ICANN publishes 2026 gTLD Applicant Guidebook in six languages
ICANN has released the official rulebook for the 2026 round of new generic top-level domains in six languages. The Applicant Guidebook explains, step by step, how organisations can apply to operate new domain name extensions and how those applications will be evaluated.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has announced that the Applicant Guidebook for the New Generic Top-Level Domains Program: 2026 Round is now available in all six of ICANN’s official languages. The document can be accessed in Arabic (PDF, HTML), Chinese (PDF, HTML), French (PDF, HTML), Russian (PDF, HTML), Spanish (PDF, HTML), and English (PDF, HTML), with the English version designated as the authoritative text.
To understand the significance of this release, it helps to explain what the Applicant Guidebook is. The Applicant Guidebook, often referred to as the AGB, is the main rulebook for anyone who wants to apply to run a new generic top-level domain. A gTLD is the part of a website address that comes after the dot, such as .shop, .music, or .city. The 2026 round will allow organisations to apply for new gTLDs that are not yet part of the internet’s domain name system.
The AGB sets out all the requirements and procedures that applicants must follow. It explains who can apply, what technical and financial standards must be met, how applications will be evaluated, and what happens if multiple applicants apply for the same domain name. It also describes how objections, disputes, and appeals are handled, as well as the steps leading up to the eventual launch of a new domain.
Rather than presenting these rules as a single block of text, the Guidebook is organised around the stages of an “applicant journey”. This means it follows the process from the moment an application is prepared and submitted, through evaluation and potential challenges, and finally to delegation of the new domain into the global internet system.
Making the Guidebook available in multiple languages is intended to support broader participation from different regions and communities. However, ICANN has clarified that, in case of any differences between translations, the English version takes precedence.
The publication of the 2026 Applicant Guidebook marks an important milestone in the preparation for the next expansion of the domain name system. It provides potential applicants with a clear reference point for understanding how the process will work and what is expected of them before the application window opens.
