Frequently asked questions
Short, plain answers to the questions people ask. The finer detail lives in the doctrine.
Why not just use .com?
.com is still the default and the strongest signal of trust. It is no longer your only option, though: AI-first products often launch and stay on .ai. The full ordering of endings is in the doctrine.
Why do AI-generated names all sound the same?
Models average what they have read, so if you just ask for "a name" you get the statistical middle: bland, forgettable coinages. The engine breaks that by running several lanes with disguised briefs. The method is in the doctrine.
Why are names capped at 8 letters?
Short names are easier to say and write, so the default cap is 8 letters. A name can stretch to 9 or 10 only when it is genuinely distinctive and its trademark space is open. The median modern brand name is 8 characters.
What is the phone test?
The first test every name must pass. Say it once on a phone; the other person writes it down correctly with no spelling help. A name you can write beats a clever name you cannot. It kills multi-word names and tricky spellings.
Does the score guarantee availability?
No. The score judges the name itself: its spelling, length, and sound. Whether it is available is a separate check, and it can change by the hour. Always re-check before you buy.
What is the cold-read probe?
The probe passes a name to an AI with no context and asks what kind of company it sounds like. If the first guess lands in the wrong category, the name fails. It catches names that mislead before you run real checks.
Why do some checks need a human?
Some checks cannot be reduced to a number. Reading a name for the first time, hearing it on an invoice, and sounding it across cultures all need a real listener and a real ear. The tool shows these as a checklist you complete, not a score it invents.
How can a great name still have a free .com?
Single great words are almost all taken. The reliable free path is a blend of two real words from unrelated fields, like ByteDance. Otherwise you pay roughly $1–4k for a brandable name, or catch one as it expires.
Is the appraisal a trademark clearance?
No. The appraisal judges quality: sound, spelling, and taste. Trademark clearance is a separate legal check, run on its own before you buy.
How does the engine make names that sound real but stay free?
Real words are taken, and made-up sounds fall flat, so the engine builds new words that echo real ones. "Planity" reads like plan, sanity, and plain while staying legally free. See how it is scored in the doctrine.
Is this site indexed?
Yes. The desk, the doctrine and the market pages are public and listed in sitemap.xml. The workspace, sign-in and sign-up are excluded — they render nothing without an account.
What is a distant-leap blend?
Two real words from far-apart fields, fused into one name — like ByteDance, byte plus dance. The surprise of the pairing is what keeps the .com available and the name memorable. Read the method in the doctrine.