ICANN Confirms Number of Applications Proceeding in the 2026 Round
23-Sep-2026
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Source : The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
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Visits : 64
LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) confirms that 1,616 new generic top-level domain (gTLD) applications will proceed in the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round. These are applications for which payment has been received – a condition necessary to proceed in the round. The submission window closed last month with 1,663 submitted applications, according to the official website of ICANN.
ICANN will publish the public-facing portions of the paid applications on Reveal Day. On this day, applicants and the public will be able to see what gTLDs have been applied for, as well as the strings that may be in contention with one another. This information will be published on the Application Publication and Statistics (APS) website on Reveal Day. The APS is a separate system that pulls public-facing data directly from the TLD Application Management System (TAMS). The APS website also will provide high-level program statistics. Testing of both TAMS and APS processes is ongoing and on track.
Absent extraordinary circumstances, ICANN expects to hold Reveal Day no later than 14 October (as directed in the Applicant Guidebook to be no later than nine weeks after the close of the submission window). ICANN expects to announce the date for Reveal Day and subsequent 2026 milestones early next week. The announcement will include timelines for upcoming milestones including the String Replacement Period, String Confirmation Day, and the Community Input and Objections Period.
In recent weeks, there have been a number of potential 2026 Round applicants who have decided to publicly disclose what string(s) they may have applied for. ICANN encourages applicants and interested parties to remain wary of any information that doesn't come directly from ICANN. ICANN is the only source for complete and verified 2026 Round application information, including what entities have applied and for what string(s).
More information about the application lifecycle and upcoming milestones, is available on the 2026 Round Applicant Journey webpage. Check the program's News and Announcement page frequently for the latest updates. This information will also be sent to entities that have submitted an application in TAMS. Applicants that have questions about their specific applications are encouraged to use the inquiry function within TAMS.