Currently Usable Top-Level Domains (TLDs): A Comprehensive Guide to Domain Extensions and Their Best Uses
Choosing a domain name is no longer simply a matter of deciding between .com, .net and .org. The modern Domain Name System contains a very large and diverse collection of top-level domains (TLDs), ranging from traditional country-code extensions such as .ke, .uk and .za, to generic extensions such as .com, .org, .shop and .technology, geographic extensions such as .africa and .london, professional extensions such as .law and .cpa, and highly specialized or restricted extensions such as .bank.
The right TLD can communicate what an organization does, where it operates, whom it serves, or what type of entity it represents before a visitor even reaches the website.
However, there is an important distinction between a TLD being delegated and technically active and that TLD being available to the general public for domain registration. IANA’s Root Zone Database is the authoritative reference for delegated TLDs, and it contains generic, country-code, sponsored and other categories.
This guide explains the major currently usable TLD categories and provides a practical comparison of the extensions most relevant to businesses, organizations, institutions, governments, professionals, communities and individuals.
What Is a TLD?
A Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the part of an Internet domain name appearing immediately after the final dot.
For example:
The .com portion is the TLD.
Likewise:
- example.ke → .ke
- example.org → .org
- example.africa → .africa
- example.tech → .tech
- example.co.ke → .ke is technically the TLD, while .co.ke is a second-level domain structure under Kenya’s country-code TLD.
- example.ac.ke → .ke is the TLD.
TLDs are administered through the global DNS hierarchy. IANA maintains the Root Zone Database containing the delegation information for TLDs.
The Major Types of TLDs
Modern TLDs can broadly be divided into several categories:
- Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)
- Country-Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs)
- Sponsored Top-Level Domains (sTLDs)
- Generic-restricted TLDs
- Geographic and community-oriented TLDs
- Professional and industry-specific TLDs
- Internationalized Domain Name TLDs (IDN TLDs)
- Brand TLDs
- Infrastructure TLDs
ICANN defines gTLDs as a category encompassing traditional extensions such as .com, .net and .org as well as many of the newer extensions introduced through the New gTLD Program.
The current DNS root contains a very large number of delegated TLDs. The 2012 New gTLD program alone resulted in more than 1,200 delegated new gTLDs, while ICANN’s published 2026 statistics show 1,241 delegated gTLDs from that program as of August 31, 2026, subject to later changes and removals.
1. Traditional Generic TLDs
Traditional generic TLDs are among the most recognizable domain extensions on the Internet.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Commercial and general-purpose websites | Companies, businesses, startups, entrepreneurs, brands, online stores |
| .net | Networks, technology and Internet services | ISPs, technology companies, infrastructure providers, software businesses |
| .org | Organizations and public-interest activities | NGOs, charities, associations, foundations, communities |
| .info | Information resources | Information portals, directories, educational resources, reference websites |
| .biz | Business websites | Commercial businesses and enterprises |
| .name | Personal identity | Individuals, personal brands and family websites |
| .pro | Professional services | Consultants, professionals, specialists and service providers |
Among these, .com is the broadest commercial/general-purpose choice. .org communicates an organizational orientation, while .net has historically been associated with networks and technology.
It is important not to assume that the meaning of a TLD automatically creates a legal or regulatory status. A domain ending in .org, for example, does not by itself prove that an entity is a nonprofit organization.
2. Country-Code TLDs (ccTLDs)
Country-code TLDs are generally associated with countries, territories or geographical locations. ICANN describes ccTLDs as domains reserved for countries, territories and geographical locations identified through ISO 3166-1 country codes, although the policies for individual ccTLDs are locally managed and therefore vary considerably.
