Startup Launch Checklist: Before You Buy a Domain

Before buying any domain, confirm the name is not already trademarked in your target category and country.

Check that a reasonably close social handle is available on the platforms your audience actually uses.

Say the name in a sentence describing your product — if it needs a lot of explaining, reconsider.

Confirm the extension matches audience expectations: consumer apps often lean .com or .app, while technical and crypto products have more flexibility with newer extensions.

Decide whether you are buying for the current product or a future pivot — a very literal name can limit both.

Finally, lock in the purchase quickly once you are confident; good short domains do not stay available long.