Top 10 Considerations for Companies as ICANN Prepares to Open the Next gTLD Round

1.  A More Predictable Application Process

Unlike the last gTLD round in 2012, ICANN officially recognises dotBrand gTLDs and has a specific, designed process for applicants to follow. For those who choose to apply for a dotBrand, this will allow for a much more predictable process by removing much of the uncertainty that was present previously. The 2026 gTLD round promises to be a much smoother application process for those who choose to participate.

2.  Full Control Through a Dedicated Digital Space

A dotBrand gTLD allows the applicant to create a dedicated, walled-off space on the internet which the applicant can use for its own sole purpose. Domains in the dotBrand will only be registered to the registry operator (or its affiliates), providing a company with the ability to operate a piece of internet infrastructure that is completely its own.

3. Not the Same as Registering a Domain Name 

Submitting an application for a dotBrand gTLD is not akin to registering a domain name. While a domain name registration is relatively low cost and generally a very frictionless process, applying for a gTLD requires the applicant to demonstrate adequate organisational, financial, and operational capabilities to meet the requirements set forth by ICANN. There’s also the $227,000 application fee payable to ICANN.

4.  A Strong Signal in Today’s Regulatory Environment

The online landscape looks vastly different today than it did at the time of the last gTLD round in 2012 with regulations like NIS2 in full effect as the 2026 round is upon us. Creating a dotBrand gTLD is a significant undertaking which signals to clients, partners and regulators a company’s willingness to invest in its online presence in the ultimate way. Carving out a company-specific piece of internet infrastructure is the most significant step a company can take to control its own space on the internet.

5.  Strategic Planning Is Essential

Companies need to review the gTLD program opportunity through their unique lens to determine how a dotBrand could fit into their overall digital strategy. The reality of the 2012 gTLD round is that many companies applied for a dotBrand without a plan on how to capitalise on the investment and fully realise the potential a dotBrand presents. A dotBrand gTLD is a long-term investment, so the application process is just the start and it’s imperative to take the time to develop a plan as to how the dotBrand will be utilised once it gets awarded and delegated into the root zone of the internet.

6.  Considerations Around Generic Terms

Any brands seeking a generic term for a dotBrand gTLD need to be especially mindful of the kerfuffle caused by “closed generics” in the 2012 gTLD round. ICANN defines a closed generic gTLD as a, “TLD string that is a generic term and is proposed to be operated by a participant exclusively for its own benefit.” gTLD applications from 2012 that were deemed to be “closed generics” caused a significant issue within the ICANN community and in 2024, the ICANN Board essentially banned them for the foreseeable future. A dotBrand CAN be a generic term, but the applicant needs to demonstrate how the applied-for string is differentiated from the generic good or service. A major consideration for anyone applying for a dotBrand that happens to be for a generic term.

7.  Simplified Technical Requirements

The technical components of the application process in 2026 are vastly different from those in 2012 with ICANN creating a Registry Services Provider evaluation program, which now allows gTLD applicants the opportunity to simply select a pre-vetted provider as part of their application submission. The evaluation program was one of the significant developments that came out of the policy work the community embarked on after the 2012 round and represents a major improvement in the program, allowing for the separation of the technical services from the actual gTLD application itself.

8.  Learning from Existing dotBrand Use Cases

When companies applied for a gTLD in 2012, there was no historical record to consult regarding how dotBrands as they had never previously existed. Now that we’ve had dotBrands on the internet for over a decade, companies considering an application can look at real-world use cases to see concrete examples of how other companies have leveraged their gTLDs since launching. There are examples of dotBrand usage that run across industries, from financial services to pharmaceuticals, as well as different degrees of use ranging from fully migrated global online presence to micro-sites and targeted campaign sites. Today’s applicants can benefit greatly from studying how early adopters have utilised their dotBrands.

9.  Uncertain Future Opportunities

It’s completely unclear when, or even if, there will be another opportunity to apply for a gTLD. Seeing as how there have been 14 years between application windows with ICANN, no one really knows when the next time this opportunity may present itself in the future. In fact, there’s nothing that even says there will be another opportunity! ICANN has previously stated its desire to move away from application rounds to an open, and ongoing ability, for organisations to apply for a gTLD at any time, but it’s not certain whether this will ever become a reality, so assuming this opportunity will come around again in short order is a miscalculation.

10.  Long-Term Impact on the Digital Landscape

ICANN’s new gTLD program will not only impact companies choosing to apply for a dotBrand, but it will also eventually impact every company over the coming years. From reviewing applied-for strings to determine if there are any that may infringe on existing legal rights to determining which gTLDs to register domain names in when the applied-for strings begin to launch in the future, every company will need to pay attention to this space for years to come. Even 14 years after the last application round in 2012, we are still seeing a steady drip of new domain extensions being launched all these years later. There is no doubt we will see the impact of the 2026 ICANN round of gTLDs well into the future, so continue to stay abreast of all of the developments that are surely going to come.