ICANN Reveals 2026 Round Applications for New Generic Top-Level Domains
a day ago
- ICANN published the list of applications for the New gTLD Program 2026 Round, including applied-for strings and applicant details.
- Reveal Day marks a key milestone for the expansion of the Domain Name System, with 1,615 applications received.
- The application data includes 333 brand applications, 16 community-based, 15 geographic name applications, and 51 from the Applicant Support Program.
- Regional breakdown: 864 from North America, 506 from Europe, 218 from Asia/Australia/Pacific, 16 from Africa, 11 from Latin America and the Caribbean.
- 21 applications for Internationalized Domain Names and 9 for variants were submitted.
- Subsequent milestones include a Replacement Period (8–21 Oct 2026), String Confirmation Day (17 Nov 2026), and a Community Input and Objections Period (17 Nov 2026–16 Mar 2027).
- The Prioritization Draw is scheduled for the first half of 2027 to determine processing order after String Evaluation.
- ICANN's end-of-year office closure (19 Dec 2026–4 Jan 2027) is factored into the objection period.
- Applicants can withdraw with a 65% refund until 27 Nov 2026.