# Bulk Domain Availability Checker (RDAP + DNS) (`atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker`) Actor

Check hundreds of domain names in one run. Paste domains or keywords x TLDs; each name is verified against registry RDAP and DNS. If sources disagree or a registry throttles, you get unknown (free), never a false available. Registrar and dates for taken names.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Atesen Software](https://apify.com/atesen-software) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, SEO tools, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.45 / 1,000 domain checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Bulk Domain Availability Checker (RDAP + DNS)

Check **domain availability in bulk**: paste full domain names, or combine **keywords with TLDs** (and optional prefixes and suffixes) to **find available domains**. Every name is verified against the **registry RDAP service** and **DNS**. When the two sources disagree, or a registry is throttling, the name comes back as `unknown` instead of a wrong "available", and unknown results are free.

It is a **domain checker API** you can call from a spreadsheet, a script or an automation: one JSON row per name, with the status, the evidence behind it and, for taken names, the **registrar and registration and expiry dates**.

### What you get

- **A status you can trust**: `available`, `registered`, `unknown` or `invalid`. `available` is only returned when the registry has no record **and** DNS says the name does not exist. A lone "NXDOMAIN" is never enough.
- **Keyword x TLD name generation**: 20 keywords x 5 TLDs = 100 names in one run. Optional prefixes (`get`, `try`) and suffixes (`app`, `hq`).
- **Registrar and dates** for taken names (switch on `includeRegistrationDetails`).
- **Pay only for answers**: you are charged per name with a definitive result (`available` or `registered`). `unknown` and `invalid` rows are free.
- **Polite to registries**: low concurrency, a pause between requests to the same registry server, a hard cap of 500 names per run, and a stop when a registry keeps answering "too many requests".
- **No personal data**: owner and contact details are never read or stored. Only registrar company name, dates and registry status codes.

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `domains` | Full names such as `example.com`. URLs are reduced to the domain. Second-level names only (no `shop.example.com`, no `example.co.uk`). |
| `keywords` | Words without dots, for example `zencat`. Spaces are removed, accents become punycode. |
| `tlds` | TLDs combined with the keywords: `com`, `net`, `org`, `info`, `ai`, `tech`, `online`, `site`, `store`. Defaults to `com`. |
| `prefixes`, `suffixes` | Optional words added before or after each keyword. The plain keyword is always checked too. |
| `includeRegistrationDetails` | Also ask the registry for registrar and dates of taken names. Off by default to send fewer requests. |
| `maxDomains` | Cap per run, 1 to 500 (default 100). |
| `maxConcurrency` | 1 to 5 names at the same time (default 3). |
| `rdapMinIntervalMs` | Minimum pause between requests to one registry server, 1000 to 10000 ms (default 1000, never faster than one request per second). |

```json
{
  "domains": ["apify.com", "wikipedia.org"],
  "keywords": ["zencat", "pawpilot"],
  "tlds": ["com", "net", "org"],
  "prefixes": ["get"],
  "includeRegistrationDetails": true
}
```

### Output

One row per name, in the dataset (JSON, CSV, Excel, XML) and through the API.

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `domain`, `input`, `tld` | The name checked (ASCII/punycode), what you typed, the TLD |
| `status` | `available`, `registered`, `unknown` or `invalid` |
| `evidenceSource` | `dns`, `rdap` or `rdap+dns` for definitive results |
| `dnsResult` | `has-ns`, `nxdomain`, `nodata` or `error` |
| `rdapResult` | `found`, `not-found`, `rate-limited`, `error`, `skipped` or `not-queried` |
| `registeredAt`, `expiresAt`, `registrar`, `registryStatus` | From the registry, when it returned a record |
| `reason` | Why a row is `unknown` or `invalid`, otherwise `null` |
| `checkedAt` | ISO time of the check |

```json
[
  {
    "domain": "wikipedia.org",
    "input": "wikipedia.org",
    "tld": "org",
    "status": "registered",
    "evidenceSource": "rdap+dns",
    "dnsResult": "has-ns",
    "rdapResult": "found",
    "registeredAt": "2001-01-13T00:12:14.754Z",
    "expiresAt": "2027-01-13T00:12:14Z",
    "registrar": "MarkMonitor Inc.",
    "registryStatus": ["client delete prohibited", "client transfer prohibited", "client update prohibited"],
    "reason": null,
    "checkedAt": "2026-11-09T00:00:00.000Z"
  },
  {
    "domain": "getzencat.com",
    "input": "zencat",
    "tld": "com",
    "status": "unknown",
    "evidenceSource": null,
    "dnsResult": "nxdomain",
    "rdapResult": "rate-limited",
    "reason": "registry_rate_limited"
  }
]
```

Also stored: a `SUMMARY` record with counts per status, how many results were charged and how many names were dropped by the cap.

### How the verdict is decided

| DNS NS lookup | Registry RDAP | Status |
|---|---|---|
| name servers found | not asked (details off) or record found | `registered` (evidence `dns` or `rdap+dns`) |
| name servers found | no record | `unknown` (sources disagree) |
| does not exist | record found (for example on hold) | `registered` (`rdap`) |
| does not exist | no record | `available` (`rdap+dns`) |
| any | registry refuses access (HTTP 403) | `unknown`; that registry is not asked again in this run |
| any other answer | any | `unknown` |
| any | throttled, timeout, error, skipped | `unknown` |

Names under a TLD outside the supported list (you can still paste them in `domains`) only get the DNS check: they can be `registered` or `unknown`, never `available`.

### Use cases

- **Brand and startup naming**: test 100 name ideas across `.com`, `.net` and `.ai` in one run.
- **Domain investors**: filter a long list down to names that are free, then check registrar and expiry of the taken ones.
- **Agencies and marketers**: check client campaign and landing page names across TLDs.
- **Developers**: call it as a domain checker API from a signup flow, a naming tool or a bot.

