Project · Frontend Developer
Discontinuedpico.domains
Ultra-Short Domain Search Engine
pico.domains is a free search engine for ultra-short domain names, not a registrar. It tracks hundreds of millions of domains considered high-value and easy to remember, curates the available ones, and links buyers to marketplaces. The service is free, monetized through affiliate commissions on registrar traffic. It was built by a two-person team, with Donray on frontend development.
Search starts with a prefix of up to four characters and narrows by second-level-domain length, one of 18 TLD categories (tech, commerce, country and region, and more), TLD length, specific TLDs, English-dictionary words only, and availability. Results sort by domain, SLD length, price, and registration duration, with 25 results per page and deep-linkable URLs carrying canonical tags and per-search SEO metadata.
Each result links out to Dynadot with a referral ID, keeping the commercial side with the registrar. Eighteen TLD category landing pages each carry a unique headline, long description, and icon. The app is installable as a PWA with runtime caching of API responses, and ships a collapsible filter panel with simplified table columns for small screens.
Built with Nuxt 3, Vue 3, and strict TypeScript against an Elasticsearch-backed API, with client-side caching keyed on the full query signature and shared internal component libraries. The service has since been discontinued.
Features
- Second-level-domain search capped at 4 characters, defaulting to 2 or fewer
- Filters: SLD prefix and length, 18 TLD categories, TLD length, multi-select TLD picker, English-dictionary-only toggle, availability toggle
- Sortable results table (domain, SLD length, price, registration duration) with pagination
- Marketplace handoff linking each result to Dynadot with referral tracking
- 18 TLD category landing pages, each with a unique headline, description, and icon
- Deep-linkable searches with canonical URLs and per-search SEO titles and descriptions
- Installable PWA with runtime caching of API responses
- Responsive layout with a collapsible filter panel for small screens
Frequently asked questions
What is pico.domains?
A free search engine for ultra-short domain names (four characters or fewer before the dot). It is not a registrar: it curates available short domains and links buyers to marketplaces.
How can you search?
By typing a prefix of up to four characters, then narrowing by second-level-domain length, one of 18 TLD categories, TLD length, specific TLDs, English-dictionary words only, and availability. Results sort by domain, length, price, or registration duration.
How is it free?
Through an affiliate model: result links go to Dynadot with referral IDs, and the service earns a commission on registrar traffic.
Is pico.domains still available?
No, the service has been discontinued.