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Finding Domain Names for Micro-SaaS: A Batch Workflow

Micro-SaaS founders spend too long on domain names. Here is a repeatable workflow that turns keyword research into a shortlist of available, registerable names in under an hour.

· · 6 min read

Finding Domain Names for Micro-SaaS: A Batch Workflow

Micro-SaaS founders routinely spend hours — sometimes days — on domain name decisions. Most of that time is wasted on checking names one at a time, iterating without a system, or deliberating between names when the availability data isn't in front of them. Here's a workflow that compresses it.

Step 1: Define Your Naming Frame

Before generating candidates, lock down the frame your name will operate in. Two questions:

What does the product do, in one verb? (automate, track, monitor, send, convert, schedule, parse, review)

Who is it for? (developers, freelancers, agencies, e-commerce stores, HR teams)

These two answers generate your keyword pool. A product that helps developers monitor API uptime has a frame like: monitor, ping, uptime, status, api, alert, watch, check.

Aim for 8–12 keywords per category. You don't need all of them — you need enough to generate combinations.

Step 2: Build a Name Matrix

Combine your verb and noun keywords into two-word compounds. Using the example above:

apiwatch    pingbase    statusly
apiping     watchdog    alertbase
uptime.io   monitoro    checkapi
pingwatch   statusping  apimonitor

Generate 30–50 candidates. Don't filter yet — that comes after the availability check. The tendency to filter during generation slows you down and introduces bias.

Variations to try:

  • Swap word order (pingwatch vs watchping)
  • Add common SaaS suffixes: ly, io, hq, app, base, hub
  • Drop a vowel (monitr, trackr) — only if the result is still readable
  • Prepend get, use, try — last resort; signals the .com is taken

Step 3: Batch Check Availability

Paste all 40–50 candidates into BatchDomain. Run across your priority TLDs — for micro-SaaS, .com .io .dev .app is a reasonable starting set.

The result is a CSV showing available/taken status for each domain-TLD combination. This turns a 40-candidate list into a clear availability matrix in under a minute.

Step 4: Filter and Score

From the batch results, filter to candidates that are:

  • Available on .com or .io/.dev (with .com either not taken or taken but dormant)
  • 6–14 characters total
  • Pronounceable — can be said aloud without spelling it

Score the remaining candidates on:

Criterion What you're assessing
Memorability Can you remember it 10 minutes after hearing it?
Spell-check Can three people spell it from hearing it?
Category signal Does it hint at what the product does?
Google search Is there prior brand association to fight against?
Social handles Is @name available on at least two major platforms?

You should be down to 5–8 candidates after filtering.

Step 5: Validate the Shortlist

For each finalist:

  1. Search Google for the exact name — is there an established company, product, or community using it?
  2. Check USPTO TESS for trademark conflicts in your software/SaaS category (class 042 in the US)
  3. Check Wayback Machine if the .com is available but has a prior registration date (visible in RDAP creation date via BatchDomain's CSV output)
  4. Buy a test run — if you're 80% sure, register it. The $12 cost of a 30-day hold while you decide is not a real cost.

Common Mistakes in This Process

  • Filtering during generation — kills creative combinations before they get tested
  • Checking one name at a time — makes each decision feel weighty; batch checking gives perspective
  • Over-indexing on .com — .io and .dev are well-understood in developer audiences; .com isn't mandatory
  • Waiting for the "perfect" name — shipping matters more than the name

The goal is a defensible name that's available, memorable, and not legally problematic. That bar is achievable in under an hour with a systematic approach.