NameGrid Blog

Guides for founders naming their next big thing.

Straight-talking advice on choosing, buying, and protecting domain names — no jargon, no upsells.

July 30, 2026Guide

Domain Names and Trademarks: How to Avoid Legal Trouble Before You Buy

Registering a domain doesn't give you trademark rights — here's how to check for conflicts before you buy, and what cybersquatting rules actually mean for founders.

7 min readRead more →
July 29, 2026How-To

Buying an Expired or Auction Domain: What to Check Before You Bid

Aged domains promise instant authority and backlinks — here's how to check their real history for spam penalties, trademark conflicts, and hidden red flags before you bid.

8 min readRead more →
July 27, 2026Guide

What Is WHOIS Privacy Protection, and Why Every Domain Needs It

What actually gets published in the public WHOIS database, the real risks of leaving your domain unprotected, and when you'd ever need to turn privacy off.

6 min readRead more →
July 25, 2026Guide

50+ Ways to Find a Domain Name Idea When Your First Choice Is Taken

A structured brainstorming process for generating brandable domain name ideas — compounds, blends, coined words, and a checklist for testing them before you buy.

8 min readRead more →
July 24, 2026Pricing

How Much Does a Domain Name Actually Cost? Registration vs. Renewal Explained

The real breakdown of what goes into a domain's price — registry fees, registrar markup, and the renewal jump that catches most buyers off guard.

7 min readRead more →
July 22, 2026SEO

Does Your Domain Name Actually Affect Google Rankings?

Exact-match keyword domains used to have a real ranking edge — until Google's 2012 update changed that. Here's what actually matters about your domain for SEO today.

6 min readRead more →
July 21, 2026Guide

.com vs .net vs .org: Which Domain Extension Is Right for Your Site?

A practical decision framework for choosing between .com, .net, and .org — with real examples by business type, and how to protect your brand across all three.

7 min readRead more →
July 20, 2026How-To

How Domain Transfers Actually Work (and How to Avoid Downtime)

Everything that happens behind the scenes when you move a domain between registrars — auth codes, unlock steps, ICANN's transfer rules, and how to do it without any site downtime.

6 min readRead more →
July 19, 2026How-To

DNS Records Explained: A Plain-English Guide to A, CNAME, MX, and TXT

What A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, and TXT records actually do — and when you'd use each one to point your domain at a host, an email provider, or a verification service.

7 min readRead more →
July 17, 2026Guide

How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name for Your Business in 2026

A practical, no-fluff guide to picking a domain name that's short, brandable, and built to last — plus how .com, .net, and .org each fit different kinds of businesses.

8 min readRead more →