Different naming directions
A first run explores several territories instead of giving you one root word in fifty disguises.
NamingSignal, built by Moe Lueker
Find a product name you can actually use.
NamingSignal is a product naming tool that turns one sentence or a README into distinct name ideas, checks the domains and developer namespaces you care about, and gives you a shortlist with sources, timestamps, and unknowns kept visible.
Start in the browser, or run the same read-only workflow from Claude Code or Codex through its MCP server.
- Free account
- No card
- Browser, API, CLI, and MCP
NamingSignal
One sprintYour context
One sentence, a product brief, or the README already in your repository.
- 1Briefreviewed
- 2Candidateschecked
- 3Finalistsresearched
Evidence stays attachedsource + time
ConfirmedInferredUnknownManual
A failed check stays unknown. It never turns into availability.
- 100 to 200
- distinct candidates in a first naming run
- Live checks
- for selected domains and developer namespaces
- 4 states
- confirmed, inferred, unknown, and manual
- 1 record
- with sources, check times, and rejected names
Why it is different
Most name generators give you words. You need a decision.
NamingSignal replaces the usual mix of a chat, registrar tabs, and a stale spreadsheet with one reviewable naming process. It checks what it can, labels what it cannot, and keeps the trail.
Checks you can inspect
Domain and namespace claims keep the source and check time beside them. A failed check stays unknown.
A decision that survives
The brief, finalists, rejections, evidence, and open manual steps stay together when the chat or tab closes.
How NamingSignal works
Describe, explore, then decide with proof.
The workflow turns context into an editable brief, generates a broad set of candidates, checks the names that matter, and only then spends time researching the final one to three.
Describe it
Start with one sentence, a README, or a public page. Review the brief before names are generated.
Explore and check
Generate distinct naming directions, then check the domain endings and namespaces you care about.
Decide with proof
Research the finalists and keep the sources, check times, rejections, and manual steps in one record.
namingsignal.com
Live product
Domain and namespace evidence
Every claim keeps its source and its uncertainty.
Availability is not a clean yes or no. NamingSignal uses four states so a timeout or unsupported source never gets presented as good news.
- Confirmed
- A direct registry or namespace response supports a factual result.The npm package exists, and the exact response is attached.
- Inferred
- A calibrated absence supports a limited conclusion at check time.The domain is likely unregistered, not guaranteed purchasable.
- Unknown
- The source timed out, blocked the check, conflicted, or could not be trusted.Nothing is claimed until a reliable check succeeds.
- Manual
- A person still needs to verify the claim or make the judgment.Registrar price, social handles, cultural fit, and legal review.
A registry not-found means likely unregistered at the time of the check. It is not a registrar promise, a price, or legal clearance. NamingSignal explains the rule in why domain availability is not a boolean.
Choose the simplest starting point
Start in the browser or bring NamingSignal into your repo.
The browser is the clearest first run. The MCP server is useful when Claude Code or Codex already has the product context open in your repository.
Browser
Best for a guided first sprint
Describe the project, correct the brief, choose up to five domain endings, shortlist the names, research the finalists, and export the decision.
Open NamingSignal →Claude Code and Codex
Best when the context is already in code
The remote MCP server lets your coding agent compile the brief, run the checks, research finalists, and return the evidence without leaving the repository.
See the MCP setup →Building your own workflow? Read the REST API documentation. Prefer the terminal? Install @namingsignal/cli.
NamingSignal MCP server
Let the agent in your repo run the naming sprint.
Claude Code or Codex sends a tool call to the read-only NamingSignal server. The server performs the supported checks and sends the evidence ledger back to the agent. Buying and legal decisions stay outside the loop.
Your repository
Claude Code or Codex reads the project context you already have open.
NamingSignal MCP
Five read-only tools compile, generate, check, research, and return registrar links.
