ICANN Confirms a Secure, User-Friendly Application System for the 2026 New gTLD Round

As the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round approaches, ICANN has shared important insights into how it is preparing the application infrastructure that will support thousands of potential applicants worldwide.

In a recent update, ICANN outlined the work underway to ensure that the TLD Application Management System (TAMS) — the platform through which all 2026 new gTLD applications will be submitted and processed — is secure, stable, and usable from day one.

For prospective applicants, this update provides reassurance on two fronts: system readiness and operational maturity.

Building TAMS in Parallel With the Applicant Guidebook

Following the ICANN Board’s approval of the ICANN 2026 New gTLD application Round Implementation Plan in July 2023, ICANN committed to opening the application window in April 2026. To meet this timeline, development of TAMS began nearly two years ago, running in parallel with the finalization of the Applicant Guidebook.

This approach reflects a key difference from earlier rounds. Rather than treating the application system as a late-stage operational detail, ICANN has positioned TAMS as a core component of program delivery from the outset.

The result is a platform designed not only to accept applications, but to support the full lifecycle of submission, review, and processing at scale.

Extensive Testing Across Every Layer

ICANN has emphasized that TAMS has undergone — and continues to undergo — comprehensive testing across multiple dimensions.

This includes:

• User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to identify usability issues and system friction

• Quality assurance testing following each two-week development sprint

• End-to-end integration and functional regression testing

• Role-based permission testing to ensure proper access controls

• Penetration and security testing to identify vulnerabilities before launch

ICANN has also applied lessons learned from prior operational testing environments, including Registry Service Testing Version 2.0, to strengthen TAMS’ security posture.

Importantly, ICANN has stated that the application window will not open until internal testing is complete and confidence in system security is achieved.

Acknowledging Usability — and Addressing It Proactively

ICANN has openly acknowledged that some features of TAMS may not be immediately intuitive for all users. Rather than treating this as a post-launch issue, ICANN is preparing extensive enablement materials in advance of the application window.

These include:

• Detailed user manuals

• System demonstration videos

• Step-by-step guides

• Specialized training sessions

• A dedicated webinar series focused on navigating TAMS

These resources will be published before the round opens, giving applicants time to familiarize themselves with the system well ahead of submission deadlines.

For first-time applicants — particularly brand owners and organizations without prior ICANN experience — this preparation phase will be critical.

Security First, With Transparency

Security remains a central theme of ICANN’s update.

Beyond internal testing, ICANN plans to publish security test scenarios to provide transparency into how the system has been evaluated and hardened. Additional resources have been allocated specifically to security testing to ensure that applicant data, credentials, and submissions are protected.

ICANN has also recognized a practical reality: no complex software system is entirely bug-free at launch. To address this, feedback mechanisms will be in place to rapidly identify, mitigate, and resolve issues as they arise during the operational phase.

Community feedback on usability will continue to be collected throughout the round, with iterative enhancements planned where needed.

What This Means for 2026 Applicants

Expect a Learning Curve — Even With Training Materials

ICANN has clearly committed to publishing manuals, videos, and running training sessions ahead of the application window. These will be helpful, but applicants should be prepared for a learning curve, particularly in areas such as:

• Navigating multi-section application workflows

• Understanding role-based access and permissions

• Managing uploads, revisions, and version control

• Interpreting system validations and error messages

• Aligning responses with Applicant Guidebook requirements while working inside TAMS constraints

In practice, many application challenges are not about what information ICANN requires — but how that information must be structured, uploaded, and cross-referenced inside the system.

This is where applicants often lose time.

Minor Bugs Are Normal — Process Discipline Is Critical

ICANN has openly acknowledged that bugs may exist at launch and that feedback mechanisms will be in place to address them. This transparency is positive, but applicants should factor this into their planning.

From experience, issues tend to arise around:

• Session timeouts during long drafting periods

• File format or size limitations

• Validation errors that are technically correct but poorly explained

• Edge cases not covered in examples or training material

A consultant’s role here is not to “fix the system,” but to anticipate friction, maintain disciplined version control offline, and ensure that no submission errors or last-minute surprises jeopardize an application.

Why Working With a Consultant Reduces Risk : ICANN 2026 New gTLD application system

For many applicants — especially first-time DotBRAND or registry applicants — TAMS will be unfamiliar territory layered on top of an already complex regulatory process.

An experienced consultant helps by:

• Translating Applicant Guidebook requirements into system-ready responses

• Structuring answers to avoid rework caused by system constraints

• Pre-reviewing content before it ever enters TAMS

• Coordinating timelines so system issues do not affect submission strategy

• Acting as a buffer between technical system behavior and policy intent

In other words, consultants do not replace ICANN’s tools — they help applicants use those tools correctly, efficiently, and calmly under deadline pressure.

The Real Advantage: Focus on Strategy, Not Software

The most successful applicants in previous rounds were not those who “figured out the system fastest,” but those who stayed focused on:

• Application completeness

• Consistency across sections

• Alignment between technical, operational, and financial answers

• Risk mitigation during evaluation

By offloading system navigation and process discipline to a consultant, applicants can concentrate on the strategic decisions that actually determine success.

ICANN is building the infrastructure. Applicants must still build the application.

Having an experienced advisor ensures that the two align — even when the system is new, evolving, and occasionally imperfect.