Member Avatar for Goldfinch

Hi, I hope this is the right place to post this. I am researching the possibility of registering a new domain name. I haven't decided what the correct name is yet but I want to figure out what names are available and would like to figure out a way to search for, for instance, all 5 character length .com domains that are still available and get them in a structured list (so I can sort them with an algorithm if the number turns out to be very high). This of course would need to be done through a service that doesn't care about the number of queries I would have to make or the size of the request if there was a way to request this using a regular expression or something.

Edited by Goldfinch
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As described, enumerating all 5-character .com candidates is easy (letters-only = 26^5 = 11,881,376; add digits and the space grows quickly). Rather than firing millions of WHOIS queries (which hits rate limits and TOS), a practical, scalable approach is to obtain the .com zone file (or request access via ICANN's CZDS), generate the candidate set, and subtract the registered names. That yields the true “available” set without per-name WHOIS calls. ()

If zone-file access is not possible, use programmatic registry/registrar mechanisms: the EPP <check> command (standard domain availability mapping) and RDAP for machine-readable registration data. Many registrars expose domain-availability endpoints or APIs (authenticated, rate-limited). Expect to authenticate, respect API limits, and follow each provider’s terms. (rfc-editor.org)

Other practical sources include aggregated expired/deleted lists and auction/backorder marketplaces (these surface short names that will drop or are auctioned), which can be exported and filtered instead of brute-force searching. Also heed ’s cautions: check registrar terms, privacy/proxy registrations, and trademark databases before committing to purchase. (expireddomains.net)

Workflow (algorithmic, scalable): 1) pick the exact charset and normalize case; 2) request the .com zone file (CZDS/Verisign) or collect expired lists; 3) stream-generate candidates and compute a streaming set-difference (external sort, on-disk hash, or Bloom filter) to produce a compact candidate list; 4) bulk-validate the remainder with a registrar API or EPP checks and register/backorder. This produces a structured, sortable list ready for ranking by pronounceability, dictionary matches, trademark risk, or SEO metrics — a practical extension of the points from , and without hammering public WHOIS.

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Member Avatar for rch1231

Hello,

There is not really a list of available domain names because a domain name can be any combination of characters that you want. You could use abc123.com or aaaaaa.com and nobody keeps a list of domains that are available. They do keep lists of domains that are used and there are several ways to query that list. you could use the nslookup command or you could go to any of the Domain name registrars (network solutions, godaddy etc.) and see what is a specific name has been used.

Member Avatar for kategirdlelock

If a domain name can be 67 characters, there are almost an unlimited number of combinations that would make up *jobs.com. I can tell you without looking that akwjflaowjdlaidjsowkfsajobs.com is available

Member Avatar for Dani

So I guess write an algorithm to calculate all combinations of 5-letter domains and test each one to see if it exists. However, I'm willing to bet that no 5-letter domains are available.

Member Avatar for Maywyn

-Domain name hosts have different terms. Read the terms before you register a domain name. For example, if you want Privacy, then know for sure your name and contact information will not be made public with the domain name. The domain name will be registered under the host as proxy. A potential buyer can contact the domain name host who will then let you know about the inquiry, if that's in the terms.
-A few years ago I read in a forum (not here)a person suspected the domain name host was grabbing the names they were looking up because shortly after the search, of an available domain name, the person tried to buy the domain name, but it was no longer available. I recall an issue with domain name hosts holding the name for the potential buyer for a short period of time. Check online reputation of the domain name host you chose.
-While it may be rare, I bought a 5 letter domain name about a year ago. To be fair, its highly unlikely anyone in the world will want it anytime soon, but me of course.
-#1 Always search first to make sure there's no trademark or person or company, that's using the name.
-Internet search the name to make sure it doesn't mean something in another language that might not be a polite term or be a slang term or associated with an industry not to your liking.
-There is a registry for expired domain names if you're looking for ideas.
Good luck

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