Domain Availability API - Check Domain Names in Real Time and Get Suggestions
Is this domain free to register - right now? Every product that touches domain names keeps asking that question, whether it's a signup form validating a first choice or a watchlist waiting for a name to drop. The Domain Availability API answers with a single boolean per domain - one GET request against any major TLD or SLD. Choose a DNS-based check for high-volume screening, or a WHOIS-based check for registrar-grade accuracy on shortlisted names, and when a name is taken, pull up to 100 registerable alternatives from the suggestions endpoint. Built for registrar and reseller platforms, brand-name generators, domain investors watching a shortlist, and SaaS teams wiring a domain check API into signup and checkout flows. Start with 10,000 free credits - no credit card required.
Features
Choose Your Lookup Source
Every request accepts a source parameter with two values: dns resolves availability from live DNS signals and is the lower-cost option built for volume, while whois queries registry data directly for registrar-grade accuracy. Default behavior runs without the parameter for the standard check. Use dns for high-volume screening passes and whois to confirm shortlisted names before purchase - the same endpoint, with per-source costs listed in the pricing section below.
One Boolean Answer per Domain
A single GET to /domain/availability with the domain parameter returns the queried name and a domainAvailability boolean - no parsing raw WHOIS text, no interpreting registry status codes. The endpoint accepts any major TLD or SLD, from .com to newer extensions like .tech and .io, on every plan. Use it for inline availability checks in checkout flows where the answer has to be instant and unambiguous.
Suggestions When the Name Is Taken
When the requested name is taken, the /domain/availability/suggestions endpoint returns a domain_available_response array of registerable options - the same name checked under alternative TLDs and SLDs, each entry paired with its own domainAvailability status. One call answers both "is it available?" and "what else is open?". Use it to keep users moving toward a registration instead of leaving them at a dead end.
Control the Suggestion Count
The count parameter caps the number of suggestions returned, up to 100 per request. Suggestion billing scales with the number of names returned, so a tight count keeps both the response payload and the per-query cost predictable - exact rates per suggestion block are listed in the pricing section. Use it to tune suggestion depth per surface: three names in a signup widget, fifty in a research tool.
Failed Queries Cost Nothing
Credits are deducted only on 2xx responses. Any request that returns a 4xx or 5xx status is not charged, and credits already deducted are automatically refunded. The X-AF-Credits-Cost response header reports the exact cost of each successful call, so metering is auditable request by request. Use it to run availability checks in retry loops without budgeting for error noise.
Built for These Use Cases
Registrar and reseller storefronts
Wire the availability check into your search box and return an answer while the customer is still typing. Screen with the DNS source, confirm the final pick with WHOIS before checkout, and hand off high-volume list checks to the Bulk Domain Checker API when a customer pastes in a portfolio.Naming and brand-generation tools
Startup name generators and branding platforms can pair every candidate name with a live availability status, then instantly surface registerable fallbacks when the first choice is gone - keeping users exploring inside your product instead of bouncing to a registrar.
Defensive TLD coverage for brands
Sweep your exact brand name across alternative extensions to find which ones are still unregistered before someone else takes them. For extensions that come back taken, pass them to the Domain WHOIS Lookup API to identify who registered them and when.Domain investors and availability monitoring
Watch a shortlist of names and act the moment one drops. Schedule a WHOIS-source check against the names you track and compare the answer between runs - when a taken name flips to available, trigger an alert or kick off registration at your registrar of choice. Investors and drop-catchers get a signal they can automate without parsing raw WHOIS records.
Agent and workflow integrations
The availability endpoint is a single GET with a boolean answer, which makes it a clean building block for AI agents, no-code automations, and internal tooling - including via the APIFreaks MCP server, where domain checks run as a native tool.