Examples include:
| TLD | Country/territory association | Best use case |
|---|---|---|
| .ke | Kenya | Kenyan businesses, institutions and individuals |
| .uk | United Kingdom | UK businesses and organizations |
| .us | United States | US organizations and qualifying registrants |
| .ca | Canada | Canadian businesses and organizations |
| .au | Australia | Australian organizations and businesses |
| .nz | New Zealand | New Zealand organizations |
| .za | South Africa | South African organizations |
| .ng | Nigeria | Nigerian businesses and organizations |
| .gh | Ghana | Ghanaian organizations |
| .tz | Tanzania | Tanzanian businesses and institutions |
| .ug | Uganda | Ugandan organizations |
| .rw | Rwanda | Rwandan organizations |
| .et | Ethiopia | Ethiopian organizations |
| .in | India | Indian organizations and businesses |
| .cn | China | Chinese organizations |
| .jp | Japan | Japanese organizations |
| .de | Germany | German organizations |
| .fr | France | French organizations |
| .it | Italy | Italian organizations |
| .es | Spain | Spanish organizations |
| .br | Brazil | Brazilian organizations |
| .mx | Mexico | Mexican organizations |
| .ae | United Arab Emirates | UAE organizations |
| .sa | Saudi Arabia | Saudi organizations |
| .qa | Qatar | Qatari organizations |
| .sg | Singapore | Singaporean organizations |
| .my | Malaysia | Malaysian organizations |
| .id | Indonesia | Indonesian organizations |
Why use a ccTLD?
A ccTLD can communicate geographic identity immediately.
For example:
company.ke
can communicate that the company has a Kenyan identity or market focus.
For an organization operating primarily in one country, a ccTLD can therefore be an important part of its national digital identity.
However, registration requirements differ from one ccTLD to another. Some are relatively open, while others impose residency, corporate presence, trademark, professional or other eligibility requirements.
3. Kenya’s .KE Domain Family
For Kenyan businesses and institutions, the .ke namespace deserves special consideration.
IANA identifies .ke as Kenya’s country-code TLD and lists Kenya Network Information Center (KeNIC) as its manager.
Common Kenyan domain structures include:
| Extension | Typical positioning | Recommended users |
|---|---|---|
| .ke | Direct national identity | Businesses, individuals, organizations, brands |
| .co.ke | Commercial Kenya | Companies, shops, service businesses |
| .or.ke | Organizations | NGOs, associations and organizations |
| .ne.ke | Network-related services | Network and Internet service providers |
| .go.ke | Government | Kenyan government institutions |
| .ac.ke | Academic institutions | Universities, colleges and higher-education institutions |
| .sc.ke | Schools | Schools and educational institutions |
| .me.ke | Personal identity | Individuals and personal brands |
The exact registration rules and eligibility should always be checked with the current Kenyan registry or an authorized registrar rather than inferred from the extension’s name.
4. New Generic TLDs
The expansion of the domain-name system introduced hundreds of descriptive extensions.
These can make a domain name more immediately meaningful.
Examples include:
.app, .dev, .tech, .cloud, .shop, .store, .online, .website, .agency, .company, .digital, .media, .solutions, .services, .consulting, .marketing, .software and .technology.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .app | Applications and app-related services | Software companies, mobile apps, developers |
| .dev | Software development | Developers, programmers, engineering teams |
| .tech | Technology | Technology companies, IT firms, startups |
| .technology | Technology businesses | Technology companies and technical organizations |
| .software | Software products/services | Software companies and developers |
| .cloud | Cloud computing | Cloud providers, SaaS companies, IT services |
| .digital | Digital services | Digital agencies, technology companies, consultants |
| .online | Online businesses | E-commerce, digital services and Internet businesses |
| .website | Websites and web projects | General web projects and online businesses |
| .site | General websites | Businesses, projects and individuals |
| .store | Online retail | E-commerce companies and retailers |
| .shop | Online shopping | Retailers, merchants and e-commerce brands |
| .agency | Agencies | Marketing, recruitment, creative and professional agencies |
| .consulting | Consulting | Consultants and advisory firms |
| .services | Service businesses | Contractors, agencies and service providers |
| .solutions | Solutions providers | B2B service companies and technology businesses |
| .company | General corporate identity | Businesses and commercial enterprises |
| .business | Business activity | Companies, entrepreneurs and commercial projects |
| .marketing | Marketing | Marketing agencies and marketing professionals |
| .media | Media and publishing | Publishers, media companies and content creators |
| .news | News | News publishers and journalism projects |
| .social | Social communities | Community projects and social platforms |
| .community | Communities | Associations, online communities and membership organizations |
These descriptive TLDs can be especially useful where the corresponding .com domain is unavailable or where an organization wants its domain itself to communicate its business category.
