diff --git a/cmd/generateConfig.go b/cmd/generateConfig.go
index 702a70c..f9170c9 100644
--- a/cmd/generateConfig.go
+++ b/cmd/generateConfig.go
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ type GenerateConfigOptions struct {
 	Out              string
 }
 
+type Response struct {
+	Available  bool       `json:"available"`
+	Suggestion Suggestion `json:"suggestion"`
+}
+
+type Suggestion struct {
+	ServiceName string   `json:"serviceName"`
+	Names       []string `json:"names"`
+	Hosts       []string `json:"hosts"`
+}
+
 func (o *GenerateConfigOptions) IsEmpty() bool {
 	return o.Template == "" && o.Service == "" && o.Upstream == ""
 }
@@ -40,11 +51,37 @@ func (o *GenerateConfigOptions) ValidateTemplate() error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s is not a valid template", o.Template)
 }
 
-func (o *GenerateConfigOptions) Exec() error {
+func (o *GenerateConfigOptions) ValidateService(ctx *pkg.AppContext, service string) error {
+	path := fmt.Sprintf("/ds/api/v3/routes/availability?gatewayId=%s&serviceName=%s", ctx.Gateway, service)
+	URL, _ := ctx.CreateUrl(path, nil)
+	decodedURL, err := url.QueryUnescape(URL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	request, err := pkg.NewApiGet[Response](ctx, decodedURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	response, err := request.Do()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !response.Data.Available {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Service %s is already in use. Suggestion: %s", service, response.Data.Suggestion.ServiceName)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (o *GenerateConfigOptions) Exec(ctx *pkg.AppContext) error {
 	err := o.ValidateTemplate()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	err = o.ValidateService(ctx, o.Service)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	err = o.ParseUpstream()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -126,7 +163,7 @@ $ gwa generate-config --template client-credentials-shared-idp \
 					return err
 				}
 			}
-			err := opts.Exec()
+			err := opts.Exec(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -199,6 +236,13 @@ func initGenerateModel(ctx *pkg.AppContext, opts *GenerateConfigOptions) pkg.Gen
 
 	prompts[service] = pkg.NewTextInput("Service", "", true)
 	prompts[service].TextInput.Focus()
+	prompts[service].Validator = func(input string) error {
+		err := opts.ValidateService(ctx, input)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	prompts[template] = pkg.NewList("Template", []string{
 		"client-credentials-shared-idp",
diff --git a/cmd/generateConfig_test.go b/cmd/generateConfig_test.go
index 875dfcb..d6a6f88 100644
--- a/cmd/generateConfig_test.go
+++ b/cmd/generateConfig_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/bcgov/gwa-cli/pkg"
+	"github.com/jarcoal/httpmock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -133,6 +135,55 @@ func TestClientCredentialsGenerator(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, compare, "allowed_aud: ap-cc-sampler-default-dev")
 }
 
+func TestValidateService_Available(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := &pkg.AppContext{
+		Gateway: "test-gateway",
+		ApiHost: "api.gov.ca",
+	}
+	serviceName := "available-service"
+
+	// Activate httpmock and register the mock response
+	httpmock.Activate()
+	defer httpmock.DeactivateAndReset()
+
+	URL := fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/ds/api/v3/routes/availability?gatewayId=%s&serviceName=%s", ctx.ApiHost, ctx.Gateway, serviceName)
+	httpmock.RegisterResponder("GET", URL,
+		httpmock.NewJsonResponderOrPanic(200, Response{
+			Available: true,
+		}),
+	)
+
+	opts := &GenerateConfigOptions{}
+	err := opts.ValidateService(ctx, serviceName)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "expected no error when service name is available")
+}
+
+func TestValidateService_NotAvailable(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := &pkg.AppContext{
+		Gateway: "test-gateway",
+		ApiHost: "api.gov.ca",
+	}
+	serviceName := "unavailable-service"
+
+	// Activate httpmock and register the mock response
+	httpmock.Activate()
+	defer httpmock.DeactivateAndReset()
+
+	URL := fmt.Sprintf("https://%s/ds/api/v3/routes/availability?gatewayId=%s&serviceName=%s", ctx.ApiHost, ctx.Gateway, serviceName)
+	httpmock.RegisterResponder("GET", URL,
+		httpmock.NewJsonResponderOrPanic(200, Response{
+			Available: false,
+			Suggestion: Suggestion{
+				ServiceName: "suggested-service-name",
+			},
+		}),
+	)
+
+	opts := &GenerateConfigOptions{}
+	err := opts.ValidateService(ctx, serviceName)
+	assert.Error(t, err, "expected error when service name is not available")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "Service unavailable-service is already in use. Suggestion: suggested-service-name")
+=======
 func TestQuickStartGenerator(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	ctx := &pkg.AppContext{
@@ -166,4 +217,3 @@ func TestQuickStartGenerator(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, compare, "url: https://httpbin.org/post")
 	assert.Contains(t, compare, "- my-service.dev.api.gov.bc.ca")
 	assert.Contains(t, compare, "paths: [/post]")
-}