Domain Name Search: Check Availability and Handles

Picking a name for a project, a shop or a channel used to start with one question: is the .com free? Now there are two. You also need the matching handle on the social apps you plan to use, because people will look for you there first. A name that is open as a domain but taken on Instagram and TikTok will cost you followers who land on someone else's account.

This guide shows how to run a domain name search for availability and check a name across domains and social handles at the same time. It explains what the domain results in our search mean, where they can mislead you, and what else belongs in a brand name check before you pay for anything.

Check a name across domains and social handles in one search

When you search a name on WhatsMyName Apps, two checks run side by side:

• Handles: the name is checked against 3,165+ sites, from the big social networks to forums, gaming, developer and creator platforms. Each comes back as Found (a profile with that name exists), Not found, Blocked or Unknown.
• Domains: a "Domain names" panel shows the same name with seven endings, .com, .net, .org, .io, .us, .app and .dev, each marked available, taken or unknown.

It is free, needs no sign-up, and takes up to five names at once separated by commas, so you can compare a shortlist. Each name gets its own results tab with its own domain row. The name is sent to our server only to run the checks and is not stored or logged. If you only want the short version, the name checker page explains the same combined check for brands.

How the domain check works

The domain panel uses RDAP, the Registration Data Access Protocol. RDAP is the modern, structured replacement for WHOIS, and ICANN now treats it as the main source of registration data for generic domains. Each domain ending has a registry that runs an RDAP server, and our search asks the official server for each of the seven endings directly. No paid API sits in between.

The logic is simple:

• If the registry answers that the domain does not exist, it is shown as available.
• If the registry returns a registration record, it is shown as taken.
• If the registry errors, times out or refuses the request, it is shown as unknown. Try again later or check at a registrar.

One detail is worth knowing. Domain names can only contain letters, numbers and hyphens, and cannot start or end with a hyphen. If your name contains an underscore or a dot, such as blue_fern, the handle check still runs but the domain panel is skipped, because blue_fern.com cannot exist. Try the plain or hyphenated version as a second name in the same search.

What "available" does and does not mean

The panel's own note says it: availability comes from public registry data, it can change, and you should confirm with a registrar. A few cases trip people up:

• Reserved and premium names. A registry can hold back a name or price it far above the standard fee. RDAP may show no registration while the registrar asks for a premium price or will not sell it at all.
• Names in the deletion cycle. A recently expired domain can sit in a redemption or pending-delete period before it is released.
• Timing. Someone can register a name minutes after you checked. If a name matters, register it the same day.
• Taken is not for sale. A registered domain may be parked, in use, or simply held. You can contact the owner, but there is no right to buy it.

Which domain endings matter

• .com is still what most people type by default. If it is taken by an active business in your field, expect confusion.
• .net and .org are good defensive registrations. .org reads as non-profit or community to many people.
• .io and .dev are popular for software projects. .io is a country-code ending, so its rules are set for a territory and can change.
• .app and .dev only load over HTTPS, because they are on browsers' HSTS preload list. Plan for a certificate from day one.
• .us requires a US connection (the registry's nexus rules) and suits a US-focused brand.

You do not need all seven. Most small projects register the .com, or the best available ending, plus one or two defensive ones.

A brand name check list

Before you print anything, run through these in one sitting:

1. Search the exact name in our username and domain search. Add two or three variations: with a hyphen, with "hq" or "app", or a shorter form.
2. Read the Found results, not just the count. A handle taken by an inactive account from 2014 is a different problem from one used by a competitor.
3. Check trademarks. The domain panel links to a US trademark search for the name. Outside the US, use your national office or WIPO's Global Brand Database. A free domain does not mean the name is free to use.
4. Search the name in a search engine in quotes to spot existing businesses, products and bad associations.
5. Say it out loud. If people mishear the spelling, they will mistype the domain.
6. Claim everything the same day: the domain and every handle you might use, even ones you will not post on yet.

Our guides on reserving a username before launch and protecting your brand name on social media cover the claiming step and what to do about lookalike accounts.

When the handle is taken but the domain is free

It happens all the time. Your options:

• Use a consistent modifier everywhere, such as getname, namehq or nameapp, and buy the matching domain.
• On Bluesky, use your domain itself as your handle. Our guide to Bluesky custom domain handles shows how.
• If the account holding your name is inactive, check whether the platform has a policy for inactive or trademark-infringing accounts. Do not assume it will release the name.

For the full picture of what to do when a name is gone, read what to do when a username has been taken.

FAQ

Is the domain search accurate?

It reports what each registry's RDAP server says at that moment. That is the authoritative registration record, but it does not show premium pricing or reservations, so confirm at a registrar before you rely on it.

Does checking a domain make it more likely someone will register it?

Our search does not store or log the names you check, and it queries only the official registry servers. We do not share searches with registrars.

Can I check other endings such as .co or .shop?

Not in our panel, which covers the seven endings listed above. A registrar's search covers the rest.

WhatsMyName Apps is not a registrar and does not sell domains. Availability comes from public registry data and can change; confirm with a registrar before you buy.