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Offer domain suggestions without treating them as reservations

domain-nexus, development

Domain suggestions help a customer explore alternative names. They are not reservations or final offers. Every selected suggestion still needs a current availability check, applicable registry requirements and valid pricing before registration.

01 Request a focused suggestion set

Method Resource Scope Idempotency-Key
POST /v2/domains/suggestions domains:availability Required

Send a search phrase or label in query, optionally restrict the TLD list, and choose a bounded result count:

Structured data example
{
  "query": "example",
  "tlds": ["com", "net"],
  "limit": 10
}
  1. Build the selectable TLDs from the account's current catalogue.
  2. Submit the suggestion request with its required idempotency key. The supported result limit is 1 to 50, with a default of 20.
  3. Display returned names as candidates, preserving the full domain spelling.
  4. When the customer chooses one, run the availability endpoint for that full name.
  5. Obtain the current operation requirements and quote, show the actual offer, and only then submit a registration with its own durable order reference.

Why is a suggested name unavailable at checkout?

Suggestions and registration occur at different times, and a name can be restricted, already taken or purchased by another party. Treat the registration outcome as authoritative for the attempted order. Do not bill or advertise ownership merely because a candidate appeared in the suggestions list.

Should I preserve a user's preferred spelling?

Yes. Show the complete proposed domain clearly, including its extension and any internationalised representation your form supports. Avoid silently replacing the customer's selection with a visually similar candidate or another suffix. The final order confirmation should identify the exact name being purchased.

Debounce repeated searches in your own application and respect API limits rather than submitting a new request for every keystroke. If a suggestion call fails, retain the user's input and offer a retry. An empty or failed suggestions response is not proof that no suitable domain exists, and it should not be treated as a successful availability check.

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