domain-expert

name	domain-expert
description	Find, evaluate, and recommend domain names. Use when brainstorming domains, checking availability, evaluating names for sound/memorability, or choosing between registrars. Knows Cloudflare, Namecheap, and CrazyDomains TLD coverage.
zones	{"knowledge":50,"wisdom":25,"process":15,"constraint":10}

Domain Expert

A good domain name is heard once and typed correctly forever. This skill helps you find one.

Tools Available

The instant-domain-search MCP server provides three tools. Use ToolSearch to load them before calling.

Tool	Input	Use When
search_domains	name (no TLD), optional tlds[], limit (1-100)	Sweeping a name across TLDs
generate_domain_variations	name, optional sort (rank|distance), limit	First choice is taken, need alternatives
check_domain_availability	domains[] (full FQDNs like "example.com")	Definitive yes/no on specific domains

No auth required. Queries authoritative registries directly (Verisign, PIR). No front-running risk. If the MCP server is unavailable, proceed with brainstorm and evaluation — flag availability as unverified.

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Capsule: TheRadioTest

Invariant Say the domain once on the phone. If the listener can't type it correctly, the name fails.

Example "Check out stripe dot com" — everyone gets it right. "Check out flickr dot com" — "f-l-i-c-k-e-r?" Fail. //BOUNDARY: A name that passes the radio test can still be bad (boring, generic, taken). But a name that fails it is always bad.

Depth

• This is the single most important rejection filter. SoundShape drives generation; RadioTest filters the results.
• Homophones kill: "their/there", "to/too/two", "write/right"
• Numbers kill: "four" vs "4", "won" vs "one"
• Unusual spellings kill: dropped vowels (Tumblr, Flickr) trade memorability for cleverness
• Hyphens kill: nobody remembers where the hyphen goes

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Capsule: SoundShape

Invariant The best domain names follow consonant-vowel patterns with trochaic stress (STRONG-weak syllable).

Example Google (GOO-gle), Canva (CAN-va), Figma (FIG-ma), Stripe (one strong syllable). All follow CVCV or CVC patterns with front-loaded stress. //BOUNDARY: Sound shape makes a name pleasant to say. It doesn't make it meaningful, available, or brandable. Sound is necessary but not sufficient.

Depth

• CVCV is the universally easiest pattern to pronounce across all languages
• Plosive consonants (p, b, t, d, k, g) are empirically overrepresented in successful brand names — they create crisp, memorable onsets
• Front vowels (ee, i as in "bit") connote speed, lightness, precision — Wii, Zip, Figma
• Back vowels (oo, oh, aw) connote size, weight, depth — Google, Roku, Zoom
• Match the vowel character to the brand character
• Avoid: "sl-" onset (slime, slug associations), "-ump" endings, consonant clusters that require effort (strengths, sixths)
• Two syllables is the sweet spot. Three is fine if the stress pattern is clear. Four is almost always too many.

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Capsule: Memorability

Invariant Shorter names are more memorable, with a 2% traffic penalty per character beyond seven.

Example The premium zone is 4-8 characters. "Stripe" (6), "Canva" (5), "Figma" (5), "Notion" (6). Names beyond 11 characters fight an uphill battle. //BOUNDARY: Length is a proxy. A 12-character name that's two clear English words (StackOverflow) can outperform a 5-character name that's unpronounceable (Xzqwy).

Depth

• .com domains are 33% more memorable than equivalent names on other TLDs (GrowthBadger, n=1,500)
• Users default to typing .com 3.8x more often when misremembering a URL
• Concrete imagery words are recalled better than abstract ones (dual-coding theory): Nest, Stripe, Amazon, Apple
• An invented word that nonetheless evokes an image gets some of this benefit: Spotify (spot + identify)

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Capsule: HiddenWords

Invariant Before recommending any concatenated domain, check every possible word-break reading.

