What Is a Brand TLD? The Complete Guide

## What Is a Brand TLD? A **brand TLD** (also called a **dot-brand**) is a TLD (Top-Level Domain) — the rightmost label in a domain name like `.com` or `.org` — that is owned and operated exclusively by a single company or organization. Instead of sharing a namespace with the general public, the brand owner becomes the sole Registry Operator and decides exactly who (if anyone) can register domains beneath it. When you see `careers.google` or `safety.bmw`, you are looking at brand TLDs in action. The `.google` and `.bmw` strings at the right of those addresses are not generic extensions open to public registration; they are privately controlled extensions whose entire purpose is to serve one brand. TLD Finder ## How Brand TLDs Came to Exist The modern era of brand TLDs began with ICANN's 2012 New gTLD Program, the most ambitious expansion of the domain name system in internet history. Before 2012, the right-hand portion of every domain name was drawn from a small, curated list: `.com`, `.net`, `.org`, a handful of sponsored extensions like `.edu` and `.gov`, and the 250-odd two-letter ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) extensions assigned to countries. The 2012 program changed everything. ICANN opened applications for entirely new gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain) strings, allowing any sufficiently capitalized entity — a company, municipality, community, or individual — to apply for almost any string of letters as a TLD. The application window ran from January to May 2012. By the time it closed, ICANN had received 1,930 applications, of which roughly 600 were brand applications from corporations wanting their own exclusive namespace. The application fee alone was $185,000 per string, and ongoing costs (registry infrastructure, Registry Agreement fees to ICANN, legal review) push total first-decade costs above $500,000 for most operators. Despite this, brands lined up because the value proposition was compelling. ## What Makes a TLD a "Brand" TLD? ICANN does not officially use the term "brand TLD." The formal distinction is between **open** (publicly registerable) and **closed** (single-registrant) New gTLD extensions. In practice, industry analysts and commentators use "brand TLD" to mean any TLD where the applying entity intends to keep registrations to itself. A brand TLD has several defining characteristics: - **Single registrant**: Only the brand owner registers domains under it. There is no public Domain Registration process. - **No public registrar**: Because third-party registration is not permitted, there are no Domain Registrar partners selling `.brand` domains to the public. - **Controlled namespace**: The operator can create any second-level label they choose — `about.brand`, `support.brand`, `store.brand` — purely for internal organizational purposes. - **Defensive registration**: Even brands that never publish a single website under their Brand TLD (.brand) may hold one simply to prevent competitors, squatters, or cybercriminals from controlling that string. ## Why Do Companies Apply for Their Own TLD? ### Brand Authentication and Trust When a consumer visits `shop.amazon`, they can be certain they are on an Amazon-controlled property. A Brand TLD (.brand) is cryptographically tied to the brand's Registry Operator status — no third party can register a domain that appears to originate from the brand. This combats phishing, brand impersonation, and confusion that plagues the `.com` ecosystem where anyone can register `amazon-deals.com` or `amazonshop.net`. ### Namespace Control Large enterprises manage thousands of internal systems, microsites, campaign pages, and product portals. A brand TLD provides unlimited, coherent namespace. Rather than managing `product-a.companyname.com`, `product-b.company-name.net`, and `companyname.co/product-c`, a brand with its own TLD can use `a.brand`, `b.brand`, `c.brand` — simple, consistent, and fully owned. ### Simplified Certificate Management HTTPS certificates for domains under a brand TLD can be issued through internal certificate authorities. The brand does not need to involve public certificate authorities or worry about third-party validation for internal systems. This is particularly valuable for enterprise intranets, IoT device management, and corporate VPNs. ### Marketing and Memorability Short, punchy URLs like `go.google` or `news.bbc` are easier to print on packaging, pronounce in advertisements, and type from memory than longer `.com` equivalents. A Brand TLD (.brand) enables a new vocabulary of domain addresses that is uniquely tied to the brand identity. ### Defensive Strategy Companies that chose not to apply in 2012 discovered a problem: competitors, speculators, or hostile actors could apply for strings close to their brand. The ICANN process included an objection mechanism, but litigation was expensive and outcomes uncertain. Applying defensively — even with no immediate use case — was a rational hedge. ## The Application Process Obtaining a brand TLD requires navigating a multi-year ICANN process: 1. **Initial Evaluation**: ICANN reviews the application for completeness, string validity, and basic eligibility. The $185,000 fee is collected at this stage. 2. **Extended Evaluation**: Applications with questions about community support, geographic significance, or objections enter an extended phase. 3. **Objection Period**: Any party may file formal objections on grounds of string confusion, community objection, legal rights, or public interest. 4. **Contention Resolution**: If multiple applicants sought the same string, they must resolve the conflict through private auction, negotiation, or ICANN adjudication. 5. **Registry Agreement**: Successful applicants sign a Registry Agreement with ICANN governing technical obligations, fee schedules, and ongoing compliance. 