- ICANN reopens applications for new top-level domains after 14 years
- New domains can use multiple scripts across hundreds of languages
- Applicants must prove technical and financial ability to run registries
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has opened the application window for a new round of generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
This marks the first time in 14 years that businesses, communities, and governments can apply to operate their own top-level domains.
The previous round in 2012 introduced more than 1,200 new gTLDs, including well-known examples like .google, .microsoft, .africa, and even .bananarepublic.
What a gTLD actually is and who can get one
A generic top-level domain is the part of a web address that appears after the final dot.
Traditional examples include .com, .org, and .net, but the new round allows for custom strings like .brand, .city, or .industry.
Any business, community, government, or organization can apply to operate its own top-level domain.
The applicant must demonstrate technical and financial capability to run a domain registry, but there is no requirement to be a large corporation.
Small cities, non-profits, trade associations, and even wealthy individuals are eligible to apply.
ICANN is now accepting applications in 27 different scripts, representing hundreds of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Devanagari, and Thai.
Successful applicants gain control over who can register domains under their chosen string, effectively creating their own digital ecosystem.
This expansion will make the internet more accessible for billions of people who use non-Latin-based scripts.
Why brands and cities are lining up to apply
Operating a gTLD provides several distinct advantages for organizations willing to pay the application fee.
Brand owners gain tighter security controls over their online presence and can build trust with customers through verified domain registrations.
Marketers overwhelmingly agree on the benefits, with 92% recognizing that gTLDs offer differentiation, enhanced trust, and improved search engine optimization.
Geographic locations such as cities or regions can create vibrant local digital ecosystems under their own top-level domain.
Communities can strengthen their identity online while maintaining full control over who participates in their domain space.
The application submission window will close on August 12, 2026, giving interested parties just over three months to apply.
The online TLD Application Management System handles all submissions, and ICANN has published an Applicant Guidebook as the authoritative resource for the process.
For wealthy and influential individuals like President Trump, the .trump domain is well withing reach.
That would give him exclusive control over every domain ending with his own surname, a powerful digital asset for fundraising and messaging.
The 2026 round could produce hundreds of new top-level domains, and the speculation about who applies for what has already begun.
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