What Happened
The application window ran from 30 April to 12 August 2026. In August, ICANN announced that more than 1,600 applications had been submitted, but the strings and applicants were not disclosed until Reveal Day. The previous round took place in 2012 and brought more than a thousand new extensions into the root zone, including .app, .shop and .online.
Key figures from ICANN statistics:
- 1,615 applications in total;
- 333 brand applications;
- 16 community applications and 15 geographic name applications;
- 21 applications for Internationalized Domain Names in non Latin scripts;
- 51 applications from Applicant Support Program participants;
- by region: North America 864, Europe 506, Asia, Australia and the Pacific 218, Africa 16, Latin America and the Caribbean 11.
The list itself contains about 2,800 records. Replacement strings appear as separate records, although the statistics count them within a single application.
What the List Shows
We checked a number of technology related strings in the list of applications, along with several strings that stand out from the rest.
| String | Applicants | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| .agi | 7 applicants, including OpenAI, Radix, ShortDot and Link Freedom Group | the most contested AI string among those we checked |
| .gpt | OpenAI, Link Freedom Group, Pirin Tablet | the developer of ChatGPT competes with portfolio applicants |
| .openai, .chatgpt | OpenAI | brand applications |
| .claude | Anthropic | brand application |
| .llm | Link Freedom Group, Hair Apparent | a technical term as an extension |
| .agentic | Link Freedom Group, Radix | a bet on the AI agents market |
| .quantum | Bird Pepper, Link Freedom Group, Radix, Steelhead | four applicants |
| .robot | at least 9 applicants | one of the most sought after strings |
| .anime | Oinkadot, TOEI ANIMATION | rights holder versus portfolio applicant |
| .factory | Link Freedom Group, Paws Button, USA Made in America, XYZ.COM | competition for a common word |
| .zzz | Link Freedom Group, Oinkadot, XYZ.COM | three portfolio applicants |
| .meow | DotMeow Foundation | single application, filed by a Belgian foundation |
AI terminology has reached the top level of the DNS
OpenAI applied for four strings at once, Anthropic for one. Generic terms such as .agi, .llm and .agentic, however, are being pursued mainly by portfolio registries.
Unusual strings are backed by portfolio strategies
.ghost, .panda, .zzz, .dragon and .anime were all applied for by one company, Oinkadot Inc., which has about 50 records in the list. Link Freedom Group Ltd from Malta has more than 300 records, and its applications appear for almost every string we checked.
Common words create contention sets
Where several applicants seek the same string, ICANN groups them into a contention set. The Reveal Day contention sets have been published as a separate file.
Timeline
ICANN will publish the final list of strings on 17 November 2026, String Confirmation Day. The schedule of upcoming milestones was announced in advance:
| Date | Milestone | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October 2026, 18:00 UTC | Reveal Day | publication of applications, strings and contention sets |
| 8 October (00:01 UTC) to 21 October 2026 (23:59 UTC) | Replacement Period | applicants may switch to a replacement string if it is eligible and does not match another string |
| 17 November 2026 | String Confirmation Day | final list of strings and updated contention sets |
| by 27 November 2026, 23:59 UTC | Refund window | withdrawal with a 65 percent refund of the evaluation fee |
| 17 November 2026 to 16 March 2027 | Community Input and Objections Period | application comments, Governmental Advisory Committee Early Warnings, objections by rights holders |
| 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 | ICANN Office Closure | program operations paused, already factored into the timeline |
| about 180 days | String Evaluation Stage | review of strings against program requirements |
| first half of 2027 | Prioritization Draw | sets the processing order of applications and contention sets |
| not yet announced | Later milestones | String Evaluation results, contention resolution, contracting with ICANN |
What This Means for Business
For rights holders, the decisive period runs from 17 November 2026 to 16 March 2027. If an applied for string matches a trademark or may mislead users, an objection can be filed during this period. Once it closes, the options to influence the fate of a string within the program narrow significantly.
After new extensions launch, brand protection moves to the second level, meaning domains such as yourbrand.newextension. Every new extension widens the space for cybersquatting, so monitoring should be in place before registrations open.
Applicants face their next decisions by 21 October (switching to a replacement string) and by 27 November (withdrawal with a partial refund).
REVERA Recommendations
- review the list of applications for matches with your trademarks and product names, including similar spellings and transliterations;
- record key trademarks with the Trademark Clearinghouse before new extensions launch, to secure sunrise priority and receive notices of domain registrations containing your brand;
- where there are grounds for an objection, gather evidence of trademark rights, use and reputation in advance, so the objection can be filed on time after 17 November;
- applicants should check their string against the contention sets list and decide on any replacement string by 21 October.
How REVERA Can Help
We will keep following the 2026 Round and, after 17 November, report on how the list has changed, which strings remain in contention sets and which objections rights holders have filed.
Domain disputes go well beyond new extensions. The REVERA Arbitration & IT Disputes practice assesses prospects and handles domain disputes in any zone, including:
- UDRP, URS and PDDRP proceedings before accredited providers;
- complaints to registrars and hosting companies;
- objections to ICANN and brand protection in new extensions after launch.
We register trademarks and handle domain disputes as a single process: the earlier brand rights are secured, the easier any later dispute is to resolve.
