pounce — Domain Availability Monitoring

A professional full-stack application for monitoring domain name availability with TLD price tracking and intelligence.

Features

Core Functionality

• Domain Availability Monitoring — Track any domain and get notified when it becomes available
• TLD Price Intelligence — Compare prices across 886+ TLDs from Porkbun API
• Automated Price Scraping — Daily cronjob scrapes real TLD prices from public APIs
• Price Change Alerts — Email notifications when TLD prices change >5%
• Expiration Tracking — Monitor domain expiration dates and plan ahead
• Real-time Checks — RDAP, WHOIS, and DNS-based availability verification
• Swiss Domain Support — Special RDAP integration for .ch/.li domains via nic.ch
• Historical Data — Track price trends and availability history over time (12 months)
• Email Notifications — Domain available alerts, price changes, weekly digests

User Experience

• Modern UI — Clean, minimalist dark-mode design with smooth animations
• Responsive — Fully optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile
• Authentication — Secure JWT-based auth with subscription tiers
• Dashboard — Personal watchlist with status indicators and actions

TLD Detail Page (Professional)

• Price Hero — Instant view of cheapest price with direct registration link
• Price Alert System — Subscribe to email notifications for price changes
• Interactive Price Chart — 1M/3M/1Y/ALL time periods with hover tooltips
• Domain Search — Check availability directly on the TLD page
• Registrar Comparison — Full table with Register/Renew/Transfer prices + external links
• Savings Calculator — Shows how much you save vs most expensive registrar
• Renewal Warning — ⚠️ indicator when renewal price is >1.5x registration price
• Related TLDs — Smart suggestions based on current TLD (e.g., .com → .net, .org, .io)
• Quick Stats — Average price, price range, 30-day change, registrar count

---

Tech Stack

Backend

Technology	Purpose
Python 3.12+	Runtime
FastAPI	Async web framework
SQLAlchemy 2.0	Async ORM
SQLite/PostgreSQL	Database
APScheduler	Background job scheduling
python-whois	WHOIS domain lookups
whodap	RDAP domain lookups
httpx	Async HTTP client (for custom RDAP)
BeautifulSoup4	Web scraping (backup)
Pydantic	Data validation
JWT (python-jose)	Authentication

Frontend

Technology	Purpose
Next.js 14	React framework (App Router)
TypeScript	Type safety
Tailwind CSS	Styling
Zustand	State management
Lucide React	Icons (outlined style)
clsx	Conditional classes

---

Project Structure

pounce/
├── backend/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── api/                 # API endpoints
│   │   │   ├── auth.py          # Authentication (register, login, me)
│   │   │   ├── check.py         # Domain availability check
│   │   │   ├── domains.py       # Domain watchlist CRUD
│   │   │   ├── subscription.py  # User subscription management
│   │   │   ├── tld_prices.py    # TLD pricing data
│   │   │   └── admin.py         # Admin endpoints
│   │   ├── models/              # SQLAlchemy models
│   │   │   ├── user.py          # User model
│   │   │   ├── domain.py        # Domain watchlist model
│   │   │   ├── subscription.py  # Subscription tiers
│   │   │   └── tld_price.py     # TLD pricing model
│   │   ├── schemas/             # Pydantic schemas
│   │   ├── services/            # Business logic
│   │   │   ├── auth.py          # Auth service (JWT, hashing)
│   │   │   ├── domain_checker.py # RDAP/WHOIS/DNS checks
│   │   │   ├── email_service.py  # Email notifications (SMTP)
│   │   │   ├── price_tracker.py  # Price change detection & alerts
│   │   │   └── tld_scraper/     # TLD price scraping
│   │   │       ├── __init__.py
│   │   │       ├── base.py      # Base scraper class
│   │   │       ├── porkbun.py   # Porkbun API scraper
│   │   │       ├── tld_list.py  # TLD-List scraper (placeholder)
│   │   │       └── aggregator.py # Combines sources, saves to DB
│   │   ├── config.py            # Environment settings
│   │   ├── database.py          # Database connection
│   │   ├── main.py              # FastAPI app entry
│   │   └── scheduler.py         # Background jobs
│   ├── scripts/                # Utility scripts
│   │   ├── seed_tld_prices.py  # Initial TLD data scrape
│   │   ├── export_tld_prices.py # Export DB to JSON
│   │   ├── import_tld_prices.py # Import JSON to DB
│   │   └── tld_prices_export.json # Price data backup
│   ├── requirements.txt
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── env.example
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── app/                 # Next.js App Router pages
│   │   │   ├── page.tsx         # Homepage with domain checker
│   │   │   ├── layout.tsx       # Root layout
│   │   │   ├── dashboard/       # User dashboard
│   │   │   ├── login/           # Login page
│   │   │   ├── register/        # Registration page
│   │   │   ├── pricing/         # Pricing plans
│   │   │   └── tld-pricing/     # TLD price intelligence
│   │   │       ├── page.tsx     # TLD overview
│   │   │       └── [tld]/       # TLD detail page
│   │   ├── components/          # React components
│   │   │   ├── Header.tsx       # Navigation header
│   │   │   ├── Footer.tsx       # Site footer
│   │   │   └── DomainChecker.tsx # Domain search component
│   │   └── lib/                 # Utilities
│   │       ├── api.ts           # API client
│   │       └── store.ts         # Zustand store
│   ├── tailwind.config.ts       # Tailwind configuration
│   ├── package.json
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── env.example
├── docker-compose.yml           # Docker deployment
├── DEPLOYMENT.md                # Deployment guide
└── README.md

