reports more than 1,600 applications in its 2026 round for new generic extensions, following the 12 August deadline. These are proposed extensions, not 1,600 immediate openings for domain registrations.
There is still a way to go before those names can be used. The published timetable includes review and confirmation stages. As of 9 November 2026, the announced date for confirmation of applied-for strings is 17 November. That milestone does not mean all those extensions will become publicly usable that day.
A possibility to weigh against your timetable
You can follow an extension that might suit your activity. Avoid building a launch around a name when you do not know the opening date, eligibility rules or renewal cost.
A commercial preregistration offer is not a confirmed domain registration. Before paying, establish what you receive, under which terms and what happens if you do not obtain the name.
Even if the timetable suits your plans, your domain still needs to work in conversation, email and the tools customers use. An extension that looks appealing in a design may require explanation aloud.
Test the complete name, compare ongoing costs and check existing rights. You can then choose a new extension because it serves your activity, rather than simply because it is new.
Terms in this article
Dotted-underlined terms have a definition on hover, keyboard focus or tap. All definitions are also listed here.
- ICANN — Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
- The organisation coordinating Internet unique identifiers and aspects of the domain name system. It does not own all domains or operate every country-code extension.
Put it into practice
Explore the related Wize guideSources & Credits
Photo credit
Ethernet cables connected to network equipment. — Sergei Starostin. Pexels. Cropped and resized for this page.
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