Comments on: Help me register a domain for URL shortening

Question: Help me register a domain for URL shortening

cjorgensen — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:26:57 -0800

How can I discover a short URL that is available to register?

I would like to register a domain that can be used as a URL shortening service (I want to roll my own). Obviously, the obvious ones and cool ones don't seem to be available.

I want 6 or less characters. I want a stable TLD, so no .ly domains (besides, they have cut off the short domains to non-Liberians).

I've spent the last hour or so entering in ideas and having them all be taken. Seriously, at this point I'll take a nonsense URL as long as it's short.

My biggest issue isn't coming up with ideas, but rather a search strategy. Every time I enter in an idea I get back, "We're sorry, jl.me is taken. Would you like to register reallylongurl.com?" I would like to get back suggestions on only short domains.

I'd take suggestions on open ones in memail. Or suggestions on how to find them here (my bigger concern).

Bonus if the domain can be registered at pairing.com. Double bonus if the domain doesn't cost more than your average domain. Triple bonus is I don't end contributing to global unrest by funding terrorists.

By: TheNewWazoo

TheNewWazoo — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:30:23 -0800

Here ya go. "When you want a short URL or something big, Domainr will find it, fast. Some of our favorites: appsto.re, generalassemb.ly, and placehold.it."

By: mulligan

mulligan — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:37:58 -0800

not an answer to your question but FYI .ly is Libya not Liberia.

By: cjorgensen

cjorgensen — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:55:14 -0800

Domainr isn't finding open domains. When it does I get "Can't register."

Same boat. Even in the examples none are short.

By: bentley

bentley — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:02:11 -0800

dyyo used to find 4-letter domain names, but now their website says, "4 letter dotcom domains, also commonly referred to as LLLL.com, were bought out in November 2007. That means all of them are continuously registered all the time. Or sort of."

By: TheNewWazoo

TheNewWazoo — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:07:35 -0800

Yeah, basically three-letter domains were sold out a decade or more ago, four-letter domains have been gone for years, and I suspect five-letter domains are close if not gone. There's no single clearinghouse of registered domains that are available for purchase, so suggestion engines can't suggest those. As a result, you can only reasonably expect suggestions that are not yet registered. Domainr flags domains that are (or likely are) available with a little green box. A half-green box means it may be for sale, but they can't (programmatically) determine that.

By: Foci for Analysis

Foci for Analysis — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:12:49 -0800

Try Domize, it has a powerful search (Options) with meta variables. Lots of domains available if you look beyond the .com TLD.

By: Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:03:48 -0800

I've had pretty good success with a number and two letters on .us.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:09:02 -0800

Just get the shortest, most stable one you can afford, regardless of phonetics. It's just a shortener, an ephemeral click target, so it doesn't matter if it's x5pn.do or whatever. Everything else is taken.

By: FlamingBore

FlamingBore — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:11:51 -0800

.net domains are run by Verisign. Arguably the most stable registry operator out there. Nice nad generic, etc. Available, somewhat easy to remember 4 letter .net domains:

gnwc.net
disx.net
eedz.net

If those get registered by another Mefite drop me an email and I'll generate more. Sorry, I have to protect my few remaining resources. Same if you'd prefer something in .com, but they you have to bump up to at minimum of 5 letter.

By: FlamingBore

FlamingBore — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:18:13 -0800

If you're talking six characters including the TLD extension I did find some 3 letter .us and .me domains. Let me know if you'd rather see those.

By: inflatablekiwi

inflatablekiwi — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 20:02:08 -0800

.ky domain owner / .ky resident here.

Not really a general answer to your question, but there are few short ones left in .ky that could be fun
Gaw.ky
Kic.ky
Muc.ky
Suc.ky
Mir.ky
Won.ky
Yuk.ky

.ky domain advantages
- free to register and no annual fees
- not sold or available by any third party registrar so the domain space hasn't been auto-owned
- I'm told approx there are only about 10,000 domains total in .ky which is pretty small/lots of good names left

.ky disadvantages
- have to give a Cayman Islands address on the form (or...at least make it sound like you have one....or maybe know someone/a mefite there)

By: cjorgensen

cjorgensen — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:09:05 -0800

Yeah, due to "Registration is limited to residents and registered companies in the Cayman Islands, and a local address and phone number is required for the registrant and administrative contact." I'd be afraid of having it taken away.

By: case

case — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:34:11 -0800

Hi folks,

This is Eric from Domai.nr, sorry for chiming in late — it looks like you've covered the basics already. A few TLDs you might try and explore, as they've been popular on domai.nr lately:

- .co — there's more info about it at go.co

- .io — for some reason people are registering these left and right these days

- .me has also been popular

And if you're curious about registration requirements, 101domain.com has lots of info on their site at 101domain.com/{tld}.htm

So for example, http://www.101domain.com/at.htm has requirement info for .at (Austria).

Cheers,
-Eric