ICANN Publishes 2026 New gTLD Applications and Outlines Review Timeline

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has published the application list for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round, disclosing the applied-for domain strings, contention sets, and applying entities. The release was documented by Hacker News from ICANN's announcement at https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-reveals-2026-round-applications-for-new-generic-top-level-domains-07-10-2026-en.

The submission window ran from April 30 through August 12, 2026. The initial dataset published on ICANN's website captures primary string application records as of October 7, 2026, with final counts and categories scheduled for confirmation on String Confirmation Day.

"Reveal Day marks an important milestone for the next expansion of the Domain Name System," Kurtis Lindqvist, president and chief executive officer of ICANN, said in a statement. "These applications demonstrate how organizations around the world are innovating 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."

With the applicant list now public, a string replacement window is open from October 8 at 00:01 UTC through October 21, 2026, at 23:59 UTC. During these two weeks, applicants that submitted an alternate replacement string may switch away from their primary choice, provided the replacement is eligible and does not match another applied-for primary or replacement string. ICANN cautioned that replacement strings may still encounter contention later through singular/plural notifications or String Confusion Objections.

Following the replacement period, ICANN will hold String Confirmation Day to publish finalized string listings and updated contention sets. That milestone opens a 10-day period ending November 27, 2026, at 23:59 UTC, during which applicants can withdraw to receive a 65 percent refund of their gTLD evaluation fee.

The program's Community Input and Objections Period will run from November 17, 2026, through March 16, 2027. Program operations will pause during ICANN's year-end closure from December 19, 2026, at 1:00 UTC until January 4, 2027, at 16:00 UTC, with the closure factored into the schedule so stakeholders maintain the full allotted objection and comment window.

All applied-for strings and allocatable variant strings will undergo concurrent evaluation in the String Evaluation Stage, which is expected to take 180 days. A virtual Prioritization Draw to set the processing order for applications and contention sets will follow on an undetermined date in the first half of 2027.