5. E-Commerce TLDs
Online retail has several highly descriptive domain extensions.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .shop | Shopping | Retailers and online shops |
| .store | Online stores | E-commerce businesses |
| .market | Marketplaces | Marketplaces, vendors and commerce platforms |
| .shopping | Shopping services | Retail platforms and shopping websites |
| .buy | Commerce and purchasing | Retail campaigns and shopping brands |
| .discount | Discounts and promotions | Promotional websites and retailers |
| .deals | Deals and offers | Discount platforms and retailers |
| .coupons | Coupons | Coupon websites and promotional services |
| .sale | Sales | Retailers and promotional campaigns |
A retailer could therefore use names such as:
brand.shop
brand.store
or
brand.market
depending on its branding strategy.
6. Technology and Startup TLDs
Technology companies have an unusually broad range of relevant extensions.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .tech | Technology | Technology companies |
| .dev | Development | Software developers |
| .app | Applications | App developers |
| .software | Software | Software companies |
| .cloud | Cloud computing | Cloud providers |
| .digital | Digital services | Digital agencies and technology firms |
| .ai | Artificial intelligence | AI companies, AI products and research projects |
| .io | Technology/startups | Technology companies and startups |
| .systems | Technical systems | Systems integrators and infrastructure companies |
| .network | Networks | Networking and technology companies |
| .computer | Computing | Computer companies and technical projects |
| .engineering | Engineering | Engineering companies and professionals |
| .data | Data | Data companies, analytics platforms and data projects |
| .solutions | Technology solutions | IT consultancies and B2B technology companies |
The .ai extension is technically a country-code TLD associated with Anguilla, even though it has become strongly associated with artificial intelligence internationally. This illustrates why the commercial meaning of a domain extension and its formal DNS classification are not always identical.
7. Professional TLDs
Some extensions are particularly suited to professional services.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .law | Legal services | Law firms and legal professionals |
| .lawyer | Lawyers | Lawyers and legal practices |
| .attorney | Attorneys | Attorneys and legal professionals |
| .accountant | Accounting | Accountants and accounting businesses |
| .cpa | Certified public accountants | Eligible CPA professionals and organizations |
| .consulting | Consulting | Consultants and advisory companies |
| .expert | Expertise | Specialists and professional experts |
| .professional | Professional services | Professional practices |
| .doctor | Medical professionals | Eligible medical professionals |
| .dentist | Dentistry | Dental practices and dentists |
| .vet | Veterinary services | Veterinarians and veterinary clinics |
| .health | Health-related services | Health organizations and businesses, subject to applicable policies |
| .clinic | Clinics | Medical and healthcare facilities |
| .care | Care services | Healthcare, eldercare and support services |
| .engineering | Engineering | Engineers and engineering companies |
Specialized TLDs can create a strong semantic connection between the domain name and the organization’s profession.
They should not, however, be treated as substitutes for professional licensing or regulatory authorization.
8. Financial and Banking TLDs
Some domain extensions are particularly sensitive because they are intended for regulated industries.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended users |
|---|---|---|
| .bank | Banking | Eligible banks and banking institutions |
| .insurance | Insurance | Eligible insurance organizations |
| .finance | Financial services | Financial companies and services |
| .financial | Financial services | Financial professionals and organizations |
| .credit | Credit services | Credit businesses and financial services |
| .creditcard | Card-related services | Relevant financial organizations |
| .loans | Lending | Lending businesses, subject to applicable rules |
| .mortgage | Mortgage services | Mortgage companies and professionals |
| .money | Financial services | Finance-related businesses |
| .accountant | Accounting | Accountants and accounting firms |
| .cpa | CPA services | Eligible CPA professionals and organizations |
The important lesson is that not all TLDs are ordinary open-registration spaces.
A TLD can be technically delegated but have registration policies restricting who may register names in it. ICANN’s registry records, for example, distinguish generic, sponsored, brand and other registry arrangements.
Therefore, an organization should verify eligibility before planning its branding around a restricted extension.
