Bought the wrong domain by accident? How to avoid typos (and fix them)

Why people buy typo domains in a panic, the 10 most common typo traps, a 2-minute slow-down routine before you pay, and what to do right away if you already bought the wrong name.

It happens more than you'd think. You finally find an available name, your heart starts racing, you're sure someone else is about to grab it, and you rush through checkout. A minute later you look at the receipt and see it: sunnybakrey.com. Or sunnybakery.co instead of .com. Or an extra letter you never meant to type.

The good news: there's almost never a reason to rush, and a two-minute routine prevents nearly every mistake. And if it's already happened, you may still be able to fix it.

First: you probably have more time than you think

That "someone's about to take it" feeling is the main cause of typo purchases. In reality:

• Most available names stay available for days, weeks or years. Nobody is watching your search.
• Checking a name doesn't reserve it or tip anyone off at mainstream registrars today. (Back in 2008, Network Solutions drew heavy criticism for briefly reserving names people searched for. Practices like that are why people still feel nervous.)
• DomainNams checks with the registries directly, not through a shopping cart, so searching here doesn't put the name in anyone's basket.

Two extra minutes to double-check is nothing compared with a year of owning the wrong name.

The 10 most common typo traps

The last one is rare but sneaky. Some alphabets have letters that look exactly like English ones, such as the Cyrillic "а". If you copy a name from a website, email or PDF, an invisible difference can come along with it. Typing the name yourself avoids this.

The 2-minute slow-down routine

1. Write the exact name down first, in a note, before you open the registrar. Decide on the ending too.
2. Type it yourself instead of copying it from somewhere else.
3. Spell it out loud, letter by letter: "s-u-n-n-y-b-a-k-e-r-y dot c-o-m". Your ears catch what your eyes skip.
4. Check the ending separately. Look only at what comes after the dot. Is it exactly .com (or the ending you chose)?
5. Check the cart, not the search box. The name in the cart is what you'll pay for. Remove anything the registrar added that you didn't ask for.
6. Zoom in. Press Ctrl and + (or pinch on a phone) so small letter swaps are easier to spot.
7. Read it backwards. It sounds silly, but reading "yrekab..." breaks your brain's habit of auto-correcting familiar words.
8. Wait 60 seconds before clicking Pay. If the urge to rush is strong, that's exactly when to pause.
9. Read the confirmation email and the domain list in your account right after buying.

Already bought the wrong one? Do this now

1. Contact your registrar immediately

Speed matters. Many registries, including the one for .com, have a short add grace period (5 days for .com) during which a brand-new registration can be cancelled. Some registrars will refund a mistaken purchase in that window, but it's their choice, policies vary, and some charge a fee or refuse. Open a support ticket or chat right away, explain it was a typo, and ask politely for a cancellation and refund. Don't use, point or transfer the domain in the meantime.

2. Check whether the right name is still available

Search the correct spelling on DomainNams. If it's still free, register it now, carefully, using the routine above. The mistake doesn't cost you the name you wanted.

3. If you can't get a refund, make the typo useful

If the wrong name is a likely misspelling of your real name, keep it and point (redirect) it to your main site. People who make the same typo will still find you, and it stops anyone else from grabbing it. Many businesses buy their common typos on purpose for exactly this reason.

4. Otherwise, let it go

If the typo is useless, turn off auto-renew so you don't pay for it again next year. It will expire on its own. You don't need to do anything else.

What not to do with a typo domain

Never buy, keep or use a typo of someone else's brand, like a misspelled famous company name, to catch their visitors or sell it back to them. That's called typosquatting. In the US it can break the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, and brand owners regularly win these domains through the UDRP dispute process, sometimes with damages on top. If you accidentally bought a typo of a famous brand, don't use it. Ask for a refund or let it expire.

Protect yourself from other people's typos

Once you've got the right name, think about the mistakes your customers might make:

• Register the most common misspelling of your name and redirect it to your main site.
• If you chose a non-.com ending, check who owns the .com version, since some visitors and emails will go there.
• Choose names that pass the radio test in the first place, so there are fewer ways to get them wrong. Our guide on how to choose a domain name explains how.

Before you click "Pay": the checklist

1. I typed the name myself, not copied it.
2. I spelled it out loud, letter by letter.
3. The ending is exactly the one I chose.
4. The name in the cart matches my note exactly.
5. There's nothing extra in the cart I didn't ask for.
6. No unexpected hyphens, numbers or plurals.
7. I waited 60 seconds.