---

Pages Overview

Route	Description	Auth Required
/	Homepage with domain checker, features, pricing preview	No
/login	User login	No
/register	User registration	No
/dashboard	Personal domain watchlist	Yes
/pricing	Subscription plans with FAQ	No
/tld-pricing	TLD price overview with trends	No*
/tld-pricing/[tld]	TLD detail with registrar comparison	Yes

*Unauthenticated users see limited data with shimmer effects

---

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12+
• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://git.6bit.ch/yvg/pounce.git
cd pounce

2. Backend Setup

cd backend

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# .\venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Create environment file
cp env.example .env

# Generate secret key and add to .env
python -c "import secrets; print(f'SECRET_KEY={secrets.token_hex(32)}')"

Edit .env:

DATABASE_URL=sqlite+aiosqlite:///./domainwatch.db
SECRET_KEY=your-generated-secret-key
CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000,http://127.0.0.1:3000

Start backend:

uvicorn app.main:app --reload --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

3. Frontend Setup

cd frontend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Create environment file
echo "NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8000" > .env.local

# Start development server
npm run dev

4. Access Application

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:8000
• API Docs: http://localhost:8000/docs

---

API Endpoints

Authentication

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/v1/auth/register	Register new user
POST	/api/v1/auth/login	Login (returns JWT)
GET	/api/v1/auth/me	Get current user

Domain Check

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/v1/check	Check domain availability

Domain Watchlist

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/v1/domains	List watched domains
POST	/api/v1/domains	Add domain to watchlist
DELETE	/api/v1/domains/{id}	Remove domain
POST	/api/v1/domains/{id}/refresh	Refresh domain status
GET	/api/v1/domains/{id}/history	Get check history

TLD Prices

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/v1/tld-prices/overview	Get all TLDs overview
GET	/api/v1/tld-prices/trending	Get trending TLDs
GET	/api/v1/tld-prices/{tld}	Get TLD details
GET	/api/v1/tld-prices/{tld}/history	Get price history
GET	/api/v1/tld-prices/{tld}/compare	Compare registrar prices

Subscription

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/v1/subscription	Get current subscription
POST	/api/v1/subscription/upgrade	Upgrade plan

Admin

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/v1/admin/users	List all users
POST	/api/v1/admin/upgrade-user	Upgrade user subscription
POST	/api/v1/admin/scrape-tld-prices	Manually trigger TLD price scrape
GET	/api/v1/admin/tld-prices/stats	Get TLD price database stats

---

Subscription Tiers

Feature	Starter (Free)	Professional ($4.99/mo)	Enterprise ($9.99/mo)
Domains	3	25	100
Check Frequency	Daily	Daily	Hourly
Notifications	Email	Priority Email	Priority Email
WHOIS Data	Basic	Full	Full
Check History	—	30 days	Unlimited
Expiration Tracking	—	✓	✓
API Access	—	—	✓

---

Environment Variables

Backend (.env)

Variable	Description	Default
DATABASE_URL	Database connection string	sqlite+aiosqlite:///./domainwatch.db
SECRET_KEY	JWT signing key (min 32 chars)	Required
CORS_ORIGINS	Allowed origins (comma-separated)	http://localhost:3000
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_MINUTES	JWT token lifetime	10080 (7 days)
SCHEDULER_CHECK_INTERVAL_HOURS	Domain check interval	24
SMTP_HOST	Email server host	Optional
SMTP_PORT	Email server port	587
SMTP_USER	Email username	Optional
SMTP_PASSWORD	Email password	Optional

Frontend (.env.local)

Variable	Description	Default
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL	Backend API URL	http://localhost:8000

---

Production Deployment

Docker (Recommended)

# Clone repository
git clone https://git.6bit.ch/yvg/pounce.git
cd pounce

# Set environment variables
export SECRET_KEY=$(python3 -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))")

# Build and start
docker-compose up -d --build

Manual Deployment

See DEPLOYMENT.md for detailed instructions including:

• Systemd service setup
• PM2 for Node.js
• Nginx reverse proxy configuration
• SSL/HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
• PostgreSQL database setup

---

Domain Checking Methods

pounce uses multiple methods to verify domain availability:

1. Custom RDAP — For TLDs with own RDAP servers (e.g., .ch, .li via rdap.nic.ch)
2. RDAP via whodap — Modern protocol with detailed data, supported by major registries
3. WHOIS (Fallback) — Traditional protocol for domains without RDAP support
4. DNS (Quick check) — Fast initial availability check via DNS queries

The system automatically falls back to the next method if one fails.

