Register a new name
or buy the taken one?

First, check what “taken” means.

A domain can be registered without serving a website. A parked page, a broken connection, or a blank screen therefore leaves the purchase question unanswered. Check the exact name in ICANN Lookup, then check availability with a registrar. Public registration records may omit personal contact details; they do not guarantee that a holder is willing to sell. ICANN explains its lookup data.

Be precise about spelling, hyphens, and the extension. Save the full name you mean to acquire in your notes. In a negotiation, repeat it in the proposed terms so the buyer, seller, and any transaction provider are working from the same reference.

Compare the route against your actual project.

Write a short reason the exact name matters. Is it already used in your materials? Is it central to how customers recognize the business? Or is it simply your current favorite? That statement helps you compare a negotiated purchase with an available alternative.

For each candidate, keep four lines: upfront spending, ongoing renewal, work needed to launch, and unresolved questions. Leave an unknown amount marked “unknown.” A large purchase price is not evidence that a domain will bring customers, and a low first-year price does not describe later renewal costs.

ICANN explains that registration terms, including fees, renewals, and transfers, are governed by the agreement with your registrar. Read the terms for the specific name and service you intend to use. See the domain registration process.

For a new registration, inspect the whole checkout.

Record the renewal price as well as the first term. Review any optional services separately: decide what you need for the domain, website, and email instead of treating the cart as a single indivisible purchase. Confirm whose account will hold the registration and who can recover access.

After registration, keep a record of the registrar, expiry date, renewal settings, and account owner. Use an email address you can continue to access. ICANN’s renewal guidance explains why expiration and recovery require attention; the relevant fees and processes should be checked with the registrar. Read the renewal and expiration FAQ.

For an aftermarket purchase, define delivery before payment.

Ask whether the current holder is willing to sell before building your launch around the name. An asking price is a proposal, not a completed agreement. Keep your spending limit and alternatives in your own notes so a stalled conversation does not decide the project’s future for you.

Document the exact domain, price, fees, counterparties, handover method, expected timing, and what will count as delivery. If using an escrow or marketplace service, read its specific process and verification requirements directly. Do not infer the provider’s rules from the seller’s description.

Ask the current and receiving registrars what steps apply. A change of holder and a transfer between registrars are different actions. ICANN describes situations where inter-registrar transfers can be blocked, including within 60 days of a new registration or a qualifying contact change. Confirm the actual status before promising a completion date. Check ICANN’s transfer FAQ.

Make the domain usable after the handover.

Confirm that the name appears in the intended account and that you control the relevant registration and DNS settings. Enable the account protections offered by the registrar and store recovery information securely. Record renewal responsibility so it does not disappear between a founder, developer, and finance team.

Then plan website and email configuration as their own work. Write down the current DNS records before changing them, identify each service they support, and test the website and email after the changes. Owning the registration alone is not a finished launch.

For brand conflicts or a disputed name, get advice appropriate to your jurisdiction before committing. The USPTO’s overview of trademarks is a useful starting point for understanding the different kinds of intellectual-property protection.