nuc/docs/domain-check-guide.md

Domain Pre-Purchase Check Guide

Date: 2026-02-01 Context: After whymyrating.com was blocked by Spanish ISPs due to LaLiga's Cloudflare IP blocking, this guide documents how to check a domain before purchase to avoid similar issues.

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Quick Checklist

• Domain not previously used for spam/malware
• Not on any security blocklists
• Hosting provider IPs not blocked in target countries
• No trademark conflicts
• Clean WHOIS history

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Step 1: Check Domain Availability & History

1.1 Basic Availability

# WHOIS check
whois <domain> | grep -iE "registrar|creation|status"

# If "No match" = available and clean
# If registered = check who owns it

1.2 Historical Usage (Archive.org)

Check if domain was previously used (and for what):

• URL: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://<domain>
• Look for: spam, adult content, piracy, gambling

1.3 Expired Domain History

• ExpiredDomains.net: https://www.expireddomains.net/domain-name-search/?q=<domain>
• Check: Previous backlinks, spam score, previous usage

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Step 2: Security & Reputation Checks

2.1 VirusTotal (Multi-vendor scan)

URL: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/domain/<domain>

• Check: Detection ratio (should be 0/90+)
• Look for: Any vendor flagging as malicious

2.2 Google Safe Browsing

URL: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search?url=<domain>

• Status should be: "No unsafe content found"

2.3 Sucuri SiteCheck

URL: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/?scan=<domain>

• Check: Blacklist status, malware, spam flags
• Should show: Clean across all vendors

2.4 Other Reputation Services

Service	URL
MXToolbox	https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx
Spamhaus	https://check.spamhaus.org/
SURBL	http://www.surbl.org/surbl-analysis
PhishTank	https://phishtank.org/
URLhaus	https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/browse/

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Step 3: Regional Blocking Check (Critical for Spain)

3.1 Spanish ISP LaLiga Blocks

If targeting Spanish users, check if the hosting provider's IPs are blocked:

Live Block Monitor:

URL: https://hayahora.futbol
API: https://hayahora.futbol/estado/data.json

Check specific IP:

# Get your hosting provider's IPs
dig +short <domain> A

# Check if those IPs are in the block list
curl -s "https://hayahora.futbol/estado/data.json" | \
  python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
ip = '<YOUR_IP>'  # Replace with actual IP
for entry in data.get('data', []):
    if entry.get('ip') == ip:
        print(f\"ISP: {entry['isp']} | Blocked: {entry['stateChanges'][-1]['state']}\")
"

3.2 Spanish ISPs That Block

ISP	Brands	Block Type
MásOrange	Orange, Yoigo, Jazztel, Masmovil, Simyo, Pepephone, Lebara, Lyca, Llamaya, Euskaltel	IP-based
Movistar	Movistar, O2	IP-based
Vodafone	Vodafone, Lowi	IP-based
DIGI	DIGI	IP-based

Blocking occurs: During LaLiga matches (weekends, some weekdays) Season: August - May each year

3.3 Global Accessibility Test

# Multi-location HTTP check
curl -s "https://check-host.net/check-http?host=<domain>&max_nodes=10" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

# Wait 5 seconds, then get results
curl -s "https://check-host.net/check-result/<request_id>" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

3.4 Internet Censorship Check (China, Russia, Turkey)

URL: https://www.experte.com/internet-censorship

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Step 4: Hosting Provider Risk Assessment

4.1 High-Risk Providers for Spain

These providers use shared IPs that get blocked by LaLiga:

Provider	Risk Level	Reason
Cloudflare (free)	🔴 HIGH	Shared IPs frequently blocked
Vercel	🔴 HIGH	Affected by same blocks
Netlify	🟡 MEDIUM	Some IP ranges blocked
GitHub Pages	🟡 MEDIUM	Occasionally affected
BunnyCDN	🟡 MEDIUM	Some blocks reported

4.2 Lower-Risk Options for Spain

Solution	Risk Level	Notes
Cloudflare Pro/Business	🟢 LOW	Dedicated IPs available
Dedicated VPS	🟢 LOW	Own IP, not shared
AWS CloudFront	🟢 LOW	Different IP ranges
Non-CDN hosting	🟢 LOW	Direct IP, no sharing