9. Education TLDs
Education providers can use several domain strategies.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .edu | Higher education | Eligible educational institutions under the applicable registry rules |
| .academy | Education and training | Academies, training organizations and educators |
| .school | Schools | Schools and education projects |
| .college | Colleges | Colleges and education providers |
| .education | Education | Educational organizations |
| .courses | Courses | Course providers and training platforms |
| .study | Study and learning | Students, education services and learning platforms |
| .training | Training | Training companies and professional educators |
| .university | University-related identity | Universities and university-related organizations, subject to registration rules |
The traditional .edu namespace should not be confused with the more broadly descriptive .education extension. Eligibility for .edu is restricted and should be checked against current registry requirements.
10. Nonprofit, Community and Public-Interest TLDs
Organizations serving communities or public-interest purposes have several possibilities.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .org | Organizations | NGOs, associations, foundations and communities |
| .ngo | Non-governmental organizations | NGOs and eligible nonprofit organizations |
| .charity | Charitable activities | Charities and fundraising organizations |
| .foundation | Foundations | Foundations and philanthropic organizations |
| .community | Community organizations | Community groups and membership organizations |
| .social | Social initiatives | Social projects and communities |
| .care | Care initiatives | Care organizations and social services |
| .church | Churches | Churches and Christian organizations |
| .faith | Faith-related organizations | Faith communities and initiatives |
| .lgbt | LGBTQ+ communities and organizations | Relevant communities and organizations |
The .org extension remains a general organizational namespace rather than a legal certification that the registrant is a nonprofit.
11. Government and Public Institutions
Government organizations normally use their country’s official government namespace rather than a generic commercial extension.
For Kenya, for example:
.go.ke
is associated with Kenyan government institutions.
Examples of government-oriented structures around the world include:
- .go.ke
- .gov
- .gov.uk
- .gov.au
- .gov.za
- other country-specific government namespaces
Government domain eligibility is generally controlled through national policies.
A private business should not select a government namespace merely because it wants to appear authoritative.
12. Geographic TLDs
Geographic TLDs allow a domain to communicate a city, region, country, continent or geographic community.
| TLD | Geographic meaning/use | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .africa | African identity | African businesses, organizations and initiatives |
| .london | London | London businesses and organizations |
| .nyc | New York City | NYC businesses and organizations |
| .berlin | Berlin | Berlin organizations |
| .paris | Paris | Paris businesses and organizations |
| .tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo businesses |
| .dubai | Dubai | Dubai-focused organizations |
| .joburg | Johannesburg | Johannesburg businesses and organizations |
| .capetown | Cape Town | Cape Town businesses and organizations |
| .istanbul | Istanbul | Istanbul businesses and organizations |
| .asia | Asian regional identity | Organizations targeting Asian markets |
| .eu | European Union identity | Eligible European organizations and businesses |
Geographic TLDs can be particularly useful for tourism, real estate, hospitality, local services, cultural organizations and regional businesses.
13. Travel, Hospitality and Tourism TLDs
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .travel | Travel | Travel companies and tourism organizations |
| .vacations | Vacations | Holiday businesses and travel brands |
| .holiday | Holidays | Travel businesses |
| .tours | Tours | Tour operators and guides |
| .flights | Flights | Travel services and flight-related platforms |
| .hotel | Hotels | Hotel and hospitality businesses |
| .hotels | Hotels | Hotel businesses and hotel-related services |
| .restaurant | Restaurants | Restaurants and food businesses |
| .cafe | Cafés | Cafés and coffee businesses |
| .bar | Bars | Bars and hospitality businesses |
| .pizza | Pizza businesses | Pizzerias and pizza brands |
| .food | Food businesses | Food companies and food-related platforms |
| .wine | Wine industry | Wineries, wine businesses and related organizations |
| .beer | Beer industry | Breweries and beer-related businesses |
14. Real Estate and Property TLDs
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .realestate | Real estate | Property companies and real estate professionals |
| .property | Property | Property businesses and investors |
| .homes | Residential property | Home-related businesses |
| .house | Residential property | Property companies and projects |
| .apartments | Apartments | Apartment businesses and property managers |
| .rent | Rentals | Rental companies and property platforms |
| .realtor | Real estate professionals | Eligible real estate professionals |
| .land | Land/property | Land businesses and property projects |
| .mortgage | Mortgage services | Mortgage professionals and companies |
15. Creative, Media and Entertainment TLDs
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .art | Art | Artists, galleries and art institutions |
| .design | Design | Designers and design agencies |
| .media | Media | Publishers and media companies |
| .film | Film | Filmmakers and film organizations |
| .movie | Movies | Film businesses and entertainment |
| .music | Music | Musicians and music organizations |
| .band | Bands | Musical groups |
| .studio | Creative studios | Photography, film, design and creative companies |
| .photography | Photography | Photographers and photography businesses |
| .video | Video | Video creators and production companies |
| .gallery | Galleries | Art galleries and collections |
| .live | Live events/content | Performers, broadcasters and events |
| .events | Events | Event companies and organizers |
16. Retail and Consumer Brands
Brands can use generic extensions to create memorable marketing domains.
