How to choose a domain for a business: 6 rules and 3 common mistakes
To choose a domain for a business, look for a name that is short, spelled only one way when heard once over the phone, and free of Turkish characters and hyphens. Always have it registered in your own name. In 2026, for a business trading in Türkiye, the first choice is usually .com.tr, with .tr or .com as the second.
The choice takes half an hour; all you need is paper, a pen and the lookup screen on TRABİS. Since 14 September 2022, .com.tr names have been allocated without documents, to whoever applies first. So a name that is free today may be gone tomorrow. The 6 rules and 3 mistakes below are ordered so you can decide in one sitting.
Why is the domain chosen on day one?
A domain is your business’s street number on the internet, and everything else hangs off it. Your email address, business card, shop sign, Google Business Profile, WhatsApp profile and social accounts all carry this name. Changing it later means redoing every printed item and every link. That is why the name is settled before the shutters ever go up.
Name and address on the same day
Check the domain on the same day you pick the business name. If it is taken, you rethink the name before it goes on the sign. The case for opening online before opening a shop is in open online before you open a shop.
The lookup: 2 minutes, TRY 0
What you need: the “Domain Name Lookup” screen on the TRABİS site or any registrar’s search box. Type the candidate, see whether it is free or taken.
What are the first 3 rules for the name itself?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- 1. Keep it short (time: 10 minutes)
- 2. One hearing, one spelling (time: 15 minutes)
- 3. Give a hint of trade or place (time: 5 minutes)
The first three rules are about the name itself: length, sound and meaning. If a name passes all three filters, move on to the extension. If it fails, drop it however much you like it. The name is chosen not for you but for the customer who hears it once and tries to find you.
1. Keep it short (time: 10 minutes)
Stay under 15 characters, extension excluded. What you need: 5 candidates and their character counts. A long name does not fit on a card and gets cut off mid-call.
2. One hearing, one spelling (time: 15 minutes)
Avoid ç, ş, ğ, ı, ö, ü and hyphens. Test it like this: say the name aloud to 3 people and have them write it down. If all three do not write the same thing, the name is out.
3. Give a hint of trade or place (time: 5 minutes)
If the brand name says nothing on its own, add the trade or the district, for example “namepatisserie” or “namebeylikduzu”. A keyword in the name can help, but it is no ranking guarantee.
What are the last 3 rules for extension and ownership?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- 4. Pick the extension for your reader (time: 5 minutes)
- 5. Register it in your name (time: 5 minutes)
- 6. Set up renewal on day one (time: 5 minutes)
The last three rules are about where the name sits and whose name it is in. The extension tells readers which country you trade in, and ownership decides whether the name is really yours. The renewal setting keeps it in your hands for years. These three take 15 minutes at a desk, but getting them wrong can take months to fix.
4. Pick the extension for your reader (time: 5 minutes)
If you sell in Türkiye, .com.tr is the trusted and most used option. According to BTK data shared in May 2026, of roughly 1.3 million .tr domains, 988,743 are .com.tr and 180,062 are plain .tr. If you will also sell abroad, register the .com as well.
| Extension | Who it suits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| .com.tr | Businesses selling in Türkiye | No documents since 2022, first come first served |
| .tr | Businesses wanting a shorter address | Shorter, less familiar |
| .com | Businesses also selling abroad | Most short names are taken |
5. Register it in your name (time: 5 minutes)
The registrant field should show you or your company, and you should hold the registrar panel password. What you need: ID or tax details and an email address you own. A domain registered to the agency becomes a bargaining chip when you part ways.
6. Set up renewal on day one (time: 5 minutes)
Turn on auto-renewal and note your card’s expiry month in the calendar. The same day, check whether the same username is free on social platforms. The full yearly running cost is in what does a website cost per year.
What are the 3 most common mistakes?
