Embed a Domain Status Badge: README SVG + Site Snippet (No Tracking)
No card · Telegram after signup · not a drop-catcher
If you want a quiet backlink and a honest status surface for a domain you care about, Vacato ships two install paths: a **README SVG** at `/badge/{domain}.svg` and a pasteable **site embed** at `/embed`. Both point at public `/d/{domain}` (or free RDAP tools) with `utm_source=embed`. No tracking cookies on the basic badge.
This is the developer soft-land: add the badge where builders already look (GitHub README, docs footer, status page), then optionally graduate to a Free **20** RDAP watchlist + Telegram when you want continuous alerts — still **not** a drop-catcher.
/badge
SVG shield path
/embed
HTML + script install
Static
honest label — live check on /d
What the badge is (and isn’t)
The SVG is a **static** shields-style image (“Watch on Vacato” or “{domain} status”). It does **not** embed live registry availability — that avoids stale or misleading green/red badges. Click-through opens the public `/d/{domain}` page, which runs an on-demand RDAP check visitors can share.
Vacato itself remains an **RDAP watchlist + alerts** product. The badge is awareness + a public status link. It does not catch, backorder, or register names. Framing: watchlist vs WHOIS vs drop-catch.
Pro tip
If you need a live “available / taken” chip in the image itself, don’t fake it — link /d and let RDAP speak on click.
README install (60 seconds)
1. Open embed install — copy Markdown for the domain you want (example uses `example.com`).
2. Paste into your GitHub README or docs. Image URL shape: `https://vacato.io/badge/{domain}.svg` (optional `?v=availability` variant).
3. Confirm the link lands on `/d/{domain}` with embed UTM — visitors get a public status page, not a signup wall for the check.
Full snippet variants (watching HTML, check-status, check-expiry, optional `embed.js`): /embed.
When to graduate from badge → Free 20 watchlist
A badge is fine for a single brandable you want discoverable. A **watchlist** is for the shortlist you would actually buy at list price if it opened — scheduled RDAP (5 min free / 1 min Pro) + **Telegram** / email / push. Free covers **20** names, no card: get started.
Activation path after the badge: connect Telegram day one → add 3–10 keepers → keep a registrar ready. Soft-land: Telegram availability alerts. Site: vacato.io.
Pro tip
Do not put fifty mild curiosities on Free 20 — save slots for names you’d register tonight.
Honest limits
SVG labels stay static by design. Embed.js only inserts the link — no fingerprinting beacons. Contested pending deletes still favor dedicated catcher infra; the badge and the watchlist are alert/awareness layers, not registry races.
More product surface: tools hub · changelog · press. Public examples: /d/example.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Vacato badge show live availability?
Does /embed track visitors?
Is this a drop-catch widget?
Where do I copy snippets?
Watch the names you care about
Free 20 · 5-min RDAP · Telegram after signup · no card. Alerts only — not a drop-catcher.
Free forever • No credit card required
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Start a watchlist · Expired domain monitor · Drop catching · Compare vs catchers · Pending delete