On October 7, 2026, ICANN published the list of applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). According to the published statistics, 481 applicants submitted a total of 1,615 applications, and both OpenAI and Meta are seeking to operate ".agent." This is the first call for new gTLDs since 2012, and applicants filed for generic AI-related terms as well as many domains based on company and product names. What applicants are after is not simply an address for a single website. It is the right to manage and operate an entire top-level domain. The key questions are not only which company wins the right to operate a given domain, but also who will be able to use it, and under what conditions.
13 applications for ".agent," with OpenAI and Meta among the competitors
Counting applications by requested string, based on the contention sets ICANN published on October 7, ".agent" drew 13 applications, ".agi" drew 7, and ".asi" drew 5.
Applicants for ".agent" include OpenAI's OPENAI OPCO, LLC and Meta Registry Holdings LLC, as well as domain-industry companies such as Radix and XYZ.COM.
The result is a contest in which companies developing AI services and companies whose business is domain registration and operation are vying for the right to run the same top-level domain.
| Applied-for domain | Applications | Main applicants |
|---|---|---|
| .agent | 13 | OpenAI, Meta, Radix, XYZ.COM |
| .agi | 7 | OpenAI, Radix, Zero Gravity Labs |
| .asi | 5 | OpenAI, Radix, Link Freedom Group |
| .mcp | 5 | OpenAI, Radix, ShortDot |
These counts come from tallying application IDs for the same string in the CSV of contention sets published by ICANN. We also cross-checked them against the CSV of the public application list, limiting the check to entries whose application type is "New gTLD."
All figures reflect first-choice applications as of October 7. Contention may change as applications are withdrawn, requested strings are changed, or similar strings are evaluated.
One distinction matters here: the "primary application" for an applicant's first-choice string versus the "alternate string" submitted in advance as a second choice.
For example, searching the public application list for ".asi" returns six entries. One of them, however, is an alternate candidate submitted by Ipollo Tech, so five are first-choice applications.
In addition, the statistics on ICANN's Application Publication System (APS) count a primary application and its alternate string together as a single application. Simply adding up the rows in the public list therefore will not match the overall total of 1,615 applications.
The figure of 1,615 is not the number of newly approved top-level domains.
Multiple companies have applied for the same string, and some applications may fail to pass evaluation.
In the 2012 round, more than 1,200 new gTLDs were introduced. That figure, however, counts domains actually introduced after evaluation, which is a different stage from the number of applications filed this time.
".chatgpt" is a brand-only domain, while ".agent" is a generic domain
Of the 15 primary applications OpenAI submitted, five are classified as brand use in the public list.
Specifically, these are ".chatgpt," ".codex," ".gpt," ".oai" and ".openai."
The other 10 include ".agent," ".agi" and ".asi," as well as ".model" and ".voice."
Meta applied for ".agent" in addition to domains tied to its own brands, such as ".facebook" and ".instagram."
Anthropic, meanwhile, applied for two domains, ".anthropic" and ".claude," both classified as brand use.
These are classifications made at the time of application, however, and do not mean their eligibility as brand TLDs has been formally recognized.
What exactly are the companies trying to acquire in these applications?
When a company or individual normally registers a domain name such as example.com, they acquire the example part in front of .com.
In the new gTLD round, by contrast, applicants are seeking the right to operate the top-level domain itself, the equivalent of .com.
A company that obtains the operating rights builds the systems for managing domain names registered under that top-level domain and is in a position to set registration conditions.
But the rules for restricting who can register differ between brand-name top-level domains and those based on generic terms.
Section 3.1.7 of ICANN's Applicant Guidebook prohibits "exclusive use of generic strings," in which a gTLD representing the name of a generic good or service can be registered only by its operator and affiliates.
Applicants must confirm that they do not intend to operate in such an exclusive manner.
Brand TLDs, on the other hand, can limit registrants to the operating company, its affiliates, and companies licensed to use the trademark.
In other words, even if OpenAI wins the operating rights to ".agent," it could not keep it exclusively for its own group the way it can with ".chatgpt."
That said, the ban on exclusive use of generic strings does not mean anyone can register unconditionally.
Specific registration eligibility and terms of use will be determined by each applicant's operating plan and the contract ultimately signed with ICANN.
There are also rules on how domains are sold.
Under Section 2.10 of the Applicant Guidebook, users register domain names, in principle, through ICANN-accredited registrars.
The operator of a top-level domain (the registry) is obliged to provide services on non-discriminatory terms to registrars that meet the prescribed contract conditions, unless ICANN has granted an exemption from the code of conduct.
Registrars, however, are under no obligation to sell any particular top-level domain.
Winning operating rights therefore does not by itself let users buy the new domain. Making registration actually possible also requires cooperation with registrars that handle sales.
$227,000 per application, and private deals between competitors are prohibited
In the 2026 round, the base evaluation fee is US$227,000 per application.
There are exceptions for applicants eligible for the support program and for certain variant-domain applications. Additional costs may also arise if further evaluation is needed.
