Overview
Not all domain names can be registered under .CO. The Registry maintains a list of unavailable domain names that covers four categories.
Categories of Unavailable Domains
- Registered names — domains already registered by another registrant. Standard availability check will return avail=0.
- Reserved names — domains reserved by the Registry for specific purposes (e.g. technical use, Registry operations). Cannot be registered through standard processes.
- Banned names — domains that are prohibited under Registry policy (e.g. offensive terms, policy violations). Cannot be registered.
- Blocked names — domains that are blocked for specific reasons (e.g. trademark disputes, court orders). Cannot be registered through the EPP system.
How to Check Availability
Use the EPP domain:check command or the Registrar Console to verify availability before attempting registration. WHOIS is not recommended for bulk availability checks.
Unavailable Domain List File
The Registry provides a complete list of all unavailable domain names via the FTP server in the 'lordn' directory. This file is generated every 2 hours and is a Gzip-compressed plain-text file with Unix line endings. It includes registered, banned, blocked, and reserved names.
Drop List Exception
Even domains appearing on the Domain Drop List (pendingDelete) are not guaranteed to become available. The Registry reserves the right to reserve or block any domain at its discretion at any time.