Over the past 20 years a small list of new domain name extensions (or gTLDs for generic top level domains) became available outside of .com, .net and .org. Most of these new extensions were country codes such .co.uk (for the UK), .de (for Germany) and .ca (for Canada). However, following the mainstream success of such country codes as .me (for Montenegro,) and .co (for Columbia), the desire for even more relevant domain name endings was quickly realized.
In 2012 ICANN opened up applications for new gTLDs and over 1,900 applications were made for everything from .link to .cars. By late 2013, new domain name endings began to go live and in the first 8 months of launch, new domain registrations exceeded 2 million, proving that users around the world are attracted to more relevant domain extensions.
What is Uniregistry’s role?
At Uniregistry, we pride ourselves on being not just a world class registrar and sales platform, but also one of the largest applicants for new gTLDs. It’s this passion for all areas of domain names which constantly challenges us to build new products and bring innovation into the domain space.
A great resource to view the success of new gTLDs is ntldstats.com which offers a nearly real-time feed of industry activity including what are the most popular new domain name endings and how many are registered, with geographical breakdowns showing who the largest registrants of these new domains are.
What kind of new gTLDs are available?
Some extensions are playful like .link while others are more professional like .catering. Some have restrictions on registration such as .nyc and .organic.
How much do new gTLDs cost?
All new gTLDs have different pricing and the actual cost will depend on both the registry (the owner of the extension) and the registrar used to register a domain. While most domains will be made available at affordable prices there are some that are considered ‘premium,’ usually single, internationally recognized words, which have an immediate perceived value and a higher retail price. Registries may also place some domains in ‘reserve’ and release them later at their discretion.
Where can I find a list of new domain extensions?
Uniregistry’s supported and upcoming extensions are available at uniregistry.com/pricing. For a complete list of new gTLDs, please visit the official ICANN site.