Supported TLDs with Custom RDAP

TLD	RDAP Server	Notes
.ch	rdap.nic.ch	Swiss domains - WHOIS blocked
.li	rdap.nic.ch	Liechtenstein - same registry

Standard RDAP TLDs

.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .io, .co, .ai, .app, .dev, .xyz, .me, and many more.

---

TLD Price Scraping

pounce automatically scrapes TLD prices from public sources for price intelligence and trend tracking.

Data Source

Primary: Porkbun Public API (no API key required!)

POST https://api.porkbun.com/api/json/v3/pricing/get

• ✅ 886+ TLDs with pricing
• ✅ Registration, Renewal, Transfer prices
• ✅ No authentication needed
• ✅ Updated daily via scheduler

Scheduler Jobs

Job	Schedule	Description
Domain Check	Configurable (default: daily)	Checks all watched domains
TLD Price Scrape	Daily at 03:00 UTC	Scrapes current TLD prices
Price Change Alerts	Daily at 04:00 UTC	Sends email for price changes >5%

Manual Scrape

Trigger a manual TLD price scrape:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/admin/scrape-tld-prices

Response:

{
  "message": "TLD price scrape completed",
  "status": "success",
  "tlds_scraped": 886,
  "prices_saved": 886,
  "sources_succeeded": 1
}

Database Stats

Get current TLD price data statistics:

curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/admin/tld-prices/stats

Response:

{
  "total_records": 886,
  "unique_tlds": 886,
  "unique_registrars": 1,
  "latest_record": "2025-12-08T08:04:54",
  "data_range_days": 0
}

Price Data Model

TLDPrice:
  - tld: str              # e.g., "com", "io", "ai"
  - registrar: str        # e.g., "porkbun"
  - registration_price: float
  - renewal_price: float
  - transfer_price: float
  - currency: str         # "USD"
  - recorded_at: datetime # For historical tracking

Future Data Sources

The scraper architecture supports multiple sources:

1. Porkbun API ✅ (active)
2. TLD-List.com (blocked - placeholder)
3. Namecheap Affiliate (requires signup)
4. Cloudflare (requires account)

---

Email Notifications

pounce supports automated email notifications for domain availability and price changes.

Setup

Configure SMTP settings in your .env:

SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USER=your-email@gmail.com
SMTP_PASSWORD=your-app-password

Notification Types

Type	Trigger	Description
Domain Available	Watched domain becomes available	Instant alert to domain owner
Price Change Alert	TLD price changes >5%	Daily batch after price scrape
Weekly Digest	Every Sunday	Summary of watched domains & price trends

Email Templates

All emails feature:

• Dark mode branded design matching the app
• Clear call-to-action buttons
• Direct links to register domains
• Unsubscribe options

Test Email

# Via Python
cd backend && python3 -c "
import asyncio
from app.services.email_service import email_service

async def test():
    result = await email_service.send_domain_available_alert(
        'test@example.com',
        'example.com',
        'Test User'
    )
    print('Email sent:', result)

asyncio.run(test())
"

---

Design System

Colors

• Background: Dark (#0a0a0a)
• Foreground: Light (#fafafa)
• Accent: Teal (#00d4aa)
• Warning: Orange (#f97316)
• Success: Green (same as accent)

Typography

• Display: Playfair Display (serif)
• Body: Inter (sans-serif)
• Mono: JetBrains Mono (code)

Components

• All icons use outlined style (Lucide React)
• Minimalist, award-winning aesthetic
• Smooth animations and transitions
• Responsive design (mobile-first)

---

Development

Backend

cd backend
source venv/bin/activate

# Run with auto-reload
uvicorn app.main:app --reload

# API docs available at:
# http://localhost:8000/docs (Swagger)
# http://localhost:8000/redoc (ReDoc)

Frontend

cd frontend

# Development server
npm run dev

# Lint
npm run lint

# Build for production
npm run build

# Start production server
npm start

---

Troubleshooting

Backend won't start

1. Check Python version: python3 --version (needs 3.12+)
2. Ensure virtual environment is activated
3. Check .env file exists and has valid SECRET_KEY
4. Check for syntax errors in config files

Frontend can't connect to backend

1. Ensure backend is running on port 8000
2. Check NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL in .env.local
3. Verify CORS origins in backend .env
4. Check browser console for CORS errors

Domain checks failing

1. Some TLDs may have rate limits
2. Certain ccTLDs require special handling (see below)
3. Check backend logs for specific errors

Swiss/Liechtenstein domains (.ch, .li):

• WHOIS is blocked for automated requests
• pounce uses the official rdap.nic.ch API instead
• This is automatic - no configuration needed

Other ccTLDs:

• Some country code TLDs don't support RDAP
• pounce falls back to DNS checking
• Results may be less detailed (no registrar info)

Database errors

1. Delete domainwatch.db to reset (dev only)
2. Check database URL format in .env
3. Ensure write permissions on database directory

---

License

MIT License

---

Support

For issues and feature requests, please open a GitHub issue or contact support@pounce.dev