10 Key “Need-to-Knows” from ICANN’s draft Applicant Guidebook

On the 30th of May ICANN published the long-awaited complete draft Applicant Guidebook (AGB) that will govern the next round of new gTLDs. This important document sets out the entire application and evaluation procedure, the rules for application, and the application questions. Think of it as the TLD applicant bible. The draft AGB is out for public comment until the 23^rd of July 2025, before the final version is due to be published in December. However, we do not expect there to be many material changes to this draft version. At nearly 400 pages, the AGB is a dense and complex document so here we have highlighted what we think are the 10 most important takeaways that wannabe applicants need to know.

1. Application Fees

Perhaps the most important thing prospective applicants have been waiting to hear is how much it will cost them to submit an application to ICANN. The draft AGB confirms the main fee to submit one TLD application will be $227,000. There are additional fees for certain other processes, such as strings which are geographic names and strings which need to be evaluated as communities, though most won’t require those evaluations. To apply as a dotBrand TLD there is an extra charge of $500 so the total application fee for a standard dotBrand application will be $227,500.

Limited refunds are available for applicants that withdraw their applications. Anyone that withdraws their application before String Confirmation day (when the list of applications is published) will receive a 65% refund; a withdrawal between String Confirmation day and the start of applicant evaluation will see a 35% refund; and a withdrawal between the start of applicant evaluation and just prior to signing a Registry Agreement with ICANN will see a 20% refund.

2. Application Timeline

The exact dates of the application period will not be confirmed until nearer the time, but we know that the application window is due to open in April next year for a period of 12-15 weeks. Our best guess is that it will open at the end of April and close some time in August 2026. That means applicants will have access to ICANN’s online application system (known as TAMS) to submit their application during that period. Once the system shuts in August it will not be possible to submit any further applications. Although there is a desire to hold future application rounds, it is not known when they might occur. Thus, missing this opportunity could lock you out for years to come (it has been 13 years since the previous application round).

3. Application Requirements

The application itself comprises a series of over 200 questions, though not every question applies to all applicants. The application can be broken down into four main sections: i) information on the applying entity and its Directors (background checks will be carried out); ii) the TLD being applied for and the proposed operating model (e.g. dotBrand, restricted TLD, open TLD); iii) the Registry Service Provider (RSP) the applicant will work with to operate the TLD; and iv) financial suitability, including provision of financial statements and evidence of sufficient funding.

Supporting documentation is required for many of the questions.

4. Prioritisation Process

After the application period has closed and ICANN has published the list of applications it received, a draw will be held to determine the order in which ICANN will process the applications. It will not be mandatory to participate in the draw but those that don’t will go to the back of the processing queue. Once the draw has taken place there will be a clearer picture of approximately how long each application will take to evaluate.

5. RSP Evaluation Program

The majority of applicants will not have an in-house technical solution to operate a TLD registry so typically it is outsourced to a specialist Registry Service Provider (RSP). RSPs that want to solicit business in the next round will first need to go through ICANN’s RSP Evaluation Program to ensure they can meet the required technical standards. A list of Evaluated providers will be published by ICANN in December 2025, from which point applicants can begin selecting their chosen provider. When completing the TLD application the applicant simply selects the name of the RSP they have agreed to work with.

6. Comments and Objections Process

Upon the publication of the submitted applications there will be a 90-day opportunity for the public to file comments in relation to an application. Although such comments will not be treated as formal objections, comments can be considered by the application evaluators.

Separately there is a formal application objection process which includes four grounds for filing an objection: Legal Rights; String Confusion, Community, and Limited Public Interest. Parties that have standing can file an objection against an application, to which the applicants can respond before the case is decided by a dispute resolution panellist. In addition to these four objection types, governments can file objections against applications through their representative body, the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). However, such objections must have the full consensus of the GAC, i.e. a single government can veto a GAC objection.

7. String Similarity and Contention

There can only be one instance of a given TLD so in cases where multiple applicants apply for the same TLD, irrespective of whether an applicant has trademark rights over the string, those applications will be placed into a contention set, from which only one application can emerge. Applicants in a contention set will have an opportunity to switch to a pre-selected alternate string (e.g. an applicant for .apple could switch to .pear to escape contention) but if that does not resolve a contention set the TLD will be auctioned between the applicants. DotBrand applicants have an additional option to escape contention by adding a word or words from their trademark class of goods and services to supplement their TLD string. For example, if Delta Airlines was in contention for .delta they could change their string to .deltaairlines.

Contention sets need not be limited to duplicate TLDs. The concept of “confusing similarity” applies, where if two TLDs would likely be confused by internet users (e.g. .unicorn and .unicom) they cannot be allowed to co-exist. A new rule means the singular and plural variation of the same word will almost certainly be put into a contention set (e.g. .bottle and .bottles).

8. Evaluation Timeline

Once the application window has closed, ICANN will evaluate all the applications it has received. Projecting an accurate timeline for the application evaluation is almost impossible due to the unknown number of applications ICANN will receive and the range of contingent steps in the application process that applications may or may not need to navigate. However, based on an assumption of ICANN receiving 1,500 applications, a straightforward application (i.e. one which is not in contention, doesn’t receive objections, etc.) could be processed within 15 months of the close of the application window. Thus, we could see the first new TLDs being delegated to the DNS from late 2027 – early 2028. Applications with a worse prioritisation number or with contingent steps to overcome will take longer.

9. The Registry Agreement

Once an applicant navigates the application and evaluation processes, ICANN grants them the right to operate the TLD they have applied for. That right is granted through executing a contract with ICANN known as the Registry Agreement. In exchange for the right to operate the TLD, the applicant must meet a range of obligations including operational SLAs, commitments to tacking abusive domains, and regular reporting on the registry. It should be noted that there is little, if any opportunity to negotiate specific terms and conditions within the Registry Agreement.

10. Ongoing Costs

Any applicant that passes through the evaluation process and signs a Registry Agreement with ICANN will have to pay annual fees to ICANN for the right to operate the TLD. Currently that annual fee stands at $25,750, though ICANN does reserve the right to make inflation-related increases from time to time.

The publication of the Applicant Guidebook is an important milestone as it provides prospective gTLD applicants with the critical information they need to begin preparing for application. With 10 months until the application window opens, now is the time to consider the opportunity, agree budgets, and create a business plan. Com Laude worked on over 120 TLD applications during the 2012 round and has a second-to-none track record of success. If you would like to know more about how we can help you consider this opportunity, please complete the Contact Us form on our website.

Look out for the second part of our analysis of the Applicant Guidebook in the coming weeks, where we’ll explain the rules and procedures that have changed since the 2012 application round.