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Overview
tldx: Fast CLI for Bulk Domain Checks via RDAP & MCP
tldx is an open-source command-line interface (CLI) tool designed for developers and domain professionals who need to perform bulk domain availability checks efficiently. Leveraging RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) and MCP (Mass Check Protocol), it provides rapid querying capabilities without relying on traditional WHOIS lookups. With 118 upvotes on Product Hunt and hosted on GitHub, this developer-focused tool prioritizes speed and automation for domain research workflows.
What It Does
tldx specializes in high-volume domain availability checks while avoiding the rate limits and formatting inconsistencies of legacy WHOIS systems. Unlike sequential queries, it supports bulk operations through MCP—a protocol optimized for mass queries—and RDAP, which offers structured JSON responses for easier parsing.
Key capabilities include:
- Bulk domain status checks (e.g., available/taken) via MCP
- RDAP lookups for standardized registration data (registrar, expiration dates)
- TLD-aware parsing to handle domain extensions uniformly
- Lightweight execution with no persistent database or dependencies
Developers use tldx to automate domain prospecting, monitor brand infringements, or validate lists of expired domains. Since it’s open-source, users can extend functionality (e.g., integrate with domain registrars) by modifying the Go-based source code.
Installation & Usage
As a Go-based CLI, tldx requires Go 1.16+ installed. Clone the repository and build from source:
bash
git clone https://github.com/brandonyoungdev/tldx.git
cd tldx
go build -o tldx
Basic commands:
- Check a single domain:
bash
./tldx check example.com
- Process a list of domains from a file (one per line):
bash
./tldx bulk-check domains.txt
- Export results as JSON for scripting:
bash
./tldx check example.com --json
The tool supports flags like --timeout to adjust query delays and --concurrent to parallelize requests. For advanced use, contributors can adapt the RDAP/MCP client logic in the source.
Use Cases
Domain Investors & SEO Professionals
tldx accelerates bulk screening of expired or dropped domains by checking hundreds of names per minute. SEO teams use it to identify available domains with backlink potential.
Brand Protection
Companies monitor variations of their trademarks (e.g., brand-xyz.com) to detect cybersquatting. RDAP’s structured data helps automate alerts for suspicious registrations.
Developers Building Domain Tools
The open-source code serves as a foundation for custom tools, such as registrar integrations or Slack bots that notify teams about domain status changes.
Academic Researchers
Studies on TLD adoption or domain lifecycle patterns benefit from RDAP’s machine-readable output, avoiding manual WHOIS scraping.
Evaluation Criteria
When comparing tldx to similar tools, consider:
Protocol Support:
- RDAP offers modern, standardized data vs. WHOIS’s inconsistent formatting.
- MCP enables bulk queries, unlike traditional WHOIS rate-limited lookups.
Speed:
Tests show tldx processes 50–100 domains/minute, depending on TLDs and concurrency settings.
Extensibility:
Go developers can modify the codebase (e.g., add PostgreSQL logging) due to its MIT License.
Maintenance:
Active GitHub issues and commits indicate ongoing updates, though the project is smaller than commercial alternatives.
Documentation:
The README covers basic usage, but advanced features may require digging into the source.
Alternatives
WHOIS CLI Tools (e.g., whois command):
- Slower and prone to parsing errors due to unstructured responses.
- Lacks bulk-check capabilities.
Commercial APIs (e.g., DomainTools, WhoisXML):
- Offer richer data (DNS history, risk scores) but require paid subscriptions.
- Often enforce strict query limits.
RDAP Libraries (e.g., Python rdap):
- Provide similar protocol access but require custom scripting for bulk operations.
