Namecheap Domains

Namecheap Domains

Screens domain availability via the Namecheap namecheap.domains.check API. Wraps a single Python script — no dependencies beyond the stdlib.

The three jobs

1. Check explicit domains the user named (foo.com bar.ai baz.io).
2. Sweep one base name across TLDs (myproduct across .com/.io/.ai/.dev/.co).
3. Screen brainstormed candidates — when the user asks for help finding a name, generate the candidates yourself first, then run them through the checker. Prefer one batched call over many small ones.

Quick start

# explicit domains
python3 ~/.claude/skills/namecheap-domains/scripts/check.py foo.com bar.ai

# TLD sweep of a single base name
python3 ~/.claude/skills/namecheap-domains/scripts/check.py \
  --base myproduct --tlds com,io,ai,dev,co,app

# screen a brainstormed list, show only what's free
python3 ~/.claude/skills/namecheap-domains/scripts/check.py \
  --file /tmp/candidates.txt --available-only

# machine-readable
python3 ~/.claude/skills/namecheap-domains/scripts/check.py foo.com --json

Decision tree

Always prefer batching

The Namecheap API accepts up to 50 domains per request (hard cap — 51+ returns "Only 50 domains are allowed in a single check command"). The script chunks automatically, so pass domains in bulk rather than looping one-at-a-time. A 30-domain sweep is one HTTP call, not thirty.

Output format

Default (text):

AVAILABLE  brugfdjiujhrg.ai
taken      google.com
AVAILABLE  coolname.io [premium $2999.00]
AVAILABLE  newtld.app [EAP +$1000.00]

• AVAILABLE / taken — the headline signal
• [premium $N] — Namecheap flagged it as a premium registration; the price shown is Namecheap's, not the registry's wholesale
• [EAP +$N] — Early Access Program fee on top of normal registration (applies to newly-launched TLDs in their first ~60 days)

JSON (via --json) adds icann_fee, premium_price, and eap_fee numeric fields for programmatic consumption.

Credentials

The script resolves credentials in this order:

1. Env vars NAMECHEAP_API_USER + NAMECHEAP_API_KEY + NAMECHEAP_CLIENT_IP.
2. A ## Namecheap section in ~/.claude/projects/-Users-shaharshavit/memory/api-keys.md (the user's global credentials file).

If neither source resolves all three, the script exits with a clear error. Do not hardcode keys anywhere in the skill.

The API user's whitelisted IP must match the IP the request originates from. If you see Invalid request IP, the user's public IP has changed — tell them to update the whitelist in the Namecheap API dashboard and the value in their api-keys.md.

Caveats & gotchas

• Availability ≠ registerable at list price. A domain marked AVAILABLE with [premium $N] means Namecheap will sell it, but at the premium price shown — often hundreds to thousands of dollars. Surface the premium flag in any summary you give the user.
• EAP windows (newly-launched TLDs) tack on a fee that drops over weeks. The script reports EapFee; mention it if non-zero.
• ccTLDs with registration restrictions (.ai, .io, .co are fine; .de, .fr, .it often need residency). Namecheap returns availability but not eligibility — flag this to the user for restricted TLDs.
• Don't confuse "available" with "unused". A dropped domain may be in a registry grace period; re-check after 30–60 days if the user is tracking a specific target.
• Rate-limit hygiene: Namecheap's documented limit is 50 calls per minute per IP. A 50-domain batch counts as one call — another reason to batch.