Brand-monitoring SaaS tools (RiskIQ, MarkMonitor) cost $5K-50K/year and the bulk of what they do — repeated availability + WHOIS checks on a list of brand variations — is something you can run yourself in 10 minutes a week.
Free Weekly Brand-Domain Watch
Bulk Domain Checker runs entirely in your browser. No account, no upload, no watermark.
Add to Chrome — FreeWhat you actually need to monitor
For most companies, brand-domain monitoring boils down to four lists:
- Typosquat candidates: common misspellings of your domain (yourbrnad.com, yourbarnd.com, yuorbrand.com).
- Phonetic variations: alternate spellings that sound the same (e.g., "fone" vs "phone").
- Hyphen and -app/-hq/-io variants: your-brand.com, yourbrand-app.com, yourbrandhq.com, yourbrand.io.
- Defensive ccTLDs: .com.br, .de, .co.uk, .ru, .cn, etc.
For a typical SaaS startup, that totals 80-200 names. Easy to maintain in a saved preset.
Set up a weekly run
- Build the list once (use a typosquat generator like typo-name-generator or just brainstorm).
- Save it as a preset in the extension (Pro plan keeps named lists across sessions).
- Run weekly. Available rows are squat candidates you may want to acquire defensively. Newly-registered rows are alerts: someone just bought a typosquat.
- Diff against last week's CSV to surface only the changes.
Total time per week: 10-15 minutes including the diff.
When to act on a hit
Three categories of action:
- Newly available, you should grab it: a defensive registration at $9-12 is cheap insurance vs a future $5K-50K UDRP fight.
- Newly registered, watch it: registration alone isn't impersonation. Wait 30-60 days. If the registrant builds a real site that confuses your customers, escalate.
- Newly registered + impersonation site live: file a UDRP complaint via WIPO ($1,500) or send a cease-and-desist via your IP counsel.
Limitations vs commercial brand-monitoring
Self-rolling this catches 80% of what RiskIQ or MarkMonitor catch. Where they win:
- Live monitoring of registered domains for SSL cert issuance (signal of imminent phishing).
- Crawling phishing kits across the open web, not just domain registration.
- Automated takedown processes with hosting providers.
If you're a Fortune 500 with active phishing exposure, pay for the SaaS. For most startups and SMBs, the DIY weekly check is enough.
How Brand Monitoring via Bulk Domain Checks — Tools Compared
| Approach | Setup time | Annual cost | Coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk Domain Checker (extension) DIY | 30 min once | Free (or Pro $5/mo) | Domain registration only | SMB, startup |
| MarkMonitor Brand Defense | Weeks (sales cycle) | $10K-50K | Domain + SSL + phishing kit + takedown | Fortune 500 |
| RiskIQ Digital Footprint | Weeks | $5K-30K | Domain + dark web + brand abuse | Mid-market+ |
| Manual brand-name search at registrar | Ongoing | Free | Spotty | Small list, low priority |
| Phishing-feed providers (e.g., PhishTank) | Free + integration | Free | Phishing only | Add-on signal |
Get It Done in Under a Minute
Install the free Chrome extension and process your PDFs locally. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook.
Add Bulk Domain Checker to ChromeRelated Guides
- For SEO Agencies — Brand Audit Workflow
- Bulk WHOIS Lookup Without API Keys
- Trademark Domain Monitoring at Scale
- Bulk-Check .com .net .org Availability
Frequently Asked Questions
How big should my watch list be?
Most companies need 80-200 entries: typosquats, phonetics, hyphens, common app-suffix variants, and 5-10 ccTLDs.
How often should I run it?
Weekly is the sweet spot. Daily is overkill for most. Monthly is too slow if you have active phishing exposure.
Is this enough for a public company?
No. Public companies should pair this with a commercial brand-protection service for active phishing-kit detection and takedown workflow.
Can I export changes to Slack or email?
Pro plan can export to webhook (POST to your Slack incoming webhook). Free plan exports CSV manually.
Does it monitor SSL cert issuance?
No. SSL cert monitoring requires CT-log subscription; tools like Cert Spotter (free) handle that. The extension covers domain registration only.