The $227,000 is the fee for ICANN to review and evaluate the application. It is distinct from any winning bid that might be needed when companies compete for the same domain, and from the fees ordinary users pay to register domain names.
Operators must also bear separate costs to maintain a top-level domain after launch.
So how are operating rights decided when multiple companies apply for the same string, as with ".agent"?
ICANN provides community priority evaluation and a formal new gTLD auction as means of resolving contention.
Community priority evaluation examines applications aimed at a specific community, looking at the relationship with that community and the public interest, and decides whether to give them priority.
If contention is still not resolved through these procedures, an auction is held as the last resort.
One feature of this system that stands out is that it prohibits competing applicants from privately arranging for others to withdraw their applications.
Section 5.2.3 of the Applicant Guidebook does not permit private auctions or joint ventures aimed at resolving contention.
Negotiations that offer money or other economic benefits in exchange for a competitor withdrawing its application are also prohibited.
That means a company cannot obtain operating rights by, for example, paying a competitor to withdraw.
The formal auction uses a format in which the price is raised in stages and participants drop out one by one.
The last remaining applicant wins, and in principle pays an amount equal to the second-highest bid.
In a direct contest over the same string, a single application ultimately qualifies to move on to the next procedures.
Winning an auction does not mean the right to operate the top-level domain is granted at that point, however.
The winner must still pass evaluations of the applicant and application and sign a contract with ICANN.
Even a company that prevails through financial strength must meet the conditions required of a domain operator.
The existing ".ai" and the newly applied-for ".agent" fall under different systems
".ai" is already widely used as an AI-related domain.
But ".ai" and the newly applied-for ".agent" and ".agi" occupy different positions in the system.
According to IANA's delegation record, ".ai" is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) of Anguilla, a British territory in the Caribbean.
Because the string evokes artificial intelligence (AI), it is also used by AI companies and services, but it was originally assigned to a specific country or region.
The operating rights to ".ai" are therefore not being reassigned in this new gTLD round.
".agent" and ".agi," by contrast, are candidates being evaluated as new generic top-level domains.
If they are formally introduced, they could give companies and individuals developing AI-related services more domain name options.
For example, a service offering AI agents might use ".agent" to convey its field through the domain name itself.
Whether they actually become available, however, depends on whether each application passes evaluation and is formally delegated as a top-level domain.
Registration eligibility and pricing have not been determined at this point.
Nor does the large number of applications for ".agent" and ".agi" mean users will move away from the existing ".ai."
When choosing a domain name, factors beyond how clear or short the string is matter, including registration price, renewal costs, terms of use, and whether it can be kept long-term.
The value of a new top-level domain has to be judged once its actual registration terms are known.
Applications are finalized on November 17; actual availability is further off
Publication of the application list has moved ICANN's new gTLD round to its next stage.
From October 8 to 21, applicants can switch their applications to the alternate strings they submitted in advance.
However, if an alternate candidate is identical to another applicant's first choice or alternate, the applicant cannot change to that string.
Publication of the list also gives each company a chance to see its competitors and decide whether to keep its first choice or switch to its second.
The main upcoming dates are as follows.
| Date | Main procedure |
|---|---|
| October 7, 2026 | Applicants and applied-for strings published |
| October 8–21, 2026 | Period for changing to eligible alternate strings |
| November 17, 2026 | Applied-for strings finalized, contention sets updated, comment and objection period opens |
| March 16, 2027 | Comment and objection period closes |
| First half of 2027 (planned) | Draw to determine processing order for applications after string evaluation |
These dates are based on the schedule ICANN announced on September 29.
String evaluation is expected to take about 180 days, and start dates for the subsequent applicant and application evaluations and for contention resolution procedures are to be set later.
In addition, the list on ICANN's Application Publication System will not be updated until the string finalization date of November 17.
When checking the public list, note that application withdrawals or changes to alternate strings made in the meantime will not be reflected immediately.
The Applicant Guidebook lays out a plan to carry the whole round through evaluation, contracting and delegation of top-level domains by around June 2030.
That does not mean no new gTLD will be available until June 2030. How long each application takes will vary depending on evaluation and contention.
In its official announcement of October 7, ICANN also explained that the final number and types of applications will be fixed on November 17.
The fact that 13 applications were filed for ".agent" therefore cannot be used to predict when it might actually launch.
The application list shows that AI companies such as OpenAI and Meta are interested not only in their own brand names but also in domains built on generic terms that symbolize the AI industry.
Even if a top-level domain ".agi" is introduced, however, it would not certify the realization of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
What to watch next is which applications remain after finalization on November 17 and who ultimately wins the operating rights.
Also important will be what registration eligibility and terms of use operators set, and at what price they offer domain names.
The new gTLD applications are also a move by AI companies to secure new namespaces on the internet. Whether those namespaces will be open to a broad range of users or come with strict terms of use will be decided by upcoming evaluations and operating policies.
Rather than judging each domain's prospects by application counts alone, it is necessary to watch developments until registration conditions are in place and the domains are offered as services.