A domain name is an essential part of your website. At its best, it will represent your brand or even inform people about the intentions of your site.
Sometimes you can spend days searching for the right name and still end up finding none. In the current generation, where millions of businesses operate online, someone else may have already thought of your idea and taken up the domain name.
For those who are looking for the best discounts and savings, this guide highlights the steps to get a free domain. Most web hosts include a free domain name, but it’s normally the premium plans that tend to include this.
This setback is among the greatest disappointments in the search for the right domain name. And, now that picking a domain name is an overwhelming job, you will find online domain name checker tools where you can confirm if your preferred name is still available.
Do not be discouraged or feel stuck that most good domain names might be taken already. Do not lose hope in starting and running a profitable online venture.
It is recommended to first check the domain name availability in the beginning before you waste time over someone else’s idea. Remember, a good domain name search tool will help you find new ideas as you search for available names. You can always pick the right name plus thousands of domain extensions available online.
Find a Domain Name Checker with Hosting
It’s advisable to keep all your digital assets under the same roof. Why? If your web hosting provider also works as your registrar, overall website management will become much easier. Luckily, most web hosting providers offer domain name registration and search tools too.
Let’s take a look at Hostinger’s domain checker as an example – their domain’s base tool offers all the popular, established TLDs as well as new ones, which are rising in popularity. Its ICAAN accredited like every trusted registrar should be, and on top of that, you can opt for hosting services.
How Do Domain Name Checkers Work?
The domain checker tool is an online checker provided by various domain name registrars to help you find available domains. Once you query the search tool, the options you may see include:
- The domain name is available, and you can go ahead to register
- The domain name is not possible because it is active
- The domain name is inactive
- The domain name has been canceled
- The domain name was deleted and is available again for registration
- Available options for the domain name when compared with various top-level extensions
- The cost of the domain name with the various top-level extensions like .net and .org
- Suggestions for alternative names that are available according to your search criteria
Keep trying the query until you find all the information you need from hundreds of extensions for your preferred domain name.
Today’s online market is full of domain name speculators, and so you must also use WHOIS domain lookup tools to try and get the contact information of a domain name owner that already registered the option you want.
Why Do You Need to Check Availability?
When most beginners start a new online business, they at times forget about the importance of registering their domain name, which represents their brand.
For instance, you can associate your registered domain name with services such as email addresses. You can also create subdomains and redirect them to the main domain.
Remember, you can always migrate from one web hosting company to another because domain names are interoperable. Problems arise whenever the company becomes successful, and other people want to steal your trademark.
Keep in mind that, if your brand’s domain name is not registered, anyone can take your trademark or even buy domain names that have your brand name. You must avoid this setback by registering your domain name to protect your brand from cybersquatters.
How Do The Tools Work?
Most online domain availability checker tools use either Domain Name Search (DNS) or WHOIS records to find whether the queried name is registered online.
Some prefer both ways to enhance your search criteria. Those that use it to analyze DNS information often find more accurate data because most programming languages have incorporated DNS in their search.
Once you ping DNS to your domain name query, you will find information such as where the domain name is hosted, time to live information, record type or additional attributes, and other records such as SOA, CNAME, PTR, and HINFO.
How to Use Domain Availability Checkers?
It is very easy to use the online domain availability checker. First, type the domain name you want to search for. Once you submit, the tool will look for similar domain names online while substituting the brand name with top domain levels such as .net, .org, .biz, and .name to find a match.
You can add another domain link to the additional name input to check for more than one domain name.
Most domain checker tools limit domain name inputs to at most ten entries. And so, the process might take longer depending on the number of domains you entered in the additional link.
If you check both the DNS and WHOIS search criteria, then you will likely find the following results:
- The name is “available” in the DNS and WHOIS value, meaning the name is available for registrations
- The name is “not available” in both databases, and so it may not be available for registration
The Bottom Line
Once you find a good domain name that represents your brand, always register it with registered registrars to secure the rights and ownership of the domain.
Most registrars will give you the right for a year; however, you can extend for another three years.
Once you find and register a domain name, the next step is to find a host before you can start to enjoy the benefits of having a domain name. With many free services, start your search online today, and find the perfect domain for your business idea.
Remember to keep your brand safe, consider registering similar names to avoid fraudulent websites, and keep your domain and hosting under the same company’s roof as possible for easier management and troubleshooting.