What is the .app generic Top Level Domain Extension?

Apps have become a mainstay of how we interact with and experience the internet. We use them on our mobile phones, tablets, PCs and browsers. They entertain us and inform us. They get us from point A to point B. They keep us connected and productive. And now, they finally have a secure, dedicated domain name extension in the form of .app.

.app is the More Secure Home for Apps on the Web

Acquired by Google in 2015, .app is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) that is backed by Google Registry. While .app domans may be registered by anyone, it is especially relevant to application, software developers and businesses.

Benefits of Registering .app

With more than 6 million apps mobile apps available across the Google Play and Apple App stores alone, an .app domain will be the easiest and most effective way to communicate with potential users and increase your app’s discoverability online.

As a secure namespace (see below), .app provides a trustworthy online location for developers and businesses who want to:

• Share download links, screenshots, release notes and other information that can enrich the user experience
• Provide a space for their app community where users can gather, leave reviews and share feedback
• A dedicated home for web-based applications, separate and distinct from a corporate website

.app Registration Phases

Sunrise for Trademark Holders

To register a trademark as a .app domain, prior enrollment with ICANN’s Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) is required to validate your trademark.

Early Access Period and General Availability

Pre-orders submitted for Early Access Period (aka EAP, and sometimes Landrush) and General Availability will be held in a queue on a first come, first served basis. They are no risk and no-fee, with only successfully registered domains incurring charges. EAP runs over a 7-day period, with premium access fees at their highest on day one (USD $16,534.99) and their lowest on days five through seven (USD $204.99). The EAP fees are in addition to the USD $34.99 registration fee.

Pre-ordering for General Availability has no additional cost, you simply pay the registration fee if the domain is successfully acquired.

.app Premium Domains

Registry premium domains have a greater registration fee, with pricing ranging from USD $49 to $1599. This is a one-time registration fee, with the domains renewing at standard first-year pricing thereafter.

Who Should Register a .app Domain?

Originally intended for application developers, Google Registry has since confirmed that there will be no registration restrictions pertaining to .app, allowing anyone to freely register .app domain names.

As the most anticipated domain release in recent years, we recommend that the following groups proactively secure trademarks during the Sunrise registration period, or pre-order their .app product names ahead of Landrush and General Registration to increase their chances of successfully securing the domains they want.

• Brands [to both safeguard trademarks, as well as host brand-owned app content]
• Government, not-for-profits and educational institutions
• Development companies, programmers, startups
• Businesses with existing or planned apps
• Domain investors
• Companies with custom, internal-facing apps

Creating a Secure .app Namespace through HTTPS

As part of Google’s push towards universal adoption of HTTPS, the entire .app namespace has been added to the HSTS Preload list. As such, all second-level domains under .app will only load on modern browsers if a valid SSL certificate has been configured and the web server is serving HTTPS.

Learn more about configuring HTTPS, how SSL works, and obtaining an SSL certificate.