Examples include:
- brand.shop
- brand.store
- brand.sale
- brand.market
- brand.fashion
- brand.beauty
- brand.jewelry
- brand.luxury
- brand.style
Relevant TLDs include:
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| .fashion | Fashion | Fashion companies and designers |
| .clothing | Clothing | Clothing retailers |
| .shoes | Footwear | Shoe brands and retailers |
| .beauty | Beauty | Beauty companies and professionals |
| .hair | Hair businesses | Salons and hair brands |
| .jewelry | Jewelry | Jewelers and jewelry brands |
| .luxury | Luxury products | Luxury brands |
| .style | Style/fashion | Fashion and lifestyle businesses |
| .boutique | Boutique retail | Boutique businesses |
17. Industry-Specific TLDs
The New gTLD system contains many extensions built around particular industries and activities.
| TLD | Typical industry | Recommended entities |
|---|---|---|
| .construction | Construction | Contractors and construction companies |
| .builders | Building | Builders and construction firms |
| .cleaning | Cleaning | Cleaning companies |
| .plumbing | Plumbing | Plumbing companies |
| .electric | Electrical services | Electrical contractors |
| .energy | Energy | Energy companies |
| .solar | Solar energy | Solar installers and energy companies |
| .engineering | Engineering | Engineering firms |
| .farm | Agriculture | Farms and agricultural businesses |
| .garden | Gardening | Garden businesses and landscapers |
| .law | Legal | Law firms |
| .healthcare | Healthcare | Healthcare organizations |
| .clinic | Healthcare | Clinics |
| .dentist | Dentistry | Dental practices |
| .vet | Veterinary | Veterinary practices |
| .pharmacy | Pharmacy | Eligible pharmaceutical/pharmacy organizations |
| .finance | Finance | Financial businesses |
| .insurance | Insurance | Eligible insurance organizations |
| .bank | Banking | Eligible banks |
| .accountant | Accounting | Accountants |
| .tax | Tax | Tax professionals and services |
| .coffee | Coffee | Coffee shops and coffee businesses |
| .restaurant | Restaurants | Restaurants |
| .hotel | Hotels | Hotels |
| .travel | Tourism | Travel companies |
18. Personal Branding TLDs
Individuals are no longer limited to .com or .name.
Potential personal-brand extensions include:
.me
.name
.bio
.life
.live
.expert
.pro
.social
For example:
jane.me
john.bio
designer.pro
consultant.expert
These can work particularly well for freelancers, consultants, creators, speakers, authors, photographers and independent professionals.
19. Sponsored and Restricted TLDs
Some TLDs exist specifically for particular communities or industries.
Examples include:
- .aero
- .coop
- .museum
- .jobs
- .travel
- .edu
- .gov
- .mil
- .bank
- .insurance
- .cpa
ICANN notes that sponsored TLDs represent specific communities, with the relevant sponsor participating in the development of policies for that TLD.
Consequently, these extensions should not be treated like unrestricted spaces such as many ordinary generic TLDs.
20. Brand TLDs
Large corporations and organizations can operate their own TLDs.
Examples visible in the root zone include brand-oriented extensions such as:
- .microsoft
- .amazon
- .apple
- .bmw
- .toyota
- .nike
- .sony
- .canon
- .cisco
- .ibm
- .oracle
- .visa
These are generally not ordinary domains that members of the public can simply register.
A brand TLD can allow an organization to control an entire namespace, for example:
product.brand
support.brand
careers.brand
shop.brand
ICANN’s registry database distinguishes brand registry arrangements from ordinary base registry agreements.
This makes brand TLDs particularly relevant to multinational corporations, major consumer brands, financial institutions and organizations with substantial digital ecosystems.
