ICANN REVEALS APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 ROUND OF NEW GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS

Applications reflect global interest in expanding choice and competition in the Domain Name System

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), has published the list of new generic top-level domain (gTLD) applications for the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round, revealing applied-for strings and applying entities. Known as "Reveal Day," the information published includes all applied-for primary strings and any applicable variant or replacement strings, a list of preliminary contention sets, and public portions of each application. Application information is available at the 2026 Round Application Publication and Statistics website.

It's Reveal Day!

The New gTLD Program is an ICANN community-driven initiative that supports the continued expansion of the DNS. Through the introduction of new gTLDs - the part of an Internet address that comes after the last dot - the program aims to foster diversity, encourage competition, and enhance the utility of the DNS. The 2026 Round provides businesses, communities, governments and other organizations the opportunity to apply for gTLDs aligned with their cultures, scripts, business goals, and customer interests.

"Reveal Day marks an important milestone for the next expansion of the Domain Name System," said Kurtis Lindqvist, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. "These applications demonstrate how organizations around the world are seeking new ways to build trusted online identities, serve their communities, and connect with Internet users. ICANN remains focused on administering a fair, transparent, and predictable evaluation process grounded in the policies developed by our global multistakeholder community." 

Reveal Day 2026 Data Snapshot

The application submission window was open from 30 April–12 August 2026. Highlights from the 2026 Round application data include:

• 1,615 applications
• 333 brand applications
• 16 community-based applications
• 15 self-identified geographic name applications
• 51 applications submitted by Applicant Support Program applicants
• 16 applications from Africa
• 218 applications from Asia/Australia/Pacific
• 506 applications from Europe
• 11 applications from Latin America and the Caribbean
• 864 applications from North America
• 21 applications for Internationalized Domain Names
• 9 applications for variants. This is when an applicant applies for a string that has other forms in different scripts such as Arabic or Chinese.

This Reveal Day snapshot reflects primary string application data as of 7 October 2026. Following the Replacement Period, a final list of all applied-for gTLD strings and an updated list of contention sets will be published on String Confirmation Day.

The previous application round, in 2012, resulted in the addition of more than 1,200 unique new gTLDs, including names in non-Latin scripts.

Program Next Steps

Following Reveal Day, applicants that applied for a second-choice or alternate "replacement" string when they submitted their gTLD application have two weeks in which they may elect to switch from their primary applied-for string to their replacement string, if eligible. ICANN will then publish the final list of strings that will proceed through the program on String Confirmation Day on 17 November 2026. This will then begin the Community Input and Objections Period, a formal application comment period. Additional information on the program timeline and milestones can be found here.

Program Resources and News

Information on the program and applicant lifecycle can be found on the 2026 Round website. Be sure to check the program's News and Announcements page frequently for the latest news and updates.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.

SOURCE ICANN

Media Contact: Patty Oien, [email protected]