naming-strategies

name	naming-strategies
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "find a business name", "suggest domain names", "brainstorm company names", "check domain availability", "name my startup", "find a brand name", "suggest product names", "help me pick a name", or discusses naming a new business, project, app, or product. Provides naming methodology, TLD guidance, and availability-checking workflows.
version	0.1.0

Business & Domain Name Finder

Purpose

Provide structured naming methodology for businesses, products, apps, and projects — combining creative brainstorming with real-time domain availability checking via MCP-powered tools (WHOIS, Domain Search, Perplexity, Firecrawl).

When to Use

Activate when a user needs help naming a business, product, startup, app, or project and wants to find available domain names. Also activate when checking if specific domain names are taken.

Naming Process

Step 1: Gather Context

Before generating names, collect key information:

• Industry/niche — What does the business do?
• Target audience — Who are the customers?
• Brand personality — Professional, playful, technical, luxurious?
• Keywords — Core concepts, values, or descriptors
• Competitors — Names to differentiate from
• Preferences — Length, style, any must-have letters or sounds

If the user hasn't provided these, ask targeted questions before brainstorming.

Step 2: Generate Names Using Multiple Strategies

Apply these naming strategies to produce diverse candidates:

Strategy	Technique	Examples
Compound	Combine two real words	Salesforce, YouTube, Facebook
Portmanteau	Blend parts of words	Pinterest (pin+interest), Groupon (group+coupon)
Invented	Create new words	Spotify, Xerox, Kodak, Hulu
Metaphor	Use symbolic/evocative words	Amazon, Apple, Uber, Slack
Abbreviation	Acronyms or shortened forms	IBM, NASA, Etsy
Prefix/Suffix	Add common modifiers	Shopify (-ify), Bitly (-ly), Clearbit (clear-)
Phonetic	Sound-driven coinage	Google, Skype, TikTok
Descriptive	Directly describe function	Booking.com, WeTransfer
Foreign word	Borrow from other languages	Volvo (Latin: "I roll"), Lego (Danish: "play well")
Personal	Founder or character names	Tesla, Disney, Bloomberg

Generate 10-20 candidates across at least 4 different strategies for variety.

Step 3: Evaluate Candidates

Score each candidate on:

1. Memorability — Easy to recall after hearing once?
2. Pronounceability — Can people say it without confusion?
3. Spellability — Can people type it from hearing it?
4. Uniqueness — Distinctive from competitors?
5. Scalability — Works if the business expands beyond initial scope?
6. Domain potential — Likely to have TLDs available?

Shortlist the top 5-8 candidates.

Step 4: Check Domain Availability

For each shortlisted name, check availability across these TLDs:

Primary TLDs (always check):

• .com — Universal standard, highest credibility
• .net — Strong alternative for tech
• .org — Non-profits, communities, open-source

Tech TLDs (check for tech/startup names):

• .io — Popular for developer tools, SaaS
• .dev — Google-backed, developer-focused
• .app — Mobile apps, software products
• .ai — AI/ML companies
• .co — Startup-friendly alternative to .com

Checking method (prefer MCP tools):

This plugin bundles 4 MCP servers for domain research:

1. Domain Search MCP — Bulk-check availability across multiple TLDs using RDAP/WHOIS fallback. No API key needed. Check up to 100 names at once.
2. WHOIS MCP (whois_lookup) — Direct WHOIS protocol lookups against authoritative servers. Returns registrar, expiration, nameservers, DNSSEC. Supports 877+ TLDs.
3. Perplexity MCP (perplexity_search, perplexity_chat) — AI-powered search for competitor research, naming trends, and brand landscape analysis.
4. Firecrawl MCP (firecrawl_scrape, firecrawl_search) — Scrape registrar pages for pricing, scrape competitor sites for brand analysis.

Fallback: Use WebSearch if MCP tools are unavailable.

Present results in a clear table:

| Name         | .com | .io  | .dev | .app | .ai  | .co  |
|-------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
| BrightFlow  | ❌   | ✅   | ✅   | ✅   | ❌   | ✅   |
| CodeNest    | ❌   | ✅   | ✅   | ❌   | ✅   | ✅   |

Step 5: Present Recommendations

For each recommended name, provide:

1. Name and available TLDs
2. Naming strategy used (compound, invented, etc.)
3. Why it works — Brief rationale
4. Variations — Alternative spellings or TLD combinations
5. Potential concerns — Trademark risks, pronunciation issues

Domain Availability Tips

• If .com is taken, check if the owner is actively using it — parked domains may be purchasable
• Consider creative TLD usage: get[name].com, [name]hq.com, [name]app.com
• Hyphenated domains (e.g., bright-flow.com) are generally discouraged for branding
• Two-word .com domains under 12 characters are extremely scarce — plan for alternatives
• New TLDs (.io, .dev, .app) are increasingly accepted for tech companies

Trademark Considerations

Always remind users to:

1. Search the USPTO trademark database (tmsearch.uspto.gov) before committing
2. Check for existing businesses with similar names in their industry
3. Verify social media handle availability (@name on major platforms)
4. Consider international trademark implications if operating globally

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed naming patterns and industry-specific guidance:

• references/naming-patterns.md — Extended naming techniques with 50+ examples
• references/tld-guide.md — Comprehensive TLD comparison and pricing guide