Domain name already taken? How to get it anyway

You type your company name into a domain checker and get: taken. That is annoying, but rarely the end of the story. A domain name that is taken can belong to a competitor, to someone who never did anything with it, or simply to you, at a provider you stopped logging in to long ago.

If your domain name is already taken, it pays to first find out what is going on. After that you have roughly four routes: transfer the domain name if it is yours, buy it, wait until it becomes available, or choose another name. In this article you will read how to go about it and where it goes wrong.

First find out why the domain name is taken

Don't start emailing or bidding right away. First look at what is behind the name. It takes you ten minutes and shapes your whole approach.

Open the domain name in your browser

There are roughly four situations you will run into:

• A real company website. The chance of getting that name is small, unless the company shuts down.
• An empty page or a default page from a hosting provider. Someone registered the name and built nothing.
• A page saying “this domain is for sale”. Then you can contact the owner, although the asking price is often high.
• An error message or a site that has not been updated in years. The owner may have forgotten the domain, or it may be about to expire.

Check the whois

A whois lookup shows the registration details of a domain name. You can find it on the website of the extension's registry or through a registrar's domain checker. What you see differs per extension. Since the privacy rules, you no longer see the owner's name for many domains, but you often still see the registrar, the status and sometimes the date the domain was registered or expires.

Don't see any contact details? Then you can sometimes still send a message through a form or anonymous email address in the whois. Or you can look at the website itself: a company name, Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number or email address in the footer is often faster than the whois.

Is the domain name yours? Then simply transfer it

This happens more often than you think. A web builder put the domain name in their own name years ago, or you are still with an old provider. The domain is then taken, but not for you.

Is the domain name registered in your name or your company's name? Then you can transfer it to a provider of your choice. The steps are:

1. Log in at your current registrar and check whether the domain is registered with your details.
2. Request the transfer code (auth code) and turn off any transfer lock.
3. Start the transfer at the new provider and enter the code.
4. Check that the DNS records stay the same, so your website and email keep working.

That last step is where it often goes wrong. If your DNS is at the old provider and those records disappear, your site or email goes down. You can read how to prevent this in our article on transferring a domain name without downtime. Do you want to change records yourself afterwards? You can do that in your portal under Manage DNS records.

Is the domain registered in the name of your old web designer, and do they refuse to cooperate? Then it becomes a conversation about ownership. Start with a friendly email and a clear request: the transfer code or a transfer to your name. If you have a contract or an invoice stating that the domain is part of the project, attach it.

Making an offer on a domain name

If someone else owns the domain and you really want the name, you can make an offer. It works like any negotiation, with a few pitfalls of its own.

How to go about it

• Know what the name is worth to you. Set your maximum beforehand. A domain that is your company name is worth more than a nice but replaceable search term.
• Start neutral. Don't write that your company urgently needs the name. That drives the price up. A short, friendly email asking whether the name is available is enough.
• Let someone else bid if needed. Some people use an intermediary, so the owner doesn't see that you are behind it. This is common for domains with a clear company name.
• Ask for an asking price first. If the owner names an amount, you know where you stand. Then bid lower and leave room for a counteroffer.

How to arrange payment safely

Never pay upfront to a stranger. Agree on how the transfer works: the owner only gives you the transfer code once the payment is secure, or a third party holds the money until the domain is in your name. Put it in a short agreement with the domain name, the amount and the agreement that the domain will be registered in your name. Keep it simple, but do put it in writing.

Is it a large amount? Then have a lawyer look it over. That costs less than a domain that turns out not to be what it seemed.

Waiting until the domain name becomes available

Domains that are not renewed often become available again after some time. For many extensions this doesn't happen right away: there is a period in between when the old owner can still get the domain back. How long this lasts differs per extension, so check with the registry.

You can keep an eye on when a domain expires yourself, if the whois shows that date. Some providers offer a kind of waiting list, so they try to register the domain the moment it becomes available. That is not a guarantee. Several parties can be waiting for the same name.

So don't count on it. If you need the name for a launch next month, waiting is not a plan.

Choosing a different domain name wisely

Sometimes the best solution is a different name. That does not have to be a compromise. A short, clear name that is available beats a perfect name that costs you a lot of money and time.

Variations of your name

• Add your trade or location: jansenbouw.nl of jansenbouwutrecht.nl.
• Use a verb or concept that fits you: kiesjansen.nl.
• Keep long names short. A domain name with hyphens works, but people forget them in spoken text and email.
• Check that your variation is easy to dictate. If you have to explain the spelling on every phone call, it is not a good choice.

A different extension

If the .nl is taken, these are .com, .eu and .be alternatives. For a Dutch audience, .nl remains the most familiar. If you have customers in several countries, .com of .eu makes more sense.

Note: if your name is registered as .nl by another company, and you pick the same name as .com, customers may send email or visits to the other party by mistake. If the other party works in the same industry, that is not a good idea. This applies twice over if the name is a brand name that belongs to someone else. Do not register a name that looks a lot like another company's brand, because you could get a claim.

What to do now

Go through the steps in this order, so you don't waste time:

1. Open the domain name in your browser and see what is on it.
2. Do a whois lookup and check whether the domain already belongs to you or your company.
3. If it is yours, transfer it. If it belongs to someone else, decide what the name is worth to you.
4. Send a short, neutral email to the owner. No reply after two weeks? Try once more.
5. Keep an alternative ready, so you don't get stuck if the negotiation stalls.

Do you want to know which variants and extensions are still available? On the domain name available? Register or transfer with Netslim page, you can see the prices per extension and have the name registered or transfer your existing domain. Once your domain is set up, it needs good email to go with it. You can read how that works with Google Workspace for your business there.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see who owns a domain name?

Look up the domain in the whois of the registry or a registrar. For many extensions you can no longer see the owner, but you can see the registrar and the status. If there are no contact details, check the website itself for a company name or email address.

What does it cost to buy a domain name that is taken?

That differs per domain and per owner. There is no fixed price. It depends on the name, what the owner does with it and how much you want it. Set your maximum in advance and ask for the asking price first.

Can I register a domain name that looks like a brand name?

That is risky. If the name is too similar to someone else's brand, that party can demand that you hand it over. It is better to choose a name that is clearly your own.

Can I wait until a domain name that is taken expires?

Sometimes, but it is uncertain. The owner can renew it, and for many extensions there is another period after expiry before it is actually released. Do not count on it if you need the name soon.

What if my web developer registered the domain name in his name?

Ask him politely for the transfer code, or to put the domain name in your name. If you have a contract or invoice that shows the domain name is part of the job, attach it. If you can't work it out, a lawyer is the next step.