Free domain name checker

Choosing a domain name

• Short and easy to say: you'll say it on the phone and people will type it on their phones.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers: they're easy to get wrong when heard.
• Your name first, then what you do or where: if yourname.co.uk is taken, try yournamebakery.co.uk or yournameleeds.co.uk.
• Check it reads well as one word: say it out loud and write it in lower case.

.co.uk, .uk or .com?

For a UK business, .co.uk is still the one people trust and expect. .com suits businesses selling worldwide. .uk is shorter, and if you own the .co.uk you may have first claim on the matching .uk. Many businesses register the .co.uk and .com and point both at the same site.

Before you buy

Search the name on Google, Companies House and social networks, and check for trade marks on the UK IPO's search, so you don't build a brand on a name someone else is already using.