21. Internationalized Domain Name TLDs
The DNS also supports TLDs written in scripts other than Latin characters.
These are known as Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) TLDs.
Examples in the IANA Root Zone Database include TLDs using Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Devanagari, Korean, Japanese and other writing systems.
This is important for organizations whose audiences primarily use languages that do not use the Latin alphabet.
For example, an organization targeting Arabic-speaking users may consider an Arabic-script domain strategy, while a Chinese organization may consider Chinese-character domain infrastructure.
ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD round also expanded the range of scripts eligible for new gTLD applications.
22. A Practical Master Comparison Table
The following table provides a condensed decision-making reference for many of the most relevant TLDs.
| TLD | Best use case | Recommended brand/entity type |
|---|---|---|
| .com | General commercial presence | Companies, businesses, startups |
| .org | Organizations | NGOs, associations, foundations |
| .net | Technology/networking | ISPs, technology and network companies |
| .info | Information | Information portals and resources |
| .biz | Business | Commercial businesses |
| .co | Commercial/startup branding | Companies and startups |
| .io | Technology/startups | Tech companies and startups |
| .ai | Artificial intelligence | AI companies and AI projects |
| .app | Applications | App developers |
| .dev | Development | Developers and software companies |
| .tech | Technology | Technology companies |
| .software | Software | Software companies |
| .cloud | Cloud computing | Cloud/SaaS businesses |
| .digital | Digital services | Digital agencies |
| .online | Online business | Digital businesses |
| .site | General website | Businesses and individuals |
| .website | Website presence | General web projects |
| .shop | E-commerce | Retailers |
| .store | E-commerce | Online stores |
| .market | Marketplace | Marketplaces |
| .agency | Agency | Marketing, recruitment and creative agencies |
| .consulting | Consulting | Consultants |
| .services | Services | Service companies |
| .solutions | Solutions | B2B and technology businesses |
| .company | Corporate identity | Companies |
| .business | Business | Enterprises |
| .marketing | Marketing | Marketing companies |
| .media | Media | Publishers and media businesses |
| .news | News | News organizations |
| .social | Social/community | Communities and social projects |
| .community | Community | Associations and communities |
| .ngo | NGOs | Non-governmental organizations |
| .charity | Charity | Charitable organizations |
| .foundation | Foundations | Foundations and philanthropic bodies |
| .africa | African identity | African businesses and organizations |
| .asia | Asian identity | Asian organizations |
| .eu | European identity | Eligible European entities |
| .travel | Travel | Travel companies |
| .tours | Tours | Tour operators |
| .hotel | Hospitality | Hotels |
| .restaurant | Restaurants | Restaurants |
| .cafe | Café | Cafés |
| .bar | Bars | Bars |
| .food | Food | Food companies |
| .wine | Wine | Wineries and wine businesses |
| .art | Art | Artists and galleries |
| .design | Design | Designers and agencies |
| .studio | Creative production | Studios and creative companies |
| .photography | Photography | Photographers |
| .music | Music | Musicians and music organizations |
| .film | Film | Filmmakers |
| .fashion | Fashion | Fashion brands |
| .beauty | Beauty | Beauty brands and businesses |
| .jewelry | Jewelry | Jewelers |
| .luxury | Luxury | Luxury brands |
| .realestate | Property | Real estate businesses |
| .property | Property | Property companies |
| .homes | Homes | Residential property businesses |
| .rent | Rentals | Rental businesses |
| .construction | Construction | Contractors |
| .builders | Building | Builders |
| .cleaning | Cleaning | Cleaning companies |
| .plumbing | Plumbing | Plumbing businesses |
| .solar | Solar | Solar companies |
| .energy | Energy | Energy businesses |
| .law | Legal | Law firms |
| .lawyer | Legal | Lawyers |
| .attorney | Legal | Attorneys |
| .accountant | Accounting | Accountants |
| .cpa | CPA services | Eligible CPA entities |
| .tax | Tax | Tax professionals |
| .health | Health | Health organizations |
| .healthcare | Healthcare | Healthcare organizations |
| .clinic | Clinical services | Clinics |
| .dentist | Dentistry | Dental practices |
| .doctor | Medical professionals | Eligible medical professionals |
| .vet | Veterinary | Veterinary practices |
| .bank | Banking | Eligible banks |
| .insurance | Insurance | Eligible insurance organizations |
