Questions
How do you know a name is available?
Three checks, each stricter than the last. Nightly, we read the registry zone files from ICANN, which list every registered name with nameservers; a name absent there is a candidate. Then we ask the registry itself over RDAP whether it has any record of the name. Finally, for names marked Available, a registrar has confirmed it is purchasable and told us the price. Names marked Unconfirmed passed the registry check but have not been priced by a registrar yet.
Why is the price different at another registrar?
The price shown is Porkbun's first-year registration price at the time of the last check. Registrars set their own prices, run their own promotions, and price premium names differently, so another registrar may be a little cheaper or dearer for the same name. Renewal prices are usually higher than the first year everywhere.
What does Expiring mean, and can I get one?
The owner let the registration lapse and has not renewed. Registries release such names in stages: a grace period, then a redemption period where the owner can still recover it, then a few days of pending delete, after which anyone can register it. The date shown is an estimate from the registry status. Until deletion the owner can still renew, so treat it as a name to watch, not one to count on. Some registrars offer backorders for names like this.
What does Action required on .new mean?
Google Registry, which runs .new, requires every .new domain to take visitors straight into creating or doing something: no landing pages, parked pages or redirects, and HTTPS only. Enforcement starts 100 days after registration, and non-compliant names can be terminated. Buy a .new name only if you plan to build that kind of site on it.
How is nme.lol free?
Some registrar links in the Register menu are affiliate links: if you register after clicking one, the registrar pays nme.lol a small commission. Your price is the same as going to the registrar directly, the list is not ranked by commission, and registrars appear in the menu whether or not they pay one.
Terms & data
nme.lol is a screener for domain names that look good and are actually available. It is informational. Nothing here is an offer to sell a domain, and nme.lol is not a registrar.
Where the names come from
Registered names are read nightly from ICANN's Centralized Zone Data Service for the extensions listed on the home page. A name shown here was absent from those zone files, then checked against the registry's RDAP service, and, when marked Available, quoted by a registrar as purchasable at the price shown.
Prices
Prices are first-year registration prices from Porkbun at the time of the last check. Renewal prices are usually higher, sometimes much higher. Other registrars may charge more or less, and premium names may carry different prices at different registrars.
Availability
Availability changes constantly. A name can be registered by someone else between the last check and your visit. Names marked Unconfirmed passed the registry check but have not been quoted by a registrar; the price shown for them is the standard rate and may not apply. The only proof a name is yours is a completed registration.
Expiring names
Some names are shown as expiring: the registration lapsed and the owner has not renewed. Registries release such names in stages, usually 30 to 80 days after expiry, and the owner can renew at any point until the final deletion. The release date shown is an estimate from the registry status, not a promise.
.new names
Google Registry requires every .new domain to take visitors straight into creating or doing something, with no landing or parked pages and HTTPS only, enforced 100 days after registration. Read the policy before buying a .new name.
Affiliate links
The Register menu links to registrars. Some of those links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking one, the registrar pays nme.lol a commission. The price you pay is the same either way, the list is not ranked by commission, and registrars appear in the menu whether or not they pay one. Affiliate links are marked with rel="sponsored".
No guarantees
Scores, value estimates and rankings are opinions produced by a model. They are not appraisals or investment advice. nme.lol makes no promise about availability, price, resale value or fitness for any purpose, and is not affiliated with ICANN, any registry or any registrar.
Contact
Questions or corrections: hello@nme.lol.