Domain name checker
Enter your business name to see whether the .co.uk, .uk and .com domains are free. We turn the name into a domain, so "Acme Widgets Ltd" checks acmewidgets.co.uk, acmewidgets.uk and acmewidgets.com.
How it works
- We drop company endings like "Ltd", turn "&" into "and", flatten accents and remove spaces and punctuation.
- We look up each domain in the registry's own registration database: Nominet for .co.uk and .uksource, Verisign for .com.source
- A registered domain has a record; an unregistered one comes back "not found".source
Choosing a domain for a UK business
- Match your company name where you can. It helps customers find you and makes your emails look trustworthy.
- Keep it short and easy to spell. Avoid hyphens and numbers people might mishear.
- Secure the main endings together, .co.uk, .uk and .com, so a competitor can't take one.
- Check the company name and trade marks too. A domain doesn't stop someone else registering the company name, and neither overrides a trade mark.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the results come from?
From the registries that run each ending: Nominet for .co.uk and .uk, and Verisign for .com. We ask their public registration lookup services, the same ones registrars use.
Does "looks available" mean I can definitely buy it?
Usually, but not always. Some names are reserved or blocked by the registry and still show as not registered. You'll find out for certain when you add the domain to a registrar's basket.
Should I get the .co.uk or the .com?
If your customers are in the UK, .co.uk is the most familiar choice. Many businesses register both, plus .uk, so nobody else can take them and you can point them all at one website.
The domain I want is taken. What now?
Try a short addition ("get", "hq", your town), a hyphen-free variation, or another ending. Or pick a company name that has free domains: the business name generator links each idea to a domain check.
Does registering a company name give me the domain?
No. Company names and domains are separate systems. Registering one doesn't reserve the other, so check and secure both.
Sources
- IANA RDAP bootstrap file for Domain Name System registrations
- RFC 7480 - HTTP Usage in the Registration Data Access Protocol
Facts last checked 31 October 2026. See all sources.