### Limits (please read)

- It does **not register or buy** domains. `available` means "no registry record and no DNS", not "you can register it at the standard price".
- There is **no price and no premium or reserved-name information**. A name the registry keeps reserved or sells at a premium can still show as `available`. Confirm at your registrar before you rely on it.
- Results are **not instant** and not a guarantee: a name can be registered seconds after the check. Registry servers also throttle, which is why some rows come back `unknown`; run those again later.
- Supported TLDs are limited to registries whose RDAP terms allow reasonable availability checks. Country codes such as `.de`, `.uk`, `.nl` and `.io` are not included.
- Second-level names only; at most 500 names per run.
- **Bulk or high-volume use: registry limits apply.** Registry RDAP terms forbid high-volume automated querying except what is reasonably needed to register domain names. This Actor is meant for checking candidate names before registration, not for sweeping or monitoring large lists. Keep runs small (hundreds, not tens of thousands of names) and do not schedule it to re-check the same list over and over.
- Use the data lawfully. Registry terms forbid using RDAP data for mass unsolicited advertising. This Actor keeps request volume low on purpose and does not collect owner or contact data.
- Not affiliated with any registry or registrar.

### FAQ

**Why `unknown` and not a guess?** A wrong `available` costs you a lost name or a wasted purchase. `unknown` is free and tells you exactly which source was missing.

**Why is my taken name `registered` with no registrar?** Details are off by default. Switch on `includeRegistrationDetails` to look up registrar and dates.

**How is this different from Domain WHOIS / RDAP Lookup by Atesen Software?** That Actor returns WHOIS-style details (age, registrar, DNS, mail records) for domains you already have. This one is for finding free names: it generates keyword x TLD candidates and only says `available` when the registry and DNS agree.

**Does it use a proxy or an API key?** No. It reads the public RDAP servers listed by IANA and uses the DNS resolver of the Apify platform.

**What does it cost?** Pay per event: one `domain` event for each name with a definitive result. `unknown` and `invalid` rows are free. You can set a maximum cost per run; the Actor stops cleanly when it is reached. The current price is on the Actor's pricing tab.

### Calling it from code

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker').call({
  keywords: ['zencat'], tlds: ['com', 'net'],
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items.filter((i) => i.status === 'available'));
```

Built by Atesen Software.

### Data source and permission

Availability comes from the public RDAP services of the domain registries (found through the IANA RDAP bootstrap file) and from public DNS answers (Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS). RDAP is the registries' own open protocol. The registries' terms limit high-volume automated queries, so the Actor is deliberately slow and small: at most one request per second to the same registry, a hard cap of 500 names per run, an honest user agent, and a stop when a registry answers with a block or a rate limit. Only registrar company name, dates and status codes are read, never owner or contact data. Do not use it to enumerate or harvest large name lists.

# Actor input Schema

## `domains` (type: `array`):

Domain names to check, one per line, for example example.com. URLs are reduced to the domain; subdomains and multi-part endings such as co.uk are not supported. Names under a TLD that is not in the list below only get a DNS check, so they can come back registered or unknown, never available.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Single words or short names without dots, one per line. Each keyword (plus every prefix and suffix variant) is combined with every TLD you select. Spaces are removed, accents become punycode.

## `tlds` (type: `array`):

Endings combined with your keywords. Only registries whose RDAP terms allow reasonable availability checks are offered. Defaults to com when you give keywords and leave this empty.

## `prefixes` (type: `array`):

Words put in front of each keyword, for example get or try. The plain keyword is always checked as well.

## `suffixes` (type: `array`):

Words put after each keyword, for example app or hq. The plain keyword is always checked as well.

## `includeRegistrationDetails` (type: `boolean`):

When on, taken names are also looked up in the registry RDAP to return registrar name, registration and expiry date. When off, taken names are detected by DNS alone and the registry is only asked about names that look free, which sends fewer requests.

## `maxDomains` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on checked names (1 to 500). Extra names are dropped and counted in the run summary. The cap keeps requests to registry servers low.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Names checked at the same time (1 to 5). Requests to one registry server are spaced out regardless of this value.

## `rdapMinIntervalMs` (type: `integer`):

Minimum time between two requests to the same registry server. At least 1000 ms (one request per second per registry); lower values are not allowed.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "example.net"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "qv8jt5xr2ymk6dnh"
  ],
  "tlds": [
    "com",
    "net",
    "org"
  ],
  "includeRegistrationDetails": false,
  "maxDomains": 100,
  "maxConcurrency": 3,
  "rdapMinIntervalMs": 1000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One row per name with status, evidence source, registrar and dates

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Counts per status, charged results and why the run stopped

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "domains": [
        "apify.com",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "example.net"
    ],
    "keywords": [
        "qv8jt5xr2ymk6dnh"
    ],
    "tlds": [
        "com",
        "net",
        "org"
    ],
    "includeRegistrationDetails": false
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "domains": [
        "apify.com",
        "wikipedia.org",
        "example.net",
    ],
    "keywords": ["qv8jt5xr2ymk6dnh"],
    "tlds": [
        "com",
        "net",
        "org",
    ],
    "includeRegistrationDetails": False,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "domains": [
    "apify.com",
    "wikipedia.org",
    "example.net"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "qv8jt5xr2ymk6dnh"
  ],
  "tlds": [
    "com",
    "net",
    "org"
  ],
  "includeRegistrationDetails": false
}' |
apify call atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,atesen-software/bulk-domain-availability-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/qq2Fiw7JR34CxlFev/builds/SGGJbeURWl6f0ihpC/openapi.json