API Endpoint
Domain Search API with Domain Name Suggestions
Use the Domain Search API to not only check domain name availability but also receive valuable domain name suggestions. Use the following endpoint to query domain availability along with alternative suggestions:
Domain Search API without Domain Name Suggestions
For those who require a straightforward domain availability check without suggestions, use the following API endpoint:
All Endpoints
| Endpoint | Description | Credits | Reference | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Search | Check if a domain is available for registration across a wide range of TLDs. | 15 | Reference | Playground |
| Domain Search With Suggestions | Check domain availability and get alternative suggestions when the exact name is taken. | 15 | Reference | Playground |
How-To-Guides
Check Domain Availability
Wire an availability gate into your signup or checkout flow: before a user commits to a name, confirm it can actually be registered. Pass the name in the domain parameter and read the boolean that comes back - that is the whole integration when you need an API to check domain availability inline. The default DNS source keeps per-check cost low for high-frequency screening.
# Response { "domain": "google.com", "domainAvailability": false }curl -X 'GET' 'https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0/domain/availability?domain=google.com&apiKey=API-KEY'
You can also specify the data source by adding the source parameter to your request. This allows you to choose between different lookup methods for checking domain availability:
# Response { "domain": "google.com", "domainAvailability": false }curl -X 'GET' 'https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0/domain/availability?domain=google.com&source=whois&apiKey=API-KEY'
Get Domain Name Suggestions
When the first-choice name is taken, keep the user searching inside your product instead of losing them to a registrar. The suggestions endpoint works as a domain name search API: it checks the submitted name across alternative TLDs and SLDs and returns each option with its own availability status, so you can render a ready-to-register list in one pass.
# Response { "domain_available_response": [ { "domain": "netflix.org", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "netflix.com", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "netflix.net", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "netflix.info", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "netflix.dev", "domainAvailability": false } ] }curl -X 'GET' 'https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0/domain/availability/suggestions?domain=netflix.com&apiKey=API-KEY'
You can also specify the data source by adding the source parameter to your request. This allows you to choose between different lookup methods for checking domain availability suggestions:
# Response { "domain_available_response": [ { "domain": "meta.net", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "meta.dev", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "meta.info", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "meta.com", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "meta.org", "domainAvailability": false } ] }curl -X 'GET' 'https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0/domain/availability/suggestions?domain=meta.com&source=whois&apiKey=API-KEY'
Get Specific No. of Suggestions
Match suggestion depth to the surface you are rendering - three names fit a signup widget, fifty suit a research view. Set the count parameter (up to 100) to cap how many suggestions come back. Billing scales with the number returned, so a tight count keeps the cost of each query predictable.
# Response { "domain_available_response": [ { "domain": "apple.com", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.biz", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.club", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.net", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.xyz", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.loan", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.org", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.dev", "domainAvailability": false }, { "domain": "apple.top", "domainAvailability": true }, { "domain": "apple.info", "domainAvailability": false } ] }curl -X 'GET' 'https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0/domain/availability/suggestions?domain=apple.com&count=10&apiKey=API-KEY'
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing
To check domain availability status through the API, API credits are required. Credits are only deducted for successful queries, indicated by a 2xx status code. If a request results in a 4xx or 5xx status code, no credits will be deducted, and any credits already charged will be refunded.
- Domain Availability Status (source = whois): For each successful request to check domain availability status using WHOIS, 15 credits will be charged.
- Domain Availability Status (source = dns): For each successful request to check domain availability status using DNS, 1 credit will be charged.
- Domain Availability with Suggestions (source = whois): If you opt to check domain availability along with suggestions using WHOIS, 15 credits will be charged for the availability check, plus 3 credits for every 5 domain suggestions provided.
- Domain Availability with Suggestions (source = dns): If you opt to check domain availability along with suggestions using DNS, 1 credit will be charged for the availability check, plus 1 credit for every 5 domain suggestions provided.
Utilize the Credits Usage API to efficiently monitor your recent consumption of both one-off and subscription credits. This API provides a streamlined way to track and manage your credit usage, ensuring you stay informed about your remaining balance and can optimize your resource allocation effectively.