| .finance | Finance | Financial businesses |
| .credit | Credit | Financial/credit businesses |
| .loans | Lending | Lending businesses |
| .mortgage | Mortgages | Mortgage businesses |
| .education | Education | Educational organizations |
| .academy | Training | Academies and training providers |
| .school | Schools | Schools |
| .college | Colleges | Colleges |
| .courses | Courses | Training providers |
| .study | Learning | Education platforms |
| .training | Training | Training companies |
| .university | Universities | University-related entities |
| .ke | Kenya | Kenyan businesses and organizations |
| .co.ke | Kenyan commerce | Kenyan companies |
| .or.ke | Kenyan organizations | NGOs and organizations |
| .go.ke | Kenyan government | Government institutions |
| .ac.ke | Kenyan academia | Universities and higher education |
| .sc.ke | Kenyan schools | Schools |
| .me.ke | Kenyan individuals | Personal websites and brands |
23. Which TLD Should a Business Choose?
There is no single TLD that is appropriate for every organization.
The choice should normally be based on five questions.
1. Where does the organization operate?
A Kenyan company serving primarily Kenyan customers might consider:
brand.ke
or
brand.co.ke
An international company may prefer:
brand.com
or another globally recognizable extension.
2. What does the organization do?
A technology business could use:
brand.tech
A software company could use:
brand.software
A cleaning company could use:
brand.cleaning
A law firm could consider:
brand.law
A restaurant could use:
brand.restaurant
The extension can become part of the marketing message.
3. Who is the target audience?
A local audience may respond well to a national ccTLD.
A global audience may benefit from a more internationally familiar domain.
A specialized professional audience may immediately understand an industry-specific TLD.
4. Is the TLD actually open to the organization?
This is one of the most important questions.
A TLD appearing in the IANA Root Zone Database does not necessarily mean that anyone can register a domain under it.
Some TLDs are:
- restricted;
- sponsored;
- geographic;
- community-based;
- government-only;
- education-only;
- professional;
- brand-controlled;
- reserved;
- delegated but not broadly marketed for public registration.
IANA’s database itself shows that some TLDs have managers listed as “Not assigned”, while others are operated as brand or specialized namespaces.
5. What is the long-term branding strategy?
A business should consider whether customers will easily remember and correctly type the extension.
A highly creative TLD can be excellent for marketing, but an organization should also consider:
- email compatibility;
- customer recognition;
- spelling;
- pronunciation;
- renewal pricing;
- registry policies;
- availability;
- trademark implications;
- cybersquatting risk;
- international recognition;
- redirects and defensive registrations.
24. TLDs Are Not the Same as Domain Registrations
This distinction is often overlooked.
Suppose:
example.com
is a domain name.
The TLD is:
.com
But:
example.co.ke
contains a country-code TLD of .ke, with co functioning as a second-level domain.
Similarly:
university.ac.ke
has .ke as the TLD and ac as the second-level category.
Therefore, people often use “domain extension” more loosely than DNS professionals use “TLD”.
For branding and marketing purposes, however, expressions such as .co.ke, .ac.ke and .go.ke are commonly treated as recognizable domain endings.
25. How Many TLDs Are There?
There is no useful single number that remains permanently fixed.
The DNS root is continuously maintained, and TLDs can be delegated, transferred, retired or otherwise change status.
IANA provides the authoritative Root Zone Database and downloadable root-zone information specifically for systems that need to know which TLDs are currently delegated.
The New gTLD program significantly expanded the namespace. ICANN’s August 2026 statistics report 1,241 delegated gTLDs resulting from the 2012 round, while noting that the statistics are not automatically adjusted for every later termination or removal.
This means that a static article claiming to list every currently registrable domain extension would quickly become outdated.
For a technically authoritative, continuously updated list, the IANA Root Zone Database should be treated as the primary reference.
26. Delegated Does Not Mean Available
This is perhaps the most important concept in choosing a TLD.
There are at least three different questions:
Does the TLD exist?
Can the public register domains under it?
Can this particular organization register a domain under it?
The answers can be different.
For example, a brand TLD may exist in the DNS root but be controlled exclusively by the brand owner.
