The Internet Is About To Expand Again—Here’s What Business Leaders Should Know

This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.​Tony Kirsch is the commercial director and cofounder of the Brand Safety Alliance (a GoDaddy Registry Initiative).

gettyDomain names have long been the internet’s version of real estate. ​

There are high-value web addresses with short, recognizable terms, and there are longer, more obscure addresses that carry smaller price tags. There are well-known neighborhoods that have been around since the beginning, such as .com and .org, or country-specific domains, such as .uk or .de. There are also newer options based on interest, community, city or industry, such as .shop, .bank or .nyc.​

The number of web extensions available to consumers is set to expand again—and here’s why this matters for businesses.

The most important term to understand is the top-level domain (TLD), the word or letters to the right of the dot at the end of the domain. In Forbes.com, for example, the TLD is .com. TLDs that don’t represent a country or territory are also sometimes called generic TLDs, or gTLDs.​

For many years, the web operated on a limited number of TLDs. Then in 2012, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global organization responsible for coordinating the domain name system, opened applications for new gTLDs—and received almost 2,000.

​Ultimately, more than 1,200 new gTLDs were added to the DNS root zone database, including .shop, .online, .club and .xyz. Some brands also secured extensions for their own exclusive use, including .google, .bmw, .barclays and .canon.​

The key takeaway is that the domain landscape businesses operate in is not fixed. We saw a monumental shift 14 years ago, and we’re poised for another soon.

In April 2026, ICANN opened a second new gTLD application round that resulted in over 1,600 applications. On October 7, ICANN published the applications on “Reveal Day,” giving business leaders their first official look at who has proposed extensions and where multiple applicants are competing for the same extension.​

This doesn’t mean 1,600 new extensions will suddenly appear online. Applications still need to progress through evaluation and, in some cases, objection or contention processes. ICANN will confirm the final list of applied-for strings on November 17. It may be years before we see the full impact of this round, but it’s possible that some new extensions may be available before the end of 2027. ​

So why should business leaders pay attention now?​

New extensions create new opportunities for branding, identity and representation online. ICANN was explicit in its goals for the gTLD program in 2012: “to enhance innovation, competition and consumer choice.” And from that perspective, it has been highly successful, with more than 48 million domains registered in an extension beyond the traditional .com. ​

But innovation changes the risk landscape, too. Every change to the domain ecosystem changes the environment businesses are trying to protect. More namespaces means more territory for security and brand teams to monitor—and more places where consumers must decide whether something is legitimate.​

One lesson from the previous round is that new gTLDs aren’t inherently risky. However, the internet landscape is going to become more complex, and businesses need visibility into what affects them.

Reveal Day gave us a snapshot of what applicants want in the next expansion of the domain namespace. ​

At a high level, 1,614 applications are proceeding for a total of 986 unique “strings,” or domain extensions. This means some gTLDs received more than one application, and a public auction process will determine who gets to proceed. A few interesting trends are already emerging:​

• New online real estate is attracting big buyers. From technology and commerce to lifestyle and professional services, applicants are staking their claims across a wide range of industries. More than a quarter of proposed extensions attracted competing applicants. Brands can expect new opportunities and potentially new territory to protect.​

• AI is shaping the next generation of domain names. The most-contested string was .agent, with 13 applicants, while agi, .api and .robot also attracted considerable interest. As AI reshapes how businesses and consumers interact online, leaders should pay attention to the new naming conventions and digital identities emerging around it.​

• Brands are investing in their own online identities. Around one in five applications was for a brand-specific extension. Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and others are seeking extensions associated with their products and services, from .gemini and .pixel to .instagram and .alexa. These applications show how major businesses are exploring greater control over their digital identities and the ways customers interact with them.​

• Some extensions could change how consumers judge what’s legitimate. Applications for .official, .brand and Chinese-language terms meaning “official website” raise interesting questions about trust and authenticity online. These extensions aren’t inherently risky, and we’ve seen similar examples with .llc and .company, but brands should consider how they might be used, and potentially misused, to create an impression of authority.​

Taken together, the applications point to a more diverse and commercially competitive domain landscape, with emerging technologies, brand identity and online trust all playing a role in shaping what comes next.

You don’t need to have applied for a gTLD to get value from Reveal Day data. You can use the published applications to start identifying which parts of the proposed expansion actually matter to your business. ​

• Understand what’s been applied for, particularly gTLDs relevant to your brand, sector, products, geography or customers.​

• Consider how the changing domain landscape affects your existing exposure and where customers could reasonably encounter confusion or impersonation.​

• Ask whether your current domain monitoring and brand/security strategy gives you sufficient visibility and coverage as new namespaces come online.​

• Think about shifting to more proactive protection, such as domain blocking, to reduce your reliance on monitoring and enforcement.​

• Keep watching as the program develops and successful applications are finalized.​

Reveal Day gives leaders a rare opportunity to witness the evolution of the internet in real time.​

You don’t need to become a domain name expert or overhaul your domain portfolio overnight. ​Not every proposed extension will require a response or pose a threat. But understanding which extensions intersect with your brand, industry and customers will help you prioritize your brand’s protection efforts as the next generation of the internet takes shape.​​

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