Evidence back to you
The agent returns the shortlist with sources, timestamps, unknowns, and manual actions.
compile_project_briefTurns project context into an editable brief and names the gaps.
create_naming_sprintGenerates distinct directions, checks selected domains, and returns the survivors first.
check_namesRuns exact domain and optional developer namespace checks.
analyze_candidatesResearches one to three finalists with sources and open questions.
get_purchase_linksReturns registrar search links for the final human check. It never buys anything.
Connect the remote server
Create a revocable key in the NamingSignal developer console, keep it in an environment variable, then connect the server. The free plan includes 15,000 Naming Credits each UTC calendar month.
Claude Code
MCP setupclaude mcp add --transport http \
naming-signal https://namingsignal.com/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_NAMINGSIGNAL_KEY"Codex
MCP setup# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.naming_signal]
url = "https://namingsignal.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "NAMING_SIGNAL_API_KEY"
startup_timeout_sec = 20
tool_timeout_sec = 360Use the exact Claude Code quickstart or Codex quickstart for timeout settings and current setup details. The NamingSignal build story shows a real run and explains why unknown must stay unknown.
Where it helps
Use it for names that need to survive scrutiny.
NamingSignal gets you from a blank page to a short list you can explain. The last mile still needs founder judgment, a current registrar check, and the right legal review.
A good fit when
- A product, business, app, package, or client offer that needs a durable name.
- A team decision where rejected options and the reasons need to survive.
- A repository that already contains useful context for Claude Code or Codex.
Keep these human
- Say the finalists out loud and test whether they fit the people you serve.
- Verify current registrar availability and price before buying anything.
- Check cultural meaning in every market that matters to the product.
- Get appropriate professional trademark and legal review.
I built NamingSignal after losing the same afternoon twice to repeated ideas, registrar tabs, and a spreadsheet I did not trust the next morning. The useful output turned out not to be the winning name. It was the record of why the other names lost.
NamingSignal FAQ
Straight answers before you start.
What is NamingSignal?
NamingSignal is a product naming tool built by Moe Lueker. It turns a sentence, brief, README, or public page into an editable naming brief, generates distinct name directions, checks selected domains and developer namespaces, and keeps the evidence behind the shortlist.
How is it different from a product or business name generator?
A typical name generator stops at a list of words. NamingSignal runs a workflow: review the brief, explore several directions, check what can be checked, research the finalists, and keep the sources, timestamps, rejected names, and open manual steps in one record.
Does NamingSignal really check domain availability?
It calls registry sources and records the result, source, time, and evidence state. A registry not-found can support likely unregistered at check time, but it is not a promise that the domain is purchasable or available at a normal price. A failed or unsupported check stays unknown.
Can I use NamingSignal with Claude Code or Codex?
Yes. Its remote MCP server at namingsignal.com/mcp exposes five read-only tools for compiling a brief, running a naming sprint, checking names, researching finalists, and returning registrar links. Hosted calls use a user-owned API key that you can revoke.
Is NamingSignal free?
Yes. The live free plan includes 15,000 Naming Credits per UTC calendar month with browser, REST API, CLI, and MCP access. No card is required. The public health route publishes the current allowance and credit schedule.
Can it buy a domain or clear a trademark?
No. NamingSignal is read-only. It does not buy, reserve, contact owners, file a trademark, or claim legal clearance. It returns registrar links, preliminary research, and the manual actions still open.
Who built NamingSignal?
NamingSignal is built by Moe Lueker and operated by Zena Labs LLC, the same company behind moelueker.com. The MCP and CLI clients are open source on GitHub.
Name the thing you are building
Start with one sentence. Leave with a shortlist you can defend.
The free plan includes the browser app, REST API, CLI, and remote MCP server. No card is required.
Build storyI built a naming MCP server for Claude Code and CodexMore toolsSee every tool I have built
NamingSignal is built by Moe Lueker and operated by Zena Labs LLC, the same company behind this site. It is in alpha. The free plan is live, while paid plans shown on NamingSignal are still planned and do not have a checkout.