4.3 Check If Hosting IPs Are Clean

# Get hosting provider's IP range
dig +short <cdn-domain> A

# Check against Spanish block list
curl -s "https://hayahora.futbol/estado/data.json" | \
  grep -c "<IP_PREFIX>"
# If count > 0, that IP range has been blocked before

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Step 5: DNS & Email Reputation

5.1 Check DNS Blacklists

# Using MXToolbox
curl -s "https://mxtoolbox.com/api/v1/lookup/blacklist/<domain>"

5.2 Email Deliverability

If you'll send emails from this domain:

• Check if IP range is on Spamhaus
• Verify no previous spam history
• Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC from day 1

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Step 6: Trademark & Legal Check

6.1 Trademark Search

• USPTO: https://tmsearch.uspto.gov
• EUIPO: https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/
• WIPO Global: https://branddb.wipo.int

6.2 Domain Disputes History

• Check UDRP decisions: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/

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Complete Pre-Purchase Script

#!/bin/bash
DOMAIN="$1"

echo "=== Domain Pre-Purchase Check: $DOMAIN ==="

echo -e "\n[1/6] WHOIS Check"
whois "$DOMAIN" 2>/dev/null | grep -iE "registrar|creation|status|No match" | head -5

echo -e "\n[2/6] DNS Resolution"
dig +short "$DOMAIN" A

echo -e "\n[3/6] Security Check (Sucuri)"
echo "Visit: https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/?scan=$DOMAIN"

echo -e "\n[4/6] VirusTotal"
echo "Visit: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/domain/$DOMAIN"

echo -e "\n[5/6] Archive.org History"
echo "Visit: https://web.archive.org/web/*/$DOMAIN"

echo -e "\n[6/6] Spanish ISP Block Check"
IP=$(dig +short "$DOMAIN" A | head -1)
if [ -n "$IP" ]; then
    echo "IP: $IP"
    BLOCKED=$(curl -s "https://hayahora.futbol/estado/data.json" 2>/dev/null | grep -c "\"$IP\"")
    if [ "$BLOCKED" -gt 0 ]; then
        echo "⚠️  WARNING: This IP has been blocked by Spanish ISPs"
    else
        echo "✅ IP not in Spanish block list"
    fi
else
    echo "No IP yet (domain not configured)"
fi

echo -e "\n=== Check Complete ==="

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Red Flags to Avoid

Red Flag	Why It's Bad
Previously used for spam	Email deliverability issues
On any security blocklist	SEO penalties, browser warnings
Hosting on shared Cloudflare IPs	Spanish ISP blocks
Similar to trademarked name	Legal disputes
Expired domain with backlinks from spam sites	Google penalties
Previously used for piracy/gambling	Regulatory blocks

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Recommended Workflow

1. Check availability (WHOIS)
        ↓
2. Check history (Archive.org)
        ↓
3. Security scan (VirusTotal, Sucuri)
        ↓
4. Check hosting provider's IPs against block lists
        ↓
5. If targeting Spain: Verify IPs not in LaLiga blocks
        ↓
6. Trademark search
        ↓
7. Purchase domain
        ↓
8. Set up on dedicated IP or low-risk CDN

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Resources

Resource	URL	Purpose
hayahora.futbol	https://hayahora.futbol	Spanish ISP block monitor
VirusTotal	https://virustotal.com	Multi-vendor security scan
Sucuri SiteCheck	https://sitecheck.sucuri.net	Website security check
Archive.org	https://web.archive.org	Historical usage
Check-Host	https://check-host.net	Multi-location accessibility
EXPERTE	https://experte.com/internet-censorship	Censorship check
MXToolbox	https://mxtoolbox.com	Email/DNS blacklists

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Lessons from whymyrating.com

What happened:

• Domain registered Jan 30, 2026
• Hosted on Cloudflare (free tier, shared IPs)
• IPs 188.114.97.5 and 188.114.96.5 are in LaLiga block rotation
• Blocked by Orange and Masmovil in Spain during matches

How to avoid:

1. Use dedicated IPs or non-Cloudflare CDN for Spanish audience
2. Check hayahora.futbol before choosing hosting
3. Consider Cloudflare Pro for dedicated IPs
4. Have VPN/alternative access ready for Spanish users

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Related: See CLAUDE.md > Domain Configuration Workflow for setup after purchase.