/arc:naming

Project naming

—What it does

Naming reads your codebase to understand what you're building, then generates 8-12 name candidates using proven tech naming strategies (verb, metaphor, portmanteau, compound, etc.). Each candidate is validated against domain availability across all Vercel-supported TLDs, checked for popular GitHub repos with the same name, and searched for existing product conflicts.

—Why it exists

A good name is the first thing users see and the last thing they forget. But naming is hard — you need something short, memorable, spellable, and available. This skill removes the guesswork by generating candidates systematically and validating them before you get attached.

—Design decisions

  • —Domain availability is checked via whois (.com) and dig (all other TLDs). Priority TLDs: .com, .dev, .app, .sh, .io.
  • —GitHub is checked for popular repos (1k+ stars), not username availability.
  • —Web search validates no existing products share the name in the same space.

Source document

Naming Workflow

Generate and validate project/product name candidates using the naming agent.

What This Does

  1. Reads your project materials (README, package.json, vision doc)
  2. Extracts naming seeds (core function, metaphors, audience, differentiators)
  3. Generates 8-12 name candidates using tech naming strategies
  4. Checks domain availability across all Vercel-supported TLDs
  5. Checks GitHub for popular repos with the same name
  6. Searches for existing products in the same space
  7. Presents ranked recommendations with availability matrix

Process

Step 1: Read the Project

Use Task tool to spawn the naming agent:

Task agent: arc:research:naming
"Read the codebase at [path] and generate name candidates.
Check domain availability, GitHub popularity, and product conflicts.
Present ranked recommendations."

The agent handles the full naming process autonomously.

Step 2: Present Results

The agent returns a structured report. Present it to the user as-is.

Step 3: Explore Further

If the user likes a name, ask:

AskUserQuestion:
  question: "What would you like to do with [name]?"
  header: "Next Steps"
  options:
    - label: "Check more TLDs"
      description: "Search additional TLDs for [name] availability"
    - label: "Generate similar names"
      description: "Create more names using the [strategy] style"
    - label: "Register domain"
      description: "Get the command to register [best available domain]"
    - label: "Done"
      description: "I've picked my name"

Usage

/arc:naming                     # Name the current project
/arc:naming ~/Sites/myproject   # Name a specific project

Output

For each recommended name:

  • Strategy used — Verb, Metaphor, Portmanteau, etc.
  • Why it works — What makes this name fit the project
  • Domain availability — Matrix across priority TLDs + all Vercel TLDs with no DNS
  • GitHub conflicts — Popular repos (1k+ stars) sharing the name
  • Product conflicts — Existing products in the same space

When to Use

  • Starting a new project and need a name
  • Current name feels weak or generic
  • Validating an existing name choice
  • Rebranding or renaming
  • Checking domain availability for a name you like