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How to choose a domain name: 17 rules (with Indian examples)

Choose a domain name that's short, easy to say and spell, has no hyphens or numbers, and ends in .in or .com. Make sure it isn't someone else's trademark, that the social handles are free, and register it in your own name with auto-renew on.

Your domain name is the one part of your website you can't easily change later. Change it after a year and you lose your search rankings, your printed cards and every link people saved. Here are the rules we use when we buy names, with examples for Indian businesses.

The 17 rules
  1. Start with .in or .com
  2. Keep it short
  3. Make it easy to say
  4. Make it easy to spell
  5. Skip hyphens
  6. Skip numbers
  7. Brandable beats keyword-stuffed
  8. But a clear keyword helps small local businesses
  9. Think about Hindi and regional words
  10. Check trademarks before you fall in love
  11. Check social media handles
  12. Check the name's history
  13. Leave room to grow
  14. Avoid names that read badly when joined
  15. Buy it before you tell anyone
  16. Look past the first-year price
  17. Register it in your own name

1. Start with .in or .com

For a business serving India, .in tells customers you're local and helps you show up in Google India. If you plan to sell abroad, or the .com is free, register both and point one at the other. See .in vs .com.

2. Keep it short

Aim for under 12 letters, and two words at most. sharmasweets.in works; sharmasweetsandnamkeenjaipur.in doesn't.

3. Make it easy to say

Use the radio test: say the name once to a friend over the phone. If they can type it without asking how it's spelled, it passes.

4. Make it easy to spell

Avoid words people spell differently (colour/color, jewellery/jewelry), clever misspellings and silent letters. If you must, register the common misspelling too.

5. Skip hyphens

sharma-sweets.in sounds like "sharma hyphen sweets" and people forget the hyphen, landing on someone else's site.

6. Skip numbers

Is it 4u, for you or four you? Numbers fail the radio test unless they're part of your brand, like 99acres.

7. Brandable beats keyword-stuffed

Google no longer gives a big boost for exact keywords in a domain. A memorable brand name (Zomato, Nykaa, Meesho) grows with your business; cheap-shoes-online-delhi.in doesn't.

8. But a clear keyword helps small local businesses

For a clinic, coaching centre or shop, a descriptive name like dentistinpune.in or pandeytutorials.in tells people instantly what you do. It's a fair trade-off when you don't plan to become a national brand.

9. Think about Hindi and regional words

Words like ghar, dukaan, bazaar or wala feel local and warm. Write them the way most people type them in English letters, and test the spelling with a few customers.

10. Check trademarks before you fall in love

Search the IP India trademark database and the MCA company register. A name too close to an existing brand can be taken from you in a domain dispute.

11. Check social media handles

You'll want the same name on Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp Business. Check them before you buy the domain.

12. Check the name's history

A previously used domain might carry spam penalties or old links. Look it up on the Wayback Machine and in our WHOIS lookup.

13. Leave room to grow

pune-mobile-repair.in is awkward once you open in Mumbai or start selling laptops. Pick a name that still fits in five years.

14. Avoid names that read badly when joined

Run the words together and read them fresh. A famous accident: expertsexchange can be read two ways. Read yours aloud before you buy.

15. Buy it before you tell anyone

Domains are first come, first served. Once you've decided, register it today; it costs less than a cup of chai a week.

16. Look past the first-year price

A ₹99 first year can renew at ₹800 or more. Compare renewal prices, and set auto-renew so you never lose the name.

17. Register it in your own name

Make sure you (or your company) are the registrant, with an email you control, not your web designer's. It's the single most common way small businesses lose their domain.

Quick checklist

☐ Under 12 letters, two words or fewer
☐ Passes the radio test
☐ No hyphens or numbers
☐ .in or .com (ideally both)
☐ Not a trademark, not too close to a competitor
☐ Social handles available
☐ Clean history
☐ Registered in your name, with auto-renew
Try your idea now. Score it with the domain name checker, or get fresh options from the domain name generator.

Examples

BusinessWeakBetterWhy
Sweet shop in Jaipursharma-sweets-jaipur123.insharmasweets.inShort, no hyphens or numbers
Yoga studiobestyogaclassesmumbaionline.commumbaiyoga.inTwo clear words, local
Tuition centrexcellentutors.inpandeytutorials.inNo made-up spelling
Online storebuy4less.co.ingharkart.inNo numbers, brandable

Questions people ask

Should I use my own name as my domain?

For freelancers, doctors, lawyers, consultants and creators, yes: yourname.in builds personal trust and never goes out of date. For a business you might sell one day, a brand name is better.

Do keywords in a domain help SEO?

A little at most. Google ranks pages on content and links. A keyword can help people understand what you do, which is the main benefit.

What if the name I want is taken?

Try a different extension, add a short word (get-, -hq, -india), or check if the owner would sell. Use our WHOIS lookup to see when it expires.

How long should a domain name be?

Under 12 letters is ideal, and 15 is a sensible maximum. The technical limit is 63 characters before the extension.

Last updated October 18, 2026.

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