What a Domain Name Check Looks At — and What It Cannot Tell You
A name check answers one narrow question: is there a reason this name cannot be used? It does not tell you whether a name is good, valuable or available to buy. Knowing the difference keeps you from trusting a green result more than it deserves.
Eight checks, three outcomes
The check looks at the TLD (the ending), slang, pronunciation, traces of another language, whether a topic word is present, the shape and length of the name, whether an invented word is pronounceable, and whether the name collides with well-known brands.
Each check ends as a pass, a warning or a fail. A warning is something to look at yourself; a fail is something that normally rules the name out. The overall result is only as strong as its weakest check.
What a pass means
A pass means the check found nothing wrong. It does not mean the name is good. Many perfectly forgettable names pass all eight checks, which is why the result page also shows how common a given score is among the names we have run through the checker.
What the check cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what a name is worth. It is not an appraisal and it does not predict a sale price or traffic.
It does not search trademark registers. The trademark check compares the name with a list of well-known brands and sites, so a small company’s registered mark can slip through. Before you build on a name, search the registers that matter for your market, such as the USPTO in the United States, the EUIPO in the European Union or the DPMA in Germany.
It does not replace a native speaker. It catches readings that appear in the letters; it cannot catch every association a particular audience has.
Using the result
Treat fails as reasons to look for another name and warnings as questions to answer before you commit. Say the name aloud, ask someone who speaks the language of your market to read it, and check the registers. The name check is a first filter, not the last word.