ICANN seeks input on evaluation guide for community-based domain applications
ICANN has opened a public comment process on a draft guide that will shape how community-based domain name applications are assessed in the 2026 gTLD round.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is seeking public input on a draft evaluation guide for Community Priority Evaluation (CPE), a mechanism used in its upcoming New gTLD Program 2026 round.
The CPE process is designed to resolve competition between applicants for the same domain name. It applies only to community applications, where an applicant claims to represent a defined group, such as a cultural, professional, or geographic community.
Under this system, an independent expert panel evaluates whether an applicant genuinely represents a community and should be given priority over other applicants. The draft guide outlines how this evaluation will be conducted, including the roles of the panel and ICANN, the steps in the process, and the timeline.
The guide also provides instructions on how the panel should assess specific criteria. These include whether the community is clearly defined, whether there is a meaningful link between the community and the requested domain name, what registration rules are proposed, and whether the application has support from the community it claims to represent.
ICANN notes that the evaluation guide is not a new policy. Instead, it is intended to help apply existing rules already defined in the Applicant Guidebook, which was finalised in late 2025 following a multi-year policy development process.
The current public comment process focuses only on how the evaluation will be carried out in practice, not on the underlying criteria themselves.
After the consultation closes, ICANN will review the feedback and may revise the guide before finalising it. The document will then be used by the external panel responsible for conducting Community Priority Evaluations in the 2026 round.
