acaprino/domain-hunter

<!-- upstream: ReScienceLab/opc-skills - skills/domain-hunter/SKILL.md --> <!-- Local drift: Step 3 (Find Promo Codes) uses WebSearch queries instead of upstream Python scripts -->

Domain Hunter Skill

Help users find and purchase domain names at the best price.

Workflow

Step 1: Generate Domain Ideas & Check Availability

Based on the user's project description, generate 5-10 creative domain name suggestions.

Guidelines:

• Keep names short (under 15 characters)
• Make them memorable and brandable
• Consider: {action}{noun}, {noun}{suffix}, {prefix}{keyword}
• Common suffixes: app, io, hq, ly, ify, now, hub

CRITICAL: Always check availability before presenting domains to user!

Use one of these methods to verify availability:

Method 1: WHOIS check (most reliable)

# Check if domain is available via whois
whois {domain}.{tld} 2>/dev/null | grep -i "no match\|not found\|available\|no data found" && echo "AVAILABLE" || echo "TAKEN"

Method 2: Registrar search page Open the registrar's domain search in browser to verify:

open "https://www.spaceship.com/domains/?search={domain}.{tld}"

Method 3: Bulk check via Namecheap/Dynadot

• https://www.namecheap.com/domains/registration/results/?domain={domain}
• https://www.dynadot.com/domain/search?domain={domain}

IMPORTANT:

• Only present domains that are confirmed AVAILABLE
• Mark any uncertain domains with "(unverified)"
• Present suggestions to user and wait for confirmation before proceeding
• Ask user to pick their preferred options or provide feedback
• Only move to Step 2 after user approves domain name(s)

Step 2: Compare Prices

Use WebSearch to find current prices:

WebSearch: "cheapest .{tld} domain registrar 2026 site:tld-list.com"
WebSearch: ".{tld} domain price comparison tldes.com"

Key price comparison sites:

• tld-list.com/tld/{tld}
• tldes.com/{tld}
• domaintyper.com/{tld}-domain

Step 3: Find Promo Codes

Use WebSearch to search registrar social accounts and communities for promo codes:

Twitter/X search - search registrar accounts for recent promos:

WebSearch: "site:x.com from:{registrar} promo code"
WebSearch: "site:x.com {registrar} promo code coupon"

Reddit search - search domain communities for deals:

WebSearch: "site:reddit.com r/Domains {registrar} promo code"
WebSearch: "site:reddit.com r/Domains {registrar} coupon discount"

Major registrar Twitter handles:

• @spaceship, @Dynadot, @Namecheap, @Porkbun, @namesilo, @Cloudflare

Step 4: Recommend

Present final recommendation in this format:

## Recommendation

**Domain:** example.ai
**Best Registrar:** Spaceship
**Price:** $68.98/year (2-year minimum = $137.96)
**Promo Code:** None available for .ai
**Purchase Link:** https://www.spaceship.com/

### Price Comparison
| Registrar | Year 1 | Renewal | 2-Year Total |
|-----------|--------|---------|--------------|
| Spaceship | $68.98 | $68.98  | $137.96      |
| Cloudflare| $70.00 | $70.00  | $140.00      |
| Porkbun   | $71.40 | $72.40  | $143.80      |

Important Notes

1. Premium TLDs (.ai, .io) rarely have promo codes - wholesale costs are too high
2. .ai domains require 2-year minimum registration
3. Cloudflare offers at-cost pricing with no markup
4. Renewal prices often differ from registration - always check both
5. WHOIS privacy is free at most registrars (Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun)

Domain Checker Script

If the user has configured API keys, use the domain checker script for bulk availability checks:

python scripts/domain_checker.py name1 name2 name3

The script checks .com, .app, .io, .co availability via WHOIS API. See scripts/domain_checker.py for setup instructions.

If no API key is available, fall back to WHOIS CLI checks (Step 1, Method 1) or WebSearch queries.

References

• references/registrars.md - Detailed registrar comparison
• references/spaceship-api.md - Spaceship API for automated domain operations