Choosing an Eligible gTLD String for the ICANN 2026 Round: A Precise Guide to What Can and Cannot Be Applied For (MUST READ FOR TLD APPLICANTS)

Every few weeks, I meet enthusiastic founders and organisations who tell me they want to apply for a new top-level domain. And almost inevitably, their dream string turns out to be something like a two-character country code, a TLD containing numbers, or something completely outside the boundaries of ICANN policy. After years of hearing pitches for strings such as .12x, .up as a “new TLD”, or even a numeric TLD like .007, I realized it is better to write a clear technical explanation than repeatedly break hearts one-on-one.

The misunderstanding is widespread — especially among teams coming from Web3 naming ecosystems where you can mint single-character, emoji, numeric, or symbol-based “TLDs”. The ICANN root is a very different world, governed by decades of RFCs, technical standards, and the Applicant Guidebook.

Recent news perfectly illustrated this gap. When The Economic Times reported that NIXI might apply for .india and .bharat in the next round, many readers assumed it was a genuine possibility. Industry analysts (including DomainIncite) quickly clarified that these strings cannot be applied for at all under ICANN’s current rules. Names of countries and territories — like “india,” “bharat,” or any other country name in any language — are completely ineligible for delegation as new gTLDs. Likewise, two-character country codes remain strictly reserved and are not available for application. This is precisely the kind of misunderstanding that leads applicants down avoidable dead ends.

This document sets the record straight. It outlines what can be applied for, what cannot be, the technical naming rules for TLDs, and why engaging a specialist consultancy like Dotup is essential before beginning the application journey.

Understanding Eligibility - What Types of gTLD Strings ICANN Allows in the 2026 Round

ICANN 2026 gTLD string eligibility allows a broad range of string categories, provided they comply with the Applicant Guidebook and DNS technical standards. Applicants may submit strings that fall into one of the legitimate TLD categories recognised in the New gTLD Program.

Eligible categories include:

Brand TLDs (DotBrands) - Companies may apply for their brand name as a TLD, used for internal or controlled purposes, such as .brandname.

Generic Terms - Dictionary words representing broad concepts or functional categories (e.g., .hotel, .music, .finance) are eligible and common in the open TLD space.

Sector-Specific or Professional Strings - Strings identifying regulated or specialist fields (e.g., .doctor, .lawyer) can be applied for, subject to objection risk and intended-use clarity.

Community-Based Strings - Applicants representing a clearly defined community may apply for a community string, provided the definition and governance meet ICANN’s community standards.

Geographic and Cultural Strings - Applicants may apply for geographic or culturally significant strings, but only with the appropriate documentation and approvals required by the Guidebook.

IDN (Internationalized) Strings - Non-ASCII strings in scripts such as Arabic, Chinese, Tamil, or Japanese may be applied for under strict IDN table rules.

The eligibility ceiling is wide — but every string must satisfy the technical and policy boundaries defined by ICANN.

Prohibited Strings Under ICANN Policy - TLD Strings That ICANN Will Automatically Reject

ICANN enforces a strict categorisation of strings that cannot be applied for, regardless of branding or commercial rationale.

Two-Character ASCII Strings - All two-character strings (e.g., .in, .uk, .ai) correspond to ISO-3166 country codes and are ineligible.

Strings Containing Numbers - The ASCII character set for TLDs explicitly excludes digits. Only A–Z and hyphens are permitted. Numeric TLDs are therefore not allowed unless they appear as Unicode characters in IDN scripts — which are not the same as ASCII digits.

Country and Territory Names - Exact country names (e.g., .india, .germany) cannot be applied for without formal governmental consent, even for domestic applicants.

Reserved Names - IETF and ICANN-reserved strings, Red Cross/IOC names, and intergovernmental identifiers are permanently protected.

Offensive or Globally Unacceptable Strings - Strings that may cause cultural objection, harm, or global controversy will fail during Public Interest Review and GAC advice.

Confusingly Similar Strings - Anything visually or phonetically similar to an existing or applied-for TLD will be rejected under the String Similarity Review.

