ICANN Closes 2026 New gTLD Application Window

The application window for the 2026 Round of ICANN’s New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program officially closed on 12 August 2026 at 23:59 UTC. The end of the 15-week submission period represents an important milestone for the ICANN community, its Board, and staff.

According to ICANN, application activity was particularly high toward the end of the submission period. By the time the window closed, more than 1,600 primary applications had been submitted. More than 1,100 of those applications also included requests for replacement strings, referred to as secondary applications.

The final number of applications has not yet been established. ICANN will confirm the total once all applicants have paid the required gTLD evaluation fee.

Evaluation fee deadline:

Applicants in the 2026 Round must ensure that ICANN receives the full evaluation fee by the later of these two deadlines:

23:59 UTC on 19 August 2026, or

23:59 UTC seven days after the invoice was issued.

For example, an invoice issued on 14 August requires payment to be received by 23:59 UTC on 21 August.

Applicants can refer to ICANN's published guidance for additional information about the payment process and frequently asked questions.

What happens next?

ICANN will now carry out an administrative review of the applications submitted during the window. Once that process is complete, the organization plans to publish the public portions of the applications on Reveal Day.

This publication will give applicants and the wider Internet community an opportunity to see which new gTLD strings have been requested and identify strings that could potentially be in contention with one another.

Unless exceptional circumstances arise, ICANN expects to publish the applications that successfully complete the Administrative Check within nine weeks of the application window closing. The organization expects to announce the exact date of Reveal Day, together with the schedule for later milestones, in mid-September 2026.

The next stages of the 2026 Round

The ICANN Applicant Guidebook describes several important stages that applicants will move through following the submission period. These include:

Community input: This phase includes application comments and formal objections.

Contention Set Resolution: This process addresses applications for the same or conflicting strings and includes information about ICANN auctions and the rules prohibiting private resolution.

Applicant and Application Evaluation: Applications will undergo the relevant evaluation processes based on established criteria and requirements.

ICANN also provides an Applicant Journey resource outlining the major phases of the 2026 Round and what applicants can expect throughout the application lifecycle.

Applicants and other interested parties should continue monitoring ICANN's News and Announcements channels for updates. Organizations that have submitted applications through the TLD Application Management System will also receive relevant information directly.

About ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation established in 1998. Its mission is to help maintain a stable, secure, and globally interoperable Internet.

ICANN coordinates the global system of unique Internet identifiers, including domain names and other identifiers that allow computers and devices to locate and communicate with one another.

Source: ICANN.org, New gTLD Program: 2026 Round.

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