirm a name is free; only a registrar can.
• It cannot show expiry dates for TLDs without RDAP.
• It cannot predict whether a taken name will come back.
• The limit is 100 names a run without an account and 500 signed in.

Once you own the name and start sending

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 shortlist now

Paste the names into the bulk domain availability checker.