Start with one spelling and a useful extension set
To check multiple domain extensions at once, enter a name without its ending, choose the extensions you want to investigate and run a batch lookup. Compare each complete domain in the domain family separately. Domain Aha returns public registration records and, when the Ahrefs integration is available, a separate Domain Rating observation. These results help you decide what to investigate next. They do not prove that a name is available to buy, that a website is active or that matching names belong to business competitors.
Begin with the ending your audience expects, then add plausible alternatives. For a software product, you might investigate .com, .app and .dev alongside any market-specific choices; an AI-focused team may also consider .ai. This is a planning example, not a claim that any spelling is available. An extension appearing in the selector does not guarantee public registration eligibility or a supported RDAP response. Check the current registry rules when an ending becomes a serious candidate.
Plan a Multi TLD Domain Search
Use the homepage’s bulk domain search to check selected spelling and extension combinations. Plan each batch before submitting so an unfinished or oversized list is not mistaken for a completed investigation.
For a reproducible example, write down your own proposed brand root and the exact endings you selected. Do not copy invented statuses into a worksheet. Repeating the same input later may produce different results, so the record should show which batch was actually checked.
- Enter a seed keyword and select the intended endings. If you already have exact domains, paste the full addresses instead.
- Review the combinations before submitting. One spelling across five endings means five resulting domains; several spellings multiply the work.
- Keep each submitted group within 20 unique domains. Submit the real query and label later groups in your notes.
- Record the observed outcomes, source and check time. Keep limited or unsupported checks unresolved rather than substituting an answer from a different domain.
Read Each Domain Registration Lookup Result
Registered means a public registration record was returned. No record found means the queried service did not return a matching registration record; it is not a registrar offer. Unknown covers unsupported, limited, failed or inconclusive checks. These distinctions matter when you search the same domain across multiple TLDs because the underlying services and publication policies differ. Never rank an unresolved response ahead of a confirmed fact simply because its row appears empty.
A registration lookup may expose registrar information, creation and expiry events, nameservers or DNSSEC data. Fields can be absent or redacted. Registration age is not website age, and expiry does not establish a release date. For a name you might register, confirm eligibility, the exact price and renewal conditions with a registrar. Domain Aha does not register or reserve the name while you compare it, and a saved candidate can change before you return.
Investigate registered websites manually
Open a registered domain and describe what you actually see: an active product, an organisation, a redirect, a parked page or an address that cannot be assessed. A registration record cannot establish website availability. A DNS answer does not establish that useful content is served. When a site loads, read its homepage and relevant product pages before making a note about its purpose. Avoid inferring a business model or customer base from a matching word alone.
A useful competitor shortlist contains evidence of overlap: the problem solved, intended users, product category and market. A matching domain is only a discovery lead. Separate directly relevant sites from adjacent products and unrelated names in your own notes. Domain Aha does not currently perform business classification, screenshot capture, website uptime verification or technology-stack detection. Manual review supplies that missing context and keeps a cross-extension search from turning into an unsupported list of competitors.
Use available DR as an independent signal
Where a score is returned, Ahrefs Domain Rating describes relative backlink-profile strength on a 0–100 scale. It does not measure monthly visitors, commercial success or the relevance of a product to your idea. Review the original observation time because an available score may be cached. A missing score is unknown, while a returned zero is a valid value. Neither state changes whether a registration record exists.
For domains that merit closer SEO investigation, open the separate bulk DR checker and compare a focused list. Use the DR guide to understand limits before interpreting a difference as meaningful. Do not convert a rating into a traffic number. If traffic matters to the decision, obtain a clearly sourced estimate elsewhere or ask for first-party evidence from the site owner. Record the scope and date rather than presenting an estimate as audited visits.
Keep a Domain Family Shortlist You Can Verify Again
For a team handoff, add the exact spelling, selected endings, unresolved lookups and a next action for each finalist. Note who reviewed the website and when, without inventing an automated check. A colleague should be able to repeat the same query and understand why a name was kept. This is especially useful when research spans several small batches or returns inconsistent coverage between extensions.
Save promising domains in the current browser and export registration observations when you need a working file. Keep website notes separately: the registration export is not a complete competitor report and does not currently include DR. The standalone DR checker has its own comparison export. Before acting, check multiple domain extensions again for the finalists, review unresolved fields and confirm any purchase directly with your chosen registrar.