Generic top-level domain - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

gTLD intended use
.aero the air transport industry.
.arpa reserved exclusively to support operationally-critical infrastructural identifier spaces as advised by the Internet Architecture Board
.asia companies. organisations and individuals in the Asia-Pacific region
.biz business use
.cat Catalan language/culture
.com commercial organizations, but unrestricted
.coop cooperatives
.edu post-secondary educational establishments
.gov government entities within the United States at the federal, state, and local levels
.info informational sites, but unrestricted
.int international organizations established by treaty
.jobs employment-related sites
.mil the U.S. military
.mobi sites catering to mobile devices
.museum museums
.name families and individuals
.net originally for network infrastructures, now unrestricted
.org originally for organizations not clearly falling within the other gTLDs, now unrestricted
.pro certain professions
.tel services involving connections between the telephone network and the Internet (added March 2, 2007)
.travel travel agents, airlines, hoteliers, tourism bureaus, etc.

A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is one category of internet domain with (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use on the Internet.

Now, IANA differenting next groups of Inttop-level domain:[1]

Generic Top-Level Domain

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A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is one kind of top-level domain (TLD) used on the Internet. It is part of the Domain Name System (DNS), which helps computers find websites by name.[2]

Types of Top-Level Domains

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The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) lists these types of top-level domains:[3][4]

  • Infrastructure TLD – Example: .arpa
  • Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) – Like .uk, .in, or .jp
  • Sponsored TLDs (sTLDs) – Backed by a private sponsor, such as .edu or .gov
  • Generic TLDs (gTLDs) – Examples include .com, .org, .net, and newer ones like .app, .tech
  • Generic-restricted TLDs – Like .name or .pro, where some rules apply

New gTLD Program

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In 2012, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) allowed people and companies to apply for new gTLDs. This let organizations create domains like .google, .bank, or .music.[5]

More than 1,200 new gTLDs have been added since then. ICANN plans to open a new round of applications in 2026, with updated rules, fees, and procedures for applying.[3][2][5]. On May 30, 2025 ICANN has published the first draft of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook for the upcoming 2026 New gTLD Next Round seeking public comments. [6] [7] Post public comment the Final AGB will be published.

How gTLDs Are Used

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gTLDs can be used by anyone, unless rules say otherwise. Some gTLDs are open to the public, while others are private or limited to certain groups. Businesses, cities, and even individuals use gTLDs to create custom web addresses. New gTLD Applicant Guide Book will have more detailed information about the next round. [8][9]

References

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  1. [1], the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Archived 2011-11-29 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 2.0 2.1 Org, ICANN. "What is Generic Top-Level Domains?".
  3. 3.0 3.1 Org, IANA. "IANA Root Zone Database".
  4. Society, Internet. "Introduction to DNS and gTLDs".
  5. 5.0 5.1 News Services, BBC (20 June 2011). "Icann to allow new web address endings".
  6. "ICANN New gTLD Applicant Guidebook". ICANN Org. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "New gTLD Applicant Guidebook Draft - Public Comments". NEWgTLDprogram.com. 3 Jul 2025. Retrieved 3 Jul 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "ICANN 2026 Applicant Guidebook Summary and Updates". New gTLD Program. 2025-05-11. Retrieved 2025-06-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "New gTLD Applicant Guidebook - First Draft (Currently in Public Comments)". newgtldprogram.com. Retrieved 7 Jul 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)