Technically Invalid Strings - Strings violating RFCs, mixing scripts, using invalid Unicode, or creating DNS stability risks will not pass technical evaluation. These prohibitions form the non-negotiable baseline of the New gTLD Program.

TLD Nomenclature Requirements - Technical Rules for Forming a Valid TLD String

A TLD is not a branding exercise alone; it is a DNS label. The Internet’s root zone standards impose precise rules for how a TLD may be constructed.

ASCII TLD Requirements

The valid character set is:

• Letters A–Z only

• Hyphens (subject to placement rules)

Prohibitions include:

• Digits 0–9 (not allowed)

• Special characters, spaces, or symbols

• Emojis or graphical characters

Length requirements:

• Minimum: 3 characters

• Maximum: 63 characters

Hyphens cannot appear at the beginning or end, and hyphens cannot occupy both the 3rd and 4th position, as that combination is reserved for IDN punycode prefixes.

IDN TLD Requirements

Internationalized strings must:

• conform to an approved IDN table,

• avoid mixed-script usage,

• respect contextual and shaping rules in scripts like Arabic,

• and avoid visual confusability with existing TLDs.

Compliance with IDNA, Unicode, and ICANN’s IDN guidelines is mandatory.

ICANN String Similarity Assessment Tool (SSAT)

ICANN also provides an official utility called the String Similarity Assessment Tool (SSAT), which allows applicants to perform an initial technical check on their proposed TLD string. The tool evaluates whether a string meets the basic DNS character rules and, more importantly, whether it is visually or confusingly similar to any existing TLD or previously applied-for string—a failure that would result in automatic rejection during ICANN’s String Similarity Review. While the SSAT is useful for screening obvious collisions, applicants should understand that it does not assess trademark conflicts, geographic name restrictions, objection risks, IDN table compliance, or legal sensitivities. It is only a starting point; a full eligibility and risk assessment still requires professional analysis beyond what the tool can provide.

Why Web3-Native Applicants Often Misinterpret the Rules - Common TLD Misconceptions Among ENS, Handshake, and Web3 Investors

A significant portion of interest in the 2026 round comes from investors and founders experienced in Web3-based naming systems such as ENS, Handshake, SNS, and Unstoppable Domains. However, these systems differ fundamentally from ICANN-governed namespaces.

Common misconceptions include:

• believing that single-character or two-character TLDs are allowed;

• assuming numeric or symbol-based strings can be registered;

• misunderstanding the role of geographic approvals;

• overlooking trademark rights and Legal Rights Objection risk;

• and assuming the flexibility of blockchain namespaces applies to the DNS root.

The ICANN space is highly regulated and technically conservative. It is engineered for global interoperability, stability, and predictability — not creative experimentation. This gap in understanding often leads Web3-native applicants to propose strings that are invalid at the very first eligibility filter.

Why Professional Guidance From Dotup Is Essential - How Expert New gTLD Consulting Helps Avoid Costly Mistakes

Applying for a top-level domain is substantially more complex than registering a domain or launching a blockchain name. It requires business planning, financial modelling, technical readiness, policy interpretation, and compliance across multiple evaluation panels.

The cost of being wrong is significant: an ICANN application is USD 227,000 in filing fees alone, not including RSP costs, legal work, operational planning, and registry setup.

Dotup’s consulting approach ensures:

• the selected string is eligible, defensible, and technically valid;

• the applicant avoids strings that are unapprovable or objection-prone;

• string similarity risks are identified early;

• trademark, regulatory, and geographic concerns are addressed;

• the application is structured correctly for Brand, Generic, Community, or Geo categories;

• the financial and technical documentation meets ICANN evaluation standards;

• and the applicant enters the process with the highest possible chance of success.

Professional guidance transforms the application from a branding idea into a viable gTLD operation aligned with global DNS policy.

Conclusion - Final Guidance on Selecting the Right gTLD String

The excitement surrounding the 2026 New gTLD Round has made many organisations eager to secure their identity in the root zone. A successful application begins with a compliant, meaningful, technically sound string. Getting that decision wrong derails everything else. With clear understanding, proper evaluation, and experienced guidance, applicants