Whenever we get a good domain name idea, we check it on the browser to see if it’s available. That’s good. But it doesn’t show the actual scene all the time.

Sometimes the browser shows that the site can’t be reached even though the domain name is registered.

To check domain name availability, we can use some tools offered by domain name registrars and web hosts. The cool thing is, these tools also show the suggestions and alternatives if the domain isn’t available.

Let’s check these domain name availability checker tools.

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1. GoDaddy Domain Name Search

GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain name provider that has more than 70 million domains under its management. It offers almost all types of extensions.

GoDaddy has an advanced domain name search tool that will help you to find the availability of a domain name. It will also show you some suggestions and alternatives based on your search.

Just go to GoDaddy Domain Name Search and enter your domain name. And click on “Search” button.

In this case, it shows that the domain name is taken as I’ve entered my own domain name. It also shows the available domains for other extensions.

Now let’s try with a different name. I’ve added a prefix to the domain name and found it available.

That’s a pretty handy tool for checking domain name availability.

Deal Alert: GoDaddy 99 cent .Com Domain

2. Namecheap Domain Search

Namecheap is the cheapest domain name registrar that has over 8 million domains under its management. You can buy a domain as low as $0.48 from the Namecheap. It offers all the new and old TLDs.

Namecheap Domain Search tool lets you find an available domain name. It also suggests some alternatives TLDs if the desired domain name isn’t available.

Go to Namecheap Domain Search and enter your domain name. Then click on “Search”.

In this case, the domain name is available. If the domain name was taken, it would show “This domain isn’t available”.

You can also buy other TLDs for your desired names from Namecheap.

3. Bluehost Domain Search

Bluehost is mainly a web hosting provider. It offers a free domain name if you buy web hosting from them. However, you can buy domain name separately. It has all popular extensions.

Bluehost Domain Search lets you check the domain name availability. It also shows the alternate suggestions. Just enter your domain name below and click on “check availability”.

On the next page, it will show if the domain is available. If it’s not, Bluehost will suggest you some alternate suggestions. You can see more suggestions by clicking on “Show more suggestions..” link.

If you land on “Create Your Account” page, it means your domain name is available. And if you buy hosting from them, you’ll get a free domain name.

4. Name.com Domain Search

Name.com is a popular domain name registrar that has 1.9M domains under its management. It has a lot of extensions. It also offers other web hosting related services.

Name.com Domain Search is very easy to use. Just go to Name.com and enter your domain name. And click on ‘Search’.

On the next page, it will show the domain name availability with suggested, popular, and premium domain names.

If the domain is not available, you can check for another domain name from the same domain name.

5. Instant Domain Search

Instant Domain Search is the fastest domain search tool on the internet. It starts showing the search result as you type your domain name.

It shows the available domain names for other popular extensions. It also suggests some available domain names. You can see the domains for sale. You can also see the whois of the unavailable domain and make an offer.

It also has a domain name generator tool.

6. HostGator Domains

The web hosting giant HostGator offers domain name registration service too. You can check a domain name availability in HostGator. Just go to HostGator Domains and enter your desired domain name. And hit ‘Search’ button.

If the domain name is available, it will be added to cart automatically. If not, it will suggest some similar domain options.

HostGator is very popular for its affordable shared hosting solution. If you are about to buy web host, check these latest HostGator Coupon Codes.

7. 1&1 Domain Checker

1&1 Domain Checker is a very handy tool to check out if a domain name is available. Just go to Domain Checker and enter your domain name and hit ‘Check’ button.

On the next page, it will show the domain name availability. If the domain is taken, it will recommend some alternative extensions and some other names.

It will also show premium domains that match your desired name.

Your Desired Name Is Available – Now What?

Once you’ve found that your desired domain is available, you should buy the domain name ASAP. There are several domain registrars. I use and recommend Namecheap. It’s the cheapest domain name provider.

 

Once you have bought the domain name, it’s time to build the website. You can use WordPress to build your site. It’s the most popular CMS. You will need a web host to install WordPress. You can buy web hosting from popular web hosts like HostGator or Bluehost. HostGator is my personal favorite.

After installing WordPress, you need to design your site and install necessary plugins.

• 9 Essential Settings to Configure After Installing WordPress [Checklist]
• 9 Things To Do After Installing WordPress [Checklist]

What If Your Desired Name Is Not Available

Here are few things you can do when your desired domain is taken.

1. Try to buy it: The very first thing you can do is, try to buy it from the original owner. You will be trying to buy the domain only if the domain doesn’t have an active site. You can try to contact the owner directly, or you can use Domain Broker Service by GoDaddy.

2. Use another extension: If the .com extension is not available, you can go with an another extensions like .org, .net, .etc. You can also use the country extension if your site is based on your country. You can even consider using new TLDs like .tips, .xyz, .travel, .tech, etc.

3. Add prefix or suffix: The easiest way to get your desired name is, adding a prefix or suffix to the domain name. You can use prefixes like my, the, your, best, get, set, smart, cool, quick, etc. And suffixes like place, site, spot, web, net, portal, world, city, now, guide, cafe, etc.

4. Use hyphens: Using hyphens on the domain name is something that I never recommend. But if your brand name is tied up with the domain name, you can consider using hyphens on the domain name.

5. Come up with another name: It’s always better to come up with another name.

Conclusion

Using a unique and brandable name is very crucial for the success of your online business. So don’t go with a random name because it’s available.

However, hope this post helped you to find an available domain name. If you have any question regarding this, feel free to ask me via comment.