Check Domain Availability: How to Verify if a Domain is Available

Domain availability indicates whether a specific domain name is still available for registration on the internet. A domain check can provide the necessary information.

One of the first steps in creating an online presence is to check domain availability. Various tools can help find already registered domains that are not yet visible online. Each address can only exist once on the internet. Checking domain availability is, therefore, a crucial prerequisite for establishing a web presence. Simply typing an address into the browser's address bar is usually insufficient. Often, such addresses are already taken but have not been activated yet. This may occur when traders reserve specific domain names for resale or when the owner is not ready to launch their website.

Using the Hosttest domain check, you can investigate domain availability. Many internet providers also offer domain availability checks as an additional service, providing users with a convenient way to quickly secure a domain and aiding in selecting a suitable name.

How Can You Check if a Domain is Available?

A short, clear, and precise name that is easy to remember—this is typically the ideal domain. However, domain checks often reveal that the first choice is already taken. Even if it’s not, a more comprehensive domain check is recommended. Domain availability may sometimes only apply to a single extension, while the initial plan was to use multiple addresses.

How to Quickly Check a Single Domain?

Every registered domain is stored in a publicly accessible database that can be queried in various ways. To check a single domain, you don’t even need a website. The small program "whois"—pre-installed on Linux or available for download on Windows (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/whois)—queries the owner of a domain and displays the information. If the domain check returns no results, the corresponding desired domain is still available. While "whois" is fast and efficient for single domains, it has some limitations:

• Some new domains require manual entries into databases.
• "Whois" lacks a graphical user interface and is used via command line.
• It can only check one address at a time.

What Methods Enable a Comprehensive Domain Check?

The simplest way to check multiple domains is through automated domain check tools like the one on Hosttest.de. These tools query various database servers, much like "whois," and present results in a user-friendly format. Many providers offer flexible domain check tools that allow users to customize checks for available domains by including or excluding specific TLD extensions. Users should ensure they are aware of the filters applied during their initial domain check.

What Differentiates "Classic" Domains from "New" Domains?

Historically, domains—except for a few like .org, .net, .com, or .gov—were country-specific. The immense success of the internet quickly led to all popular names being taken. For example, over 10 million .de domains have already been registered, with numbers still rising. To alleviate this, ICANN introduced new domain extensions, allowing more individuals and companies to secure their desired domains and enabling high specialization. While .com (with over 100 million registrations) was initially a general extension for companies, today there are industry-specific and regional extensions like .shop or .berlin available for registration.

Another significant development is the internationalization of domain names, supporting non-Latin scripts like Chinese, Arabic, or Cyrillic. This has expanded domain availability and allowed for local and regional customization using different alphabets and character systems. This option should not be overlooked during a domain check, especially when targeting specific markets.

The introduction of new TLDs is an ongoing process. Additionally, domains are regularly abandoned. Thus, a domain unavailable today may become available in the future. It can be worthwhile to periodically perform a domain check every few months to reassess availability.