Domain Name Checker

About this tool

This is a free domain name availability checker built and maintained by SnapStatic. No signup, no email gate, no ads. Type a name and instantly see which top-level domains (TLDs) are available — perfect for picking a name for a new business, side project, blog, portfolio, or rebrand.

The default search covers the popular global TLDs (.com, .net, .org, .io) using fast DNS-over-HTTPS straight from your browser. Results stream in as each TLD resolves — typically under a second.

Need to check Philippine TLDs (.ph, .com.ph, .net.ph, .org.ph) too? One click adds them to the search. We handle them carefully — the .ph registry has a quirk that confuses most generic checkers, and we query the registry directly to get an accurate answer. Details below.

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How it works

When you type a name and hit Check, the tool runs availability lookups for the four default global TLDs in parallel. These checks use Cloudflare's public DNS-over-HTTPS service straight from your browser — fast, free, and accurate for the universal TLDs that return a clean NXDOMAIN response when a name isn't registered.

For each TLD you'll see one of three results: Available (no record found, name is likely unregistered), Taken (currently registered or pointing somewhere), or Unknown (couldn't reach the registry, try again later). DNS lookups are a strong signal but not absolute — always confirm at the registrar before purchasing, especially for premium names.

Special handling for .ph and .com.ph (when enabled)

Philippine TLDs need a different approach. The .ph registry uses a "catch-all" DNS configuration that returns a single sinkhole IP for every unregistered .ph domain — so to a normal DNS lookup, every random .ph name appears registered. Generic domain checkers that rely on DNS alone get this wrong systematically.

Our solution: when you opt in to PH variants, the tool sends one request to a small Cloudflare Pages Function that queries the registry's WHOIS interface directly and parses the response. The result is the actual registry answer, not a DNS guess. The request is rate-limited per IP and gated by Cloudflare Turnstile (invisible to real visitors) to keep the upstream registry happy.

What we cache and why

Same-tab checks are remembered for 10 minutes — typing "myshop" twice in the same session won't fire any network requests the second time. Across users, results live behind Cloudflare's edge cache for 5–10 minutes, so popular name checks (the same business idea by different visitors) don't re-hit the registry. This keeps the tool fast and friendly to upstream services.

How to register your domain (for beginners)

Found an available name? Good news: you don't need a developer, web agency, or any special help to register it. Anyone can do it themselves in about 5 minutes. Here's the whole process:

1. Pick a registrar

A registrar is a company that sells domain registrations on behalf of TLD authorities. There are dozens of them; you pay annually to keep your name. For most cases, any of these are reliable choices:

• Namecheap — affordable, beginner-friendly, broad TLD support, decent free privacy protection
• Porkbun — clean interface, transparent pricing, no aggressive upsells
• Cloudflare Registrar — at-cost pricing (no markup), but needs a Cloudflare account and supports fewer exotic TLDs

You're not locked in — you can transfer a domain between registrars later if you ever want to switch.

2. Search the same name on the registrar

Take the domain you found here, paste it into the registrar's search. You'll see the actual price (popular gTLDs typically run $10–$15 per year, niche or premium ones cost more). The registrar's search is also where you'll discover if a name is flagged "premium" — those are technically available but priced at $100s or $1000s instead of standard rates.

3. Add to cart and pay

First-year payment registers the domain in your name. Most registrars offer 2-, 5-, or 10-year terms — paying multiple years upfront locks in availability and sometimes gets a small discount. Domain ownership is annual: if you don't renew, the name eventually returns to the available pool.

4. Connect it to your site

Once registered, point your domain at wherever your site is hosted (Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, Netlify, your own server, or — if you use SnapStatic — your published site). This is a one-time DNS configuration, usually a 10-minute task with copy-paste instructions provided by your host.

For Philippine TLDs (.ph, .com.ph, .net.ph, .org.ph)

The official registry is dot.ph, which handles direct registration. Pricing and eligibility differ by TLD: .com.ph is the conventional choice for businesses, .ph is open to individuals and organizations, and there are stricter rules for .gov.ph / .edu.ph (which we don't check here). Most international registrars don't carry .ph TLDs, so going directly through dot.ph is the cleanest path.

One thing no domain checker can tell you

Whether the price is reasonable. A name might show "available" here and then appear at $2,500/year as a premium domain at the registrar — that's the registrar's decision based on perceived value, not something we can predict. If a name is unexpectedly expensive, try variations (different TLD, slight word change) — usually one of them will be standard-priced.

Frequently asked questions

Is this tool free?

Yes, completely free. No signup, no email, no ads, no rate-limit-then-pay tier. We rate-limit to prevent abuse, but normal use is unrestricted.

What does "available" actually mean?

It means the domain is not currently registered in the public DNS or registry database. Registrars may still flag it as a premium or reserved name when you try to buy it (with a higher price tag). Always verify on your registrar of choice before assuming a price.

Why isn't a .com I checked available, when a separate WHOIS lookup says it is?

Our default check uses DNS, which is fast and matches what a browser actually sees. A domain can be registered but have no DNS records — parked, expired-but-unreleased, or in a registrar hold. WHOIS reflects the registry's record-keeping; DNS reflects current operational state. Always confirm at the registrar before buying. DNS is a strong signal but not a guarantee.

Should I register multiple TLD variants of my name?

Depends on your goals. For a serious business or brand, registering at least the .com and your country-code TLD (e.g. .com.ph if you're in the Philippines) is common defensive practice — it stops squatters from grabbing variants and confusing customers. For a side project or personal site, a single TLD is usually enough.

Why is .ph checked separately from the default search?

The .ph registry uses a sinkhole DNS configuration that returns the same IP address for every unregistered .ph domain. That makes regular DNS lookups unreliable for Philippine TLDs — every random name appears registered. We query the registry's WHOIS database directly for .ph variants, which gives an accurate answer. Because that query has a small upstream cost, we put it behind an opt-in toggle rather than running it on every search.

Can I register a domain here?

No — we're a checker only. See the "How to register your domain" section above for the step-by-step process and recommended registrars.

Do you log the domain names I check?

No. We track which TLDs are checked (e.g. how often .com is checked vs .com.ph) and the available/taken ratio, but never the actual name you type. The typed name stays in your browser; only the TLD label is sent to our self-hosted analytics. We don't run any third-party tracking.