When ICANN last opened the application window for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in 2012, individuals, businesses and organizations had just over 300 top-level domains to choose from. The most common generic ones being .com, .net and .org, as well as country-codes like .cn for the People’s Republic of China, .de for Germany, and .uk for the United Kingdom.
Today, where the last remaining successful new gTLDs from the 2012 are being released, that number has increased to more than 1,500 top-level domains, including city identifiers like .tokyo to branded extensions like .google and community-driven TLDs like .eco.
Now, more than a decade later, ICANN has released the draft Applicant Guidebook (AGB) for the next round, with the application window anticipated to open in April 2026. For companies and organizations that want to strengthen their online identity, this represents one of the most important digital opportunities of the decade.
Our professionals supported more than 100 applications in 2012 to successfully navigate the application process and represented clients in all objection proceedings as well as ICANN accountability mechanisms. With the new round officially underway, we are once again helping brand owners, cities, and communities prepare for this high-stakes (and, if they approach it right, also potentially high-reward) opportunity.
The upcoming round isn’t just a repeat of 2012 — it is a more structured, more complex, and more strategic process. These are just a few of the main changes
• Recognition of Brand TLDs: Unlike in 2012, ICANN now explicitly recognizes applications for “Brand TLDs.” Companies will be able to declare upfront that they are applying for their own extension, backed by the contractual framework of Specification 13;
• Application Complexity: The number of questions applicants must answer has risen from around 50 in 2012 to more than 200 in 2026, depending on the scenario. The evaluation will scrutinize governance, finances, security, and abuse mitigation in unprecedented detail;
• Global Reach: With internationalized domain names (IDNs) in scripts like Chinese, Arabic, and Cyrillic becoming more recognized internationally (also from a technical perspective), the program is increasingly global — creating opportunities for linguistic and cultural communities;
• Market Momentum: Many brands that sat out in 2012 are now reconsidering, and cities and communities are more aware of the potential impact of owning their digital identity at the root of the Internet.
In short: this is a more demanding round, but also one with greater predictability, structure, and opportunity.
The potential beneficiaries of the 2026 program include:
• Brand Owners: Companies that want to secure trusted, exclusive online spaces (.brand) for customers, employees, and partners.
• Cities and Regions: Municipalities that want to build a stronger digital identity for tourism, economic development, and citizen services.
• Communities: Cultural, linguistic, and professional groups that want to operate a shared namespace around common values or identity.
• Innovators: Organizations that see the DNS as a platform for building new services, ecosystems, and trusted digital frameworks.
For each of these groups, a gTLD is not simply a technical asset — it is a strategic brand, trust, and governance asset.
The 2012 round delivered mixed results. Some new gTLDs thrived; others stalled or consolidated. The lessons are clear:
• Strong governance is essential. Applicants who underestimated operational requirements struggled to keep pace;
• Strategic use cases matter. TLDs used for marketing, security, or community-building proved more sustainable than those with no clear value proposition. For instance, applying for a brand gTLD “for brand protection purposes” is in most cases a bad idea;
• Compliance never ends. Signing the ICANN Registry Agreement brings with it ongoing obligations — legal, technical, and financial.
At Pitch, we saw all of this firsthand while guiding more than 100 clients through the process. The organizations that succeeded were those that aligned legal compliance with a strong business case and effective execution.
With an April 2026 application window, some organizations may feel there is plenty of time. The reality is that preparation requires at least 12–18 months.
• Internal buy-in: Securing budget, aligning stakeholders, and making the business case;
• Risk assessment: Evaluating potential conflicts with existing trademarks or strings;
• Application readiness: Building responses to more than 200 detailed questions;
• Operational planning: Identifying registry service providers or building internal capability.
The earlier planning begins, the stronger the application — and the less likely applicants will run into last-minute roadblocks.
At Pitch, we combine legal expertise, industry experience, and technology solutions to help clients succeed in the next round:
• Application Management SaaS Platform: Purpose-built to guide applicants through the 200+ AGB questions, with multilingual support, version control, and compliance logic;
• Strategic, Operational, Technical, Financial and Legal Expertise: From trademark clearance and Specification 13 compliance to string contention and Registry Agreement negotiations;
• Online Brand Protection Services: Ongoing domain monitoring, enforcement, and abuse mitigation to safeguard your namespace;
• Experience That Matters: With some of our professionals having 25+ years of domain industry expertise and close to 150 gTLD applications supported in 2012, our team has unmatched practical insight.
Whether you need full-service application support or targeted legal review, we provide the flexibility to meet your specific needs.
The 2026 gTLD application round is shaping up to be one of the most significant developments in Internet governance and brand strategy in over a decade. For companies, cities, and communities that want to take control of their digital future, the time to start preparing is now.
At Pitch, we believe smarter tools and sharper expertise are the keys to success. If you’re exploring whether a gTLD is right for your organization, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you prepare for the 2026 application round.
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