6. **Delegation**: ICANN adds the new TLD to the DNS Root Zone — the authoritative list of all valid TLD strings that DNS resolvers worldwide consult. The entire journey from application to first domain registration typically takes two to five years. ## What Happens in the Root Zone? The DNS Root Zone is the top of the DNS (Domain Name System) hierarchy — a file maintained by IANA that lists every valid TLD. When your browser resolves `careers.google`, the resolver first checks the root zone to confirm that `.google` is a legitimate TLD and to find its authoritative nameservers. If a string is not in the root zone, it does not exist on the public internet regardless of what any private system might do with it. Brand TLDs added to the root zone are as real and as permanent as `.com` or `.org`. They persist indefinitely as long as the brand continues to pay annual ICANN fees (roughly $25,000 per year) and meets technical requirements. ## How Many Brand TLDs Exist? As of early 2026, approximately 560 brand TLDs have been delegated to the DNS Root Zone. This includes well-known corporate names like `.google`, `.amazon`, `.apple`, `.microsoft`, `.bmw`, `.toyota`, `.nike`, and `.gucci`, as well as lesser-known entries from insurance companies, banks, utilities, and media groups. Not all delegated brand TLDs are actively used. A significant portion — estimates range from 30% to 50% — exist in a "parked" state: the TLD is in the root zone, the registry agreement is active, and annual fees are paid, but no actual websites operate under the extension. The brand maintains the TLD as a defensive registration and a future option. ## Brand TLDs Versus Country-Code Extensions A common misconception conflates brand TLDs with ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) extensions that have become associated with tech brands — like `.io` (British Indian Ocean Territory) or `.ai` (Anguilla). These are not brand TLDs. They are country-code TLDs that happen to overlap with popular abbreviations. Any company or individual can register a `.io` or `.ai` domain through a Domain Registrar; there is no exclusive corporate control. True brand TLDs are distinguishable by their Registry Operator status: the brand itself is the sole operator, and public registration is prohibited by the Registry Agreement. ## The ICANN 2026 Application Round ICANN is preparing a second new gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain) application window, expected to open in late 2026 or 2027. This will be the first opportunity for brands that missed the 2012 window to apply for their own TLD — and for existing brand TLD holders to apply for additional strings. The 2026 round is expected to attract a new wave of applicants, particularly from sectors that were slow to engage in 2012: healthcare, financial services, and Asian conglomerates. Application fees and procedures are still being finalized at the time of publication. The Future of Brand TLDs After ICANN 2026 Companies With Their Own TLDs: The Complete List ## Who Can Apply for a Brand TLD? Any legal entity can apply for a Brand TLD (.brand) provided they can demonstrate a credible plan to operate a registry and meet ICANN's technical, financial, and operational requirements. In practice, the $185,000 non-refundable application fee and the substantial ongoing infrastructure costs mean that brand TLD applicants are almost exclusively large corporations, well-funded consortiums, or government entities. ICANN does not require the applicant to hold a registered trademark in the applied-for string, though trademark evidence significantly strengthens the application. In the 2012 round, some purely descriptive brand names without registered trademarks were successfully delegated. The key criterion is that the applicant can demonstrate legitimate purpose and the capacity to operate a Registry Operator function responsibly. Eligibility for the 2026 round has been refined from 2012. ICANN now requires applicants to demonstrate: - **Financial capability**: Evidence of liquid assets or committed financing sufficient to operate the registry for at least three years - **Technical plan**: A detailed technical implementation plan covering DNS (Domain Name System) operations, DNSSEC, WHOIS/RDAP, and abuse handling - **Operational readiness**: Either internal staff with registry operations experience or a contracted backend registry provider - **Geographic/community clarity**: For strings with potential geographic meaning, advance stakeholder consultation is encouraged ## Brand TLDs and HTTPS / Certificate Transparency One underappreciated aspect of owning a Brand TLD (.brand) is the certificate management advantage. When the brand operates its own namespace, it can function as a private certificate authority for that namespace. Internal systems — intranets, development environments, IoT device management — can receive HTTPS certificates signed by the company's own CA rather than requiring involvement from a public certificate authority. This eliminates the risk of mis-issuance by third-party CAs for corporate namespaces. Under the DNS (Domain Name System)-based authentication model, a malicious actor who tricks a public CA into issuing a certificate for `internal.brand` would need to also compromise the Brand TLD (.brand)'s DNS infrastructure — a significantly higher bar. Certificate Transparency logs do not monitor internal namespaces that never resolve publicly, further reducing the attack surface for certificate-based attacks against internal corporate systems. ## Comparing Brand TLDs to Other Brand Protection Tools Organizations evaluating a Brand TLD (.brand) typically compare it to other brand protection approaches: | Tool | Cost | Coverage | Uniqueness | |---|---|---|---| | `.com` registration | $10–$15/year | Single domain | Not unique to brand | | Defensive domain portfolio | $5,000–$50,000/year | Multiple TLDs | Not unique to brand | | Trademark registration | $5,000–$20,000/jurisdiction | Legal rights | Not unique to brand | | Brand TLD | $500,000+ over 10 years | Unlimited namespace | Unique to brand | The brand TLD is the only option that provides a truly unique namespace — one where the brand itself controls who can use the namespace and for what purpose. Every other tool grants rights within a shared system. Only a Brand TLD (.brand) makes the brand the authority. ## Conclusion A brand TLD represents a fundamental claim on a piece of the internet's address space. Unlike any other form of online brand protection — social media handles, trademark registrations, or `.com` domains — a brand TLD makes the company itself a part of the internet's infrastructure. That permanence, combined with the authentication and namespace benefits it provides, explains why hundreds of the world's most valuable brands have chosen to invest six figures or more in their own corner of the domain name system. If you are evaluating whether a brand TLD makes sense for your organization, the brand-tld-roi-analysis guide provides a structured cost-benefit framework, while the companies-with-own-tlds catalog shows what your industry peers have already done.