Everything You Need to Know About ICANN’s New gTLD Program - Explained by Venkatesh

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own slice of the Internet, this is your decade to act. In this blog I am explaining everything You Need to Know About ICANN’s New gTLD Program - Explained by Venkatesh

I’m Venkatesh Venkatasubramanian, though most people in the domain world just call me Venky. I’ve spent over twelve years helping companies, governments, and entrepreneurs apply for new gTLDs online — from .brand TLDs for global enterprises to custom top level domain names for innovators who want to control their digital identity.

Through NewgTLDProgram.com, my consulting practice, I get messages almost daily asking the same questions:

“How do I apply for my own TLD?”

“How much does it cost?”

“What happens if someone else applies for the same string?”

So let’s answer everything.

This post will walk you through the ICANN New gTLD Program, how it works, what it costs, how to prepare your ICANN TLD application, and what’s changing in the ICANN Next Round — all explained in plain English.

1. What Is ICANN’s New gTLD Program and Why Does It Matter?

If you’ve ever asked yourself how to create a top-level domain, the ICANN New gTLD Program is where it all begins. This initiative by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) gives organizations the chance to operate their own custom top level domain name—like .brand, .shop, or .city. I’ve spent over a decade consulting brands, governments, and entrepreneurs worldwide through NewgTLDProgram.com, helping them apply for new gTLD ICANN approvals and understand the process behind the ICANN TLD application. The upcoming ICANN Next Round, often referred to as New TLDs 2025, will open its application window in 2026. This is when applicants can officially submit their New gTLD applications through the Icann New gTLD Program login portal. The entire process is governed by the ICANN Applicant Guidebook, which you can download as the Icann applicant guidebook pdf to study every step. For many companies, owning a ICANN custom TLD is the next level of brand control—it’s about digital trust, cybersecurity, and long-term visibility.

2. How Much Does It Cost to Apply for a New gTLD?

One of the questions I’m asked at almost every ICANN or APTLD event is, “What’s the fee to apply for a new gTLD?” The answer: the base ICANN TLD application fee is $227,000, but that’s just the start. Applicants should also budget for backend operations (handled by a pre-evaluated ICANN RSP), brand valuation costs, technical and legal documentation, and objection or evaluation fees. If multiple applicants go for the same string, the domain enters a contention set that’s resolved through an ICANN-run auction—private auctions are no longer allowed. And yes, there’s a refund structure: if you withdraw early, ICANN returns up to 60% of your fee; withdraw after evaluation, and you might recover 35–40%. But lose an auction, and you forfeit the full amount. The good news is that ICANN now allows applicants to list primary, secondary, and tertiary strings, so if your first choice overlaps, you can still use your fee toward another TLD.

3. What Happens in a Contention Set and Can You Apply for IDNs?

Here’s where it gets interesting. When two or more applicants apply for the same or visually similar string, ICANN places them into a contention set. Each application goes through evaluation, and the winner is decided through a transparent ICANN auction. Once the list of New gTLD applications is published on “Reveal Day,” applicants are strictly prohibited from talking to or negotiating with each other. That’s one of the big changes in the ICANN Next Round. Another question I’m often asked is about IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) versions—for instance, if .restaurant exists in English, can someone apply for new gTLD online for .restoran in Malay? Yes, it’s possible, but ICANN’s string similarity rules will decide if it’s too close to the existing version. If it’s linguistically distinct, it can move forward; if it’s confusingly similar, it may fall into the same contention set. This is how ICANN promotes multilingual internet expansion while maintaining clear rules on who owns top-level domains (technically, no one “owns” them—they operate under ICANN’s contractual authority).

4. What Support Programs and Alternatives Exist for Applicants?

The ICANN Applicant Support Program (ASP) is a critical part of the ICANN gTLD ecosystem. It helps applicants from developing economies or non-profit sectors reduce costs—offering up to 75–85% fee discounts. Many of my clients qualify under this program and use it to lower their initial costs dramatically. Additionally, if you’re not ready to manage the technical infrastructure yourself, you can partner with a pre-approved ICANN RSP, which handles DNS, RDAP, EPP, and escrow requirements. The upcoming ICANN Next Round is the best chance in over a decade to claim your own custom top level domain name. So, start reading the ICANN Applicant Guidebook, monitor your New gTLD application status, and prepare to apply early—because when ICANN opens the gates, the most prepared applicants win.

How I Help Companies Apply for Their New gTLD

Over the years, I’ve realized that the ICANN gTLD process can feel overwhelming — and that’s exactly where I come in. At NewgTLDProgram.com, my team and I guide companies end-to-end, from that first “should we apply?” discussion to the day your custom top-level domain name goes live in the root zone. We start with a detailed risk assessment — checking your chosen string for potential legal, geographic, or similarity issues before you even begin drafting. Then we move into strategy: defining whether your idea fits as a dotBrand or a generic open TLD, and preparing your business plan, financial projections, and operational framework that align with the ICANN Applicant Guidebook (and yes, we work directly from the Icann applicant guidebook pdf so every answer aligns perfectly with ICANN’s expectations).

Once that foundation is clear, we collect every supporting document — corporate structure, technical readiness, ownership details — and assemble the full ICANN TLD application package. We also help you select or coordinate with a pre-approved ICANN RSP, manage clarifications, and track your new gTLD application status through the Icann new gTLD program login portal. If you’re applying for a generic string, we handle the entire risk and contention analysis; if it’s a brand TLD, we ensure your trademarks and public-interest commitments are bulletproof. From crafting your ICANN Applicant Support Program submissions to financial due diligence and objection response planning, my role is to make sure your application sails through evaluation without unnecessary delays.

Even after submission, we don’t stop there. I personally help applicants respond to ICANN’s questions, prepare for possible contention sets, and plan the string execution strategy — how to actually run your TLD once delegated. We develop your launch policies, premium-name strategies, registrar partnerships, and post-delegation compliance framework so that your registry is operationally strong from day one. Whether you’re applying for a .brand TLD, a generic ICANN custom TLD, or an internationalized version of an existing string, we make sure every part of your journey — from idea to delegation — is handled with precision.

Everything You Need to Know About ICANN’s New gTLD Program

In short, my mission is to help you apply for new gTLD online with total clarity and confidence. ICANN’s Next Round is more than a form submission — it’s a strategic business move that can redefine your brand’s online presence for decades. So if you’re ready to turn your vision into a real, operating top-level domain, let’s start building it together — from the first page of your ICANN Applicant Guidebook to the moment your TLD appears live on the Internet.