> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upmind.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# New Domain Search Tool
> New domain search tool delivers fast, trustworthy, and relevant domain suggestions from external engines.
The **New Domain Search Tool** from Upmind gives customers a faster, smarter way to find and register domains directly from your storefront.
## **Access domain search settings**
1. Log in to Upmind admin.
2. Go to **Settings** > **Miscellaneous** > **Provisioning.**
3. Find the **Domain Search Method** section under **Domain Names**.
## **Choose the domain search method**
Upmind offers two domain search methods:
1. Legacy Lookup
2. Smart Suggest
### Legacy lookup
Uses the traditional domain availability method. Checks real availability for each keyword as users type and returns domains that are available or taken, which they can register.
**Example: Legacy Lookup Keyword Search**
“hostpanel” - A short, single keyword a hosting provider might search when naming a new control panel product or reseller brand.
**Example: Legacy Lookup Exact Match**
“hostpanel.com” - Confirms whether this specific domain is free to register or already taken.
### Smart suggest
Smart Suggest powers the **New Domain Search Tool** by connecting to external domain suggestion engines. Rather than simply checking whether a single domain is taken, it reads the search term, whether that's a single keyword, a phrase, or even a full sentence, and intelligently generates a list of relevant, registrable domain ideas around it.
It uses either **Verisign’s “NameStudio”** or **Identity Digital’s “Domain Engine”** to provide suggestions that load instantly with your Upmind pricing and promotions already applied, and defers true availability checks until the moment a user attempts to add a domain to their basket.
**Example: Smart Suggest “NameStudio” Keyword/Phrase Search**
“managed wordpress hosting” - A descriptive phrase that lets NameStudio surface creative, brand-ready domain suggestions beyond the obvious exact match.
**Example: Smart Suggest “NameStudio” Exact Match**
“managedwphosting.com” - Triggers an immediate full check on this specific domain, with NameStudio suggestions populating below.
**Example: Smart Suggest “Domain Engine” Keyword/Phrase Search**
“reseller hosting plans” - A practical search a hosting reseller would run, where Domain Engine surfaces high-intent, readily registrable domains over creative alternatives.
**Example: Smart Suggest “Domain Engine” Exact Match**
“resellerplans.com” - Runs an immediate full availability check at the top, with Domain Engine suggestions populating below.
## **Selecting the domain suggestion engine**
When **Smart Suggest** is active, you choose between two engines. Both deliver high-quality suggestions, and the difference is in how they generate them and what they prioritise.
| **Engine** | **Provider** | **Choose if** | **Strengths** | **Weaknesses** |
| ----------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **NameStudio** | Verisign | You want AI-driven brainstorming, creative brand-name generation, and flexible naming from descriptions or phrases. | Strong "brand idea" generation using semantic relevance and LLM prompts, great for surfacing creative names from open-ended searches. | Can feel more experimental, better for inspiration than conversion. |
| **Domain Engine** | Identity Digital | You want higher registrar conversions, stronger search merchandising, and monetisation-focused recommendations. | Conversion-oriented recommendations that surface registrable domains customers are more likely to buy. | Suggestions lean practical and may be less imaginative for creative brand naming. |
Save changes and test the storefront search to confirm your selection.
## **How it works**
Search → See suggestions → Choose → Add to basket + Availability check → Checkout.
Domain availability in Smart Suggest works in two stages: A fast soft check during search and a confirmed hard check at the basket.
1. **Search** — The customer enters a keyword, phrase, or description into the storefront search. If the customer types an exact domain (e.g., serverstack.net), the top result runs a full hard availability check immediately, giving a confirmed status right from the search.
**Example**: “serverstack.net” - A direct check a hosting provider might run when evaluating a brand name for a new infrastructure offering.
2. **See suggestions** — The engine generates relevant domain ideas instantly. A soft availability check runs in the background to filter results and keep suggestions as accurate as possible.
3. **Choose** — The customer browses suggestions and selects a domain they like.
4. **Add to basket** — A hard availability check runs at this point. This is the final, confirmed verdict on whether the domain is available. In rare cases, this result may differ slightly from what appeared during the search. This is expected, as the search prioritises speed while the basket check prioritises accuracy. Two scenarios can occur at this stage:
* A domain shown as **available to register** may return as **available to transfer:** The domain status updates accordingly, and the customer is given the option to transfer it instead.
**Example**: “pixelhost.com” - A well-known domain that will almost certainly return as a transfer candidate rather than available to register.
* A domain shown as **available to transfer** may return as **available to register:** The status updates, and the customer can proceed with a fresh registration.
**Example**: “hostlaunchpro.com” - An obscure enough domain where a soft check might flag it as potentially registered, but the hard check confirms it is free to register.
5. **Checkout** — The customer completes their purchase with a verified domain status confirmed at the basket stage.
Search results are reliable in most cases, but the basket-stage check is always the definitive one. This keeps the search experience fast without compromising accuracy at the point of registration.