A professional TLD may exist but impose eligibility rules.
A country-code TLD may exist but require a local presence.
A geographic TLD may impose restrictions related to the relevant community.
Therefore, businesses should verify the registry’s current registration policies before purchasing a domain.
27. The Role of ICANN and IANA
Two organizations are particularly important when researching TLDs.
IANA maintains the DNS root-zone delegation information. Its Root Zone Database identifies the TLD, its category and its manager.
ICANN coordinates policies and processes relating to the global domain-name system and manages the contractual framework for many gTLD registries. ICANN’s registry agreement database, for example, contains agreements covering numerous TLDs and distinguishes different agreement types.
Country-code TLDs are different because their policies are locally managed. ICANN specifically notes that ccTLD registration rules vary according to the individual ccTLD.
28. The 2026 Expansion of the TLD Landscape
The domain-name system continues to evolve.
ICANN opened the application window for its 2026 New gTLD Program round on April 30, 2026, providing another opportunity for businesses, communities, geographic entities and other organizations to apply to operate new TLDs. The application window closed on August 12, 2026.
This is significant because future domain-name choices will not necessarily be limited to today’s established extensions.
New TLDs can potentially represent:
- companies;
- cities;
- regions;
- industries;
- communities;
- languages;
- cultural groups;
- professional sectors;
- new commercial concepts.
Consequently, the TLD ecosystem should be viewed as an evolving infrastructure rather than a fixed list.
29. Recommended TLD Strategy by Organization Type
| Organization | TLDs worth considering |
|---|---|
| International corporation | .com, relevant ccTLDs, brand TLD |
| Kenyan company | .ke, .co.ke, .com |
| Kenyan NGO | .or.ke, .org, .ngo |
| Kenyan government institution | .go.ke |
| Kenyan university | .ac.ke |
| Kenyan school | .sc.ke |
| Technology startup | .com, .tech, .io, .ai |
| AI company | .com, .ai, .tech |
| Software company | .com, .software, .dev, .app |
| E-commerce company | .com, .shop, .store |
| Marketing agency | .com, .agency, .marketing |
| Consulting firm | .com, .consulting, .solutions |
| Law firm | .com, .law, .lawyer |
| Accounting firm | .com, .accountant, .cpa |
| Construction company | .com, .construction, .builders |
| Cleaning company | .com, .cleaning, relevant ccTLD |
| Restaurant | .com, .restaurant, .cafe |
| Hotel | .com, .hotel, .hotels |
| Tour operator | .com, .travel, .tours |
| Real estate company | .com, .realestate, .property |
| Photographer | .com, .photography, .studio |
| Artist | .com, .art, .studio |
| Musician | .com, .music, .band |
| NGO | .org, .ngo, relevant ccTLD |
| Foundation | .org, .foundation |
| Community | .org, .community, .social |
| Personal brand | .me, .name, .bio, .pro |
| Professional consultant | .com, .consulting, .expert, .pro |
Conclusion
The modern Internet has moved far beyond the traditional .com, .net and .org model.
Today, organizations can choose from a broad ecosystem of generic, country-code, geographic, professional, industry-specific, community, sponsored, internationalized and brand-oriented TLDs.
For a business, the TLD can communicate much more than a web address. It can communicate:
where you operate, what you do, whom you serve, what industry you belong to, or what kind of organization you are.
A Kenyan company might choose .co.ke to emphasize its commercial Kenyan identity. A technology company might use .tech. A software developer might use .dev. An online retailer might use .shop or .store. A nonprofit might choose .org or an applicable nonprofit-oriented extension. A large multinational corporation might ultimately operate its own brand TLD.
Nevertheless, the most important rule is to distinguish a TLD that exists in the DNS root from one that is available for public registration. IANA’s Root Zone Database is the appropriate starting point for determining which TLDs are currently delegated, while the individual registry’s rules must be checked to determine who can actually register names under a particular TLD.
For businesses selecting a domain today, the best strategy is therefore not simply to ask, “Which TLD is available?”
Instead, ask:
“Which TLD most accurately communicates our geographic market, organization type, industry, brand and long-term digital strategy—and is it actually open and appropriate for us to register?”
That approach produces a domain strategy that is both technically sound and commercially meaningful.