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Something that makes the 2026 new gTLD round very different from 2012 is this:
That’s a good thing. It also means applicants will hear more advice than ever about dotBrands and new gTLDs — and it won’t all sound the same.
Recently, I read several excellent pieces from colleagues in our space:
Links are at the end of this article. All are thoughtful and helpful… and each looks at the same moment from a slightly different angle. These are all healthy, different, and serious perspectives on the same opportunity, which is exactly what you want when you’re making a rare, long-term decision.
Back in 2011, before the last round, I wrote an article called “9 New TLD Scenarios to Consider and Possible Actions.”
The core idea for brand applicants was simple:
Those scenarios are reprinted in my book, and the lessons still hold up pretty well today. The names, dates, and policies change – the thinking doesn’t.
So let’s come back to the present:
I co-authored “How to Get Your Own Top-Level Domain” to give brands, governments, and entrepreneurs a clear, non-technical guide to this exact decision for the upcoming round.
Because there are more experienced players now, something new is happening:
My suggestion to new gTLD applicants and brands is:
The point isn’t to create analysis paralysis. It’s to make sure this rare decision is being tested from multiple angles before you lock in a path.
We’re not positioning ourselves against long-established players like Com Laude, Markmonitor, or any advisors. They are valued colleagues and collaboration partners.
So when you consider your application, don’t just take the defaults offered to you. We’re a “secret weapon” RSP for brands.
If our view lines up with what you’ve already been told, that’s reassuring.
If we see something different — a risk, an option, or a model you haven’t heard yet – that might be even more valuable.
If you’re a brand, especially:
Many voices are a gift only if you compare them.
If you’d like our perspective as you work through whether to apply – and with whom – we’re happy to talk.
Referenced resources:
Continue reading at the it.com Domains blog...
- Back then, almost nobody had done this before.
- This time, there are lots of experienced voices: registries, registrars, consultants, and RSPs who’ve actually been through an ICANN round, launched TLDs, and lived with the results for more than a decade.
That’s a good thing. It also means applicants will hear more advice than ever about dotBrands and new gTLDs — and it won’t all sound the same.
Recently, I read several excellent pieces from colleagues in our space:
- Com Laude on why companies with dictionary-term brand names can’t ignore the dotBrand opportunity in 2026.
- NewGtldProgram.com has been offering regular advice on the new gTLD program.
- MarkMonitor’s Q4 2025 New gTLD Report provides brands with a clear, security-focused framework for dotBrand strategy ahead of the April 2026 window.
- Pinky Brand, an expert domain name consultant, wrote an article on considering independent sales channels, offering some important and interesting insights for new gTLD applicants.
- TLDz has been sending an email series covering every aspect of applying for a new gTLD.
Links are at the end of this article. All are thoughtful and helpful… and each looks at the same moment from a slightly different angle. These are all healthy, different, and serious perspectives on the same opportunity, which is exactly what you want when you’re making a rare, long-term decision.
Back in 2011, before the last round, I wrote an article called “9 New TLD Scenarios to Consider and Possible Actions.”
The core idea for brand applicants was simple:
- There are situations where you (a brand manager) should apply for your own TLD,
- Situations where you probably shouldn’t,
- And situations where collaborating with others (industry, geographic, or community applications) makes more sense than going it alone.
Those scenarios are reprinted in my book, and the lessons still hold up pretty well today. The names, dates, and policies change – the thinking doesn’t.
So let’s come back to the present:
I co-authored “How to Get Your Own Top-Level Domain” to give brands, governments, and entrepreneurs a clear, non-technical guide to this exact decision for the upcoming round.
- The book walks through what a TLD is really about (not just a fancy domain name, but infrastructure and control).
- It explains what’s required strategically, financially, and technically to make it work.
- And it tries to translate ICANN-speak into business language your CFO, CISO, and CMO can actually use.
- Most important, it is independent, a message about the process not authored and sponsored by ICANN. I love ICANN, but they have great incentives to be bullish on this entire process. Applicants need independent reality checks before applying.
The 2026 Round: More Information, More Noise, More Need for Comparison
Because there are more experienced players now, something new is happening:
- You’re not going to suffer from a lack of information.
- You’re at risk of being overwhelmed by too much information from too few sources.
My suggestion to new gTLD applicants and brands is:
- Don’t just ask, “What does our usual vendor think?”
- Ask, “What do three or four experienced voices say — and where do they agree or disagree?”
The point isn’t to create analysis paralysis. It’s to make sure this rare decision is being tested from multiple angles before you lock in a path.
Where it.com Domains Ltd Fits In – We’re a “Secret Weapon” RSP to Add to the Mix.
We’re not positioning ourselves against long-established players like Com Laude, Markmonitor, or any advisors. They are valued colleagues and collaboration partners.
- But our team brings over 40 years of combined domain industry experience,
- including direct involvement in applications and launches from the 2012 new gTLD round.
- We understand the policy and operational history behind this next round.
- We know what went right – and what hurt – in the last one.
- And we’ve built our RSP, with those lessons in mind.
So when you consider your application, don’t just take the defaults offered to you. We’re a “secret weapon” RSP for brands.
- Put us in the comparison set.
- Let us be the second or third conversation you have about your dotBrand or TLD plans.
- Use us to pressure-test the advice and proposals you’re already hearing.
If our view lines up with what you’ve already been told, that’s reassuring.
If we see something different — a risk, an option, or a model you haven’t heard yet – that might be even more valuable.
If you’re a brand, especially:
- a dictionary-word brand, or
- a large or regulated organization that worries about security, abuse, and long-term digital trust,
- Read widely, but decide carefully. Take in what several advisors propose, and what others are saying.
- Revisit the fundamentals. Look at the scenarios I outlined back in 2011 and the expanded guidance in our book.
- Talk to more than one provider. Include your current partners and at least one or two additional voices – including us at it.com. There is no fee to have a conversation with us.
Many voices are a gift only if you compare them.
If you’d like our perspective as you work through whether to apply – and with whom – we’re happy to talk.
Referenced resources:
- https://comlaude.com/generic-brand-names-dotbrand-2026-opportunity/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/markmonitor/posts/
- https://alagna.com/2011/9-new-tld-scenarios-to-consider-and-possible-actions_289
- https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Your-Level-Domain-ebook/dp/B0FGG2756V
- https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7404257471722430464/
Continue reading at the it.com Domains blog...