BU BÖLÜMÜN ÖZETİ
- Mistake 1: The name belongs to someone else
- Mistake 2: Long and hyphenated
- Mistake 3: Forgetting renewal
Three mistakes come up again and again: registering the domain in someone else’s name, choosing a long hyphenated name and forgetting renewal. None of them shows on day one, and all of them cost dearly later. One hits ownership, one hits how customers reach you and one hits keeping the name.
Mistake 1: The name belongs to someone else
Common mistake: registering the domain in the designer’s or a nephew’s name. When you part ways, the site, email and every link stay with them. Fix: check the registrant field yourself on day one.
Mistake 2: Long and hyphenated
A name like “shiny-car-care-esenyurt” splits into four pieces over the phone. The customer forgets a hyphen and lands on another site. Fix: run the three-person test from rule 2.
Mistake 3: Forgetting renewal
A domain that is not renewed is released after a while, and because allocation is first come first served, someone else can take it. That day your site and email both go silent. Fix: auto-renewal plus a calendar note.
How do you rule out three candidates side by side?
The fastest way is to put the candidates in a table and score each against the rules. Say you are opening a car care shop in Esenyurt with three candidates. The table shows at a glance which name drops out and why. Fill the same table with your own candidates and pick the one with the most passes.
| Candidate | Characters | Turkish characters or hyphen | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| parlakotokuaföresenyurt | 23 | Yes (ö) | Out |
| parlak-oto | 10 | Yes (hyphen) | Out |
| parlakoto | 9 | No | Chosen |
Logo and sign come later
Do not commission a logo or print a sign before the name is settled. Address first, visuals second; that order is the cheapest way to cut your coat according to your cloth.
How is the domain chosen in the campaign?
In the Start a Business Online campaign, the domain suggestion and project planning are included. After you apply, you receive a name and plan proposal. The domain and 1 year of hosting are inside the fixed TRY 36,000 + VAT price, and the domain is registered in your name. The setup schedule is given to you in writing once the project plan is approved.
The setup order
The domain is the first step in a new business’s 30-day setup plan. Hosting, the Business Profile and the site follow. The full order is in a new business’s first 30 days. The line-by-line cost is in the cost of starting a business online.
Checklist
- The registrant field shows my name or my company’s.
- The name is under 15 characters, extension excluded.
- No Turkish characters, no hyphens.
- Three people heard it and wrote it the same way.
- Auto-renewal is on, card expiry month is in the calendar.
- The same username is secured on social platforms.
To get the name and the whole setup done in one place, see the Start a Business Online for TRY 36,000 campaign page.
Quick Summary
- Choose the domain on day one, together with the business name.
- Under 15 characters, no Turkish characters or hyphens.
- If you sell in Türkiye, .com.tr comes first.
- .com.tr has needed no documents since 2022, first come first served.
- Be the registrant and keep the panel password.
- Turn on auto-renewal.
Short Glossary
Domain name: A domain name is a record used to find a site’s internet address by a readable name instead of numbers.
Registrant: The registrant is the registration detail used to show who holds the legal right to use a domain.
TRABİS: TRABİS is the national system run by BTK and used to allocate and manage .tr domain names.
Next Step
If you have written down your candidates, the next move is a name and plan proposal. Apply to the Start a Business Online campaign and have the domain registered in your name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: TRABİS — Documentless allocation period for com.tr, org.tr and net.tr
Sık Sorulan Sorular
First check the same name on other extensions. If they are all taken, add your trade or district to the end. On TRABİS, some names sit on the closed or restricted allocation lists; do not pick one of those.
In the campaign, the domain is registered in the customer’s name. The domain and 1 year of hosting are included in the fixed TRY 36,000 + VAT price.
No. According to TRABİS, since 14 September 2022 .com.tr, .org.tr and .net.tr names have been allocated without documents, to the first applicant. Names on the closed and restricted lists are the exception.
A logo and corporate identity are not included in the campaign; they can be added as an option at a separate price. The domain suggestion and project planning are included.
Updated: October 2026