6a, 57 Miller Street Murrarie QLD 4172
On the 24th of March 2022, new domains, .au domains (no .com or .org), became available to anyone with a verified connection to Australia. Here is what you need to know:
What is the change?
Essentially, these domains no longer need the .com or .net before the .au. These new domains do away with the .com, .net, and .org, resulting in domains that are four characters shorter e.g., mydomain.au. They do not replace existing domains, they are simply a new range of domains that are shorter.
How do I confirm my .au domain?
If you own a 3rd level .au domain (mydomain.com.au, mydomain.net.au, mydomain.org.au etc), you have priority status to acquire the new .au domain, but for a limited time only. In most cases, registrars will send information to you (or the registered contact for your domains) with information on how to claim your .au address.
How long do I have?
The priority status for .au domains expires on 20 September 2022. After this date, unclaimed .au domains will be available to the public.
Can others claim my .au domain?
Possibly…
If you own a 3rd level .au domain (mydomain.com.au, mydomain.net.au, mydomain.org.au), your new .au domain will be held under a priority status as mentioned above. However, if multiple parties have 3rd level domains, then a priority category process is undertaken.
For example:
- Brian is the registrant of mydomain.com.au
- Brianna is the registrant of mydomain.net.au
In this case, whoever is in the highest priority category has first claim. Priority categories are as follows:
- Priority Category 1: Domain names created on or before the cut-off date of 4 February 2018
- Priority Category 2: Domain names created after the cut-off date of 4 February 2018
If Brian and Brianna are both Category 1 applicants, a negotiation is required. If this cannot be resolved, the domain remains on priority hold until there is only one applicant even if this goes beyond the September 20 priority expiration date.
If Brian and Brianna are both Category 2 applicants, then allocation goes to the applicant with the earliest creation date.
What if I don’t have a 3rd level domain?
If no one owns a 3rd level .au domain for a corresponding .au domain, then the .au domain can be acquired by anyone who is permitted to register an Australian domain name.
Is this important?
For a lot of businesses, this may not seem too important, but from our point of view, your business should want ownership of your .au name if for no other reason than to prevent other unrelated businesses from using it. Equally, it may be useful to use for future campaigns such as a new application or new services range.
We can help!
Aryon can assist you with organising your .au domain. Contact us at info@116.90.41.25 or 07 3414 0600, or use the form below and we can help manage this for you.
