Dale Hurley I’ve built Lobby Domains, a domain name generator that takes an idea I first worked on in 2009 and brings it into the browser with Chrome’s built-in AI.
The original project was called ToolNames.com. The problem was familiar then, and it still is: coming up with a name that is catchy, memorable, short, and available as a domain.
2009: ToolNames and a thesaurus
I first built ToolNames in 2009. You entered keywords related to your site, and it used a thesaurus to find related words and generate domain ideas. It only produced .com names.
The workflow was simple: enter keywords, set a limit, click “Find me a domain!”, and watch the results get sorted. From there, you could follow a link to a registrar or investigate whether an already registered name was for sale.
The useful part was getting beyond the words you had already thought of. A thesaurus gave you more combinations to consider and a better chance of finding something that fit.
You can still see ToolNames in the Internet Archive’s January 2011 snapshot.
Lobby Domains: describe what you’re building
Lobby Domains takes that original concept further. Instead of starting with a few keywords and related words, you describe what you’re building. Chrome’s built-in AI generates name ideas locally on your device.
Generation requires a supported desktop Chrome browser and eligible hardware. Chrome may download its model the first time you enable it. There’s no cloud AI fallback.
You can choose domain extensions, refine suggestions, and keep a shortlist. Domain checking also works independently of AI, so you can check a name you already have in mind.
Checking names directly with registries
Lobby Domains checks each domain directly with its registry using HTTPS RDAP, the Registration Data Access Protocol. Those requests go from your browser to the registry; they aren’t proxied through Lobby Domains.
An unregistered result means the registry returned a not-found response. It isn’t a guarantee that you can buy the name: reserved, premium, or restricted domains may still be unavailable. Timeouts, CORS failures, and rate limits appear as unknown.
Optional registrar links open a search for the selected domain. They don’t include your brief or affiliate tracking. The registrar handles registration, pricing, and renewal terms.
Local AI, with clear sharing choices
The site has no analytics, cookies, accounts, or remote fonts. Your naming brief stays on your device during AI generation, while registries receive the domain names you check and your IP address.
Shareable search URLs include your brief, settings, and available results, so anyone with a link can read them. Optional local saves keep searches in your browser profile, where anyone using that profile can open them. Shortlist exports contain only your shortlist and registry snapshots. The static site’s hosting providers may keep ordinary access logs.
Lobby Domains also exposes generation, verification, results, and capabilities through WebMCP for compatible agents. Browser integration support determines whether an agent can use those tools, and agent conversations and returned results follow the provider’s own privacy settings.
An old idea, another way to build it
ToolNames used a thesaurus to help people find a name in 2009. Lobby Domains returns to the same problem with local AI and direct registry checks.
If you’re naming a business, product, or side project, try Lobby Domains.