Quick answer
How do I check if a domain is available?
To check if a domain is available, type the name in DotAlmanac's search: it asks the registry's RDAP server first, then a commercial WHOIS service, and answers Available, Taken or Availability confirmed at order. As of 29 October 2026, an available .com costs $11.99/year. For a second check, look the name up at lookup.icann.org.
Availability checks at a glance
| Fastest check | The search box on any DotAlmanac page, which opens /app/domains/?q=yourname |
|---|---|
| First source | The registry's own RDAP server: the official answer, free to query |
| Second source | A commercial WHOIS service, for extensions with no usable RDAP server |
| Possible answers | Available · Taken · Availability confirmed at order |
| Time limit | A few seconds per name; no clear answer in time gives "confirmed at order" |
| Cache | 10 minutes per name |
| Your searches | Searched names are not logged |
| Independent check | lookup.icann.org: ICANN's tool, free, no account |
Check a name now
Popular extensions
How does DotAlmanac's availability search work?
DotAlmanac is a domain extension guide and registrar: compare every extension, then register it with no KYC and pay in crypto. Its search asks the official source first and a paid source second, then shows one of three answers.
- RDAP first. The server sends the name to the RDAP server of the extension's registry. RDAP is the structured protocol that replaced WHOIS for generic extensions on 28 January 2025. A clear registry answer (registered, or not found) is kept as the result.
- Commercial WHOIS second. Some registries publish no usable RDAP server, or do not answer in time. For those, the server asks a commercial WHOIS service. That service receives the name only, not your IP address.
- Undetermined. When neither source gives a clear answer within a few seconds, the row reads "Availability confirmed at order". You can still order the name.
Each answer is cached for 10 minutes per name, and the names you search are not logged.
How to check a domain name in 5 steps
Type the name
Enter the name in the search box, with or without an extension:
myprojectormyproject.io. The form opens the client area at/app/domains/?q=myproject.Read the answer for each extension
Each row shows Available, Taken or Availability confirmed at order, next to the price. Rows also flag registry rules, such as a local contact required.
Look up a taken name at ICANN
Open lookup.icann.org and enter the full domain, without http:// or www. The record shows the registrar, the dates and the status codes.
Read the status codes
redemptionPeriod or pendingDelete means the holder did not renew. The name returns to the public only after the registry deletes it.
Order: the registry gives the final answer
The registration is the final check. If someone takes the name between your search and your order, if a domain cannot be registered (taken in the meantime, registry refusal), the full amount goes back to your balance.
What do Available, Taken and Availability confirmed at order mean?
Each answer comes from the registry or from a WHOIS source at the time of the search. Here is what to do next in each case.
| Answer | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Available | The registry holds no registration for this name | Order it; the registration makes the final check |
| Taken | The registry or the WHOIS service reports an existing registration | Check the expiry date at lookup.icann.org, or try another extension |
| Availability confirmed at order | No clear answer within a few seconds. It can appear for extensions without a usable RDAP server, such as .io, .co, .me, .gg, .tv, .cc and .to | Order it if you want it: the registry answers at registration, and a failed order goes back to your balance |
An Available answer does not override registry rules. Some extensions reserve names, sell premium names at a higher price, or require a local contact.
Why is there no single list of every registered domain?
Because each extension has its own registry, and each registry keeps its own database of names. DotAlmanac's count of the IANA root zone shows 1,436 TLDs as of 29 October 2026. Of these, 248 are two-letter country codes and 151 are internationalised TLDs (written xn--).
A checker must therefore ask the right registry for each extension. The IANA RDAP bootstrap file lists every extension that publishes an RDAP server; .io, .co and .me are not in it. For these categories, read what is a TLD, or how to choose a domain extension.
How do I check a domain at lookup.icann.org?
Open lookup.icann.org, type the full domain and press Lookup. ICANN Lookup is free, needs no account and reads the live RDAP data of registries and registrars.
The tool answers a different question from a registrar search. It shows the record of a registered name: registrar, dates, nameservers and status codes. It shows no price and no offer to register.
Many country codes do not publish their data through ICANN's system, so ICANN Lookup returns little for them. Use the registry's own lookup page instead.
How do I check availability from the command line?
Query the registry's RDAP server with curl and read the HTTP status code. For .com and .net, the registry is Verisign. An HTTP 200 answer means the name is registered; an HTTP 404 answer means the registry has no record of it.
A 404 is a strong sign, not a guarantee. Reserved names and some premium names also return 404 at certain registries. For other extensions, find the server in the IANA bootstrap file at data.iana.org/rdap/dns.json.
# 200 = registered, 404 = no record at the .com registry
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}\n" https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/example.com
# Find the RDAP server of another extension (here .dev), with jq
curl -s https://data.iana.org/rdap/dns.json | jq -r '.services[] | select(.[0] | index("dev")) | .[1][0]'
# -> https://pubapi.registry.google/rdap/
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}\n" https://pubapi.registry.google/rdap/domain/example.devWhat if the domain I want is taken but expired?
Wait for the registry to delete it, then register it like any other name. An expired generic domain goes through fixed stages, and RDAP shows each one as a status code.
- Expiry date passed. The registrar can keep the name for a grace period, during which the holder can still renew.
- redemptionPeriod. ICANN states that the domain stays in this status for 30 days. The holder can restore it, usually for a fee.
- pendingDelete. The registry purges the name five calendar days after the redemption period ends. Anyone can then register it.
Country codes such as .io, .co or .me set their own stages.
Checking domain availability: FAQ
Is it safe to search for a domain name before I buy it?
At DotAlmanac, the names you search are not logged. The commercial WHOIS service receives only the name, never your IP address. Each answer is cached for 10 minutes per name and is not tied to your account.
Why does my search say "Availability confirmed at order"?
Neither the registry's RDAP server nor the WHOIS service gave a clear answer within a few seconds. You can still order the name. The registry answers at registration, and if the name is taken, the full amount goes back to your balance.
Can a domain show Available and still be impossible to register?
Yes. Registries reserve some names and price others as premium. Some extensions also set rules on who can register: according to DotAlmanac's table of 225 extensions, 176 are open to anyone and the others add conditions. The search flags these rules next to each extension.
How long after expiry can I register a generic domain?
Usually more than a month. After the grace period chosen by the registrar, the name spends 30 days in redemptionPeriod. The registry then purges it five calendar days after that period ends.
Sources (5)
- ICANN Lookup — ICANN (checked 2026-10-29)
- ICANN update: launching RDAP, sunsetting WHOIS — ICANN (27 January 2025)
- EPP Status Codes: What Do They Mean, and Why Should I Know? — ICANN (checked 2026-10-29)
- List of top-level domains (version 2026102900) — IANA (29 October 2026)
- RDAP bootstrap file for Domain Name System registrations — IANA (checked 2026-10-29)
Found a free name?
Register it with no KYC and pay in crypto. The renewal price is shown next to the first-year price.