ICANN board approves standard contract for new domain registries in 2026 round

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved the 2026 Base Registry Agreement, the standard contract that organisations must sign if they are selected to operate new internet domain endings in the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round.

The decision was adopted by the ICANN Board of Directors on 12 March 2026 and forms part of preparations for the next round of applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

Top-level domains are the final part of an internet address, such as .com, .org, or .net. ICANN’s gTLD programme allows organisations to apply to operate new domain endings, for example .city, .shop or .brand, expanding the internet’s domain name system.

The Base Registry Agreement defines the rules that successful applicants must follow when running a top-level domain. These include technical standards, operational responsibilities, security obligations and service requirements designed to ensure that domain registries operate reliably and safely within the global internet infrastructure.

A registry operator is the organisation responsible for managing a specific domain ending. It maintains the database of registered domain names and ensures that the technical systems supporting the domain function properly.

According to ICANN, the 2026 agreement reflects extensive discussions within the organisation’s multistakeholder community, including work by the Implementation Review Team and four public comment consultations that allowed stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed contractual framework.

The agreement establishes the baseline obligations for registry operators participating in the 2026 round of the gTLD programme, which is expected to open opportunities for new domain name spaces on the internet while maintaining the stability and security of the domain name system.