Example "penisland.net" reads as "pen island" to the creator but not to everyone else. "choosespain.com" contains "chooses pain". "therapistfinder.com" contains "the rapist finder". //BOUNDARY: This check is non-negotiable. Always mentally slide a word-break cursor across the full string left to right and note every readable substring.

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Capsule: BrandableVsExactMatch

Invariant Brandable names (invented or evocative) build more long-term equity than exact-match domains.

Example "CheapFlights.com" describes the product but has no brand identity. "Kayak.com" evokes exploration and is defensible as a trademark. Brandable names can expand into adjacent markets; exact-match names are locked to their keyword. //BOUNDARY: Exact-match domains still work for small niche sites or local businesses where discoverability matters more than brand.

Depth

• Trademark strength hierarchy: Fanciful (strongest) > Arbitrary > Suggestive > Descriptive (weakest)
• Google, Kodak, Xerox — fanciful, meaningless words, maximum legal protection
• Apple (for computers) — arbitrary, real word in unrelated context, strong protection
• Netflix — suggestive, hints at the service, moderate protection
• CheapTickets — descriptive, almost no trademark protection
• Oversaturated patterns to avoid: -ify, -ly, -io, -er (vowel-drop), get[X].com, [X]hub.com

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Registrar Coverage

When to Use Which

Situation	Registrar	Why
Best price, tech-savvy user	Cloudflare	At-cost pricing, zero markup, great DNS
Widest TLD selection	Namecheap	567 TLDs, free WHOIS privacy
.au or .com.au domains	CrazyDomains	auDA-accredited, full AU/NZ support
.de, .fr, .eu domains	Namecheap	Cloudflare and CrazyDomains have gaps here

TLD Support Comparison

See references/registrar-tlds.md for detailed coverage tables.

Critical gaps to know without looking it up:

• Cloudflare cannot register .au/.com.au — use CrazyDomains or Namecheap
• Cloudflare cannot register .de, .fr, .eu, .jp — use Namecheap
• CrazyDomains charges extra for TXT/SRV DNS records — matters for email verification (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
• All three support .com, .net, .org, .io, .ai, .dev, .app, .co, .me, .nz/.co.nz

Pricing Models

Registrar	Model	WHOIS Privacy
Cloudflare	At-cost (registry price + ICANN fee, zero markup)	Free (redacted by default)
Namecheap	Retail with frequent promotions	Free on most TLDs
CrazyDomains	Retail pricing	Paid add-on ("Domain Guard")

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The Search Workflow

1. Brainstorm — Generate 5-10 candidate names. Apply SoundShape and RadioTest mentally.
2. Sweep — Use search_domains to check candidates across target TLDs.
3. Expand — For taken names, use generate_domain_variations with sort=rank for best alternatives.
4. Verify — Use check_domain_availability for the shortlist (definitive yes/no).
5. Evaluate — Score finalists against the evaluation criteria below.
6. Match registrar — Check references/registrar-tlds.md to confirm the target TLD is supported where the user wants to register.

Evaluating a Domain Name

When presenting options, assess each name against these dimensions:

Dimension	Question	Weight
Sound	Does it roll off the tongue? (CVCV, trochaic, plosive onset)	High
Radio test	Can someone hear it once and type it?	High
Length	Under 8 characters? Under 12?	Medium
Imagery	Does it evoke something concrete?	Medium
Brandability	Trademark defensible? Room to grow?	Medium
Namespace	Does it collide with established brands in the same industry?	Medium
TLD	Is .com available? If not, is the alternative TLD credible for this audience? (.io has near-.com credibility for developer tools)	Medium
Hidden words	Any embarrassing substrings?	Pass/fail
Global safety	Any negative meanings in other languages?	Check

Don't score numerically. Use natural language: "This name sounds crisp, passes the radio test, and the .com is available — strong candidate." or "This has a nice ring but the -ify suffix is overused and .com is taken — consider alternatives."

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Reference Files

• references/registrar-tlds.md — Detailed TLD coverage per registrar, special requirements, notable gaps

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The best domain name is the one nobody has to ask you to spell.