My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here's the top 50 keywords

Re:My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here'... by mdwrigh2 on Saturday December 18, 2010 @01:51PM (#2019972)

I've seen a few of these domain name generators / suggestion tools, and always wonder how they verify that the domain names are available? I've yet to find an API that lets me query them, and merely checking if there's a server registered for the domain name isn't sufficient, as it isn't required to have one.

I guess what I'm really asking is, how do you verify that they aren't taken already?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here'... by wibblenut on Saturday December 18, 2010 @02:09PM (#2020021)

Fastest way is to check whether it exists in the nightly zone file, and then a DNS lookup, and whois query.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here'... by mseebach on Saturday December 18, 2010 @03:05PM (#2020153)

What is the nightly zone file?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here'... by aquarin on Saturday December 18, 2010 @03:21PM (#2020182)

It is zone file from the last night (or day). It requires free account from Verisign for .COM and .NET. I used such account for a while.

edit: "Zone file" is the file containing the records of all registered domains in a zone (.com or .net). Last time I checked it was something 80M records for .com

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:My domain name generator just passed 120k searches, here'... by chaosmachine on Saturday December 18, 2010 @01:58PM (#2019992)

Check the DNS first, that eliminates most of them. If there's no DNS record, you have to do a whois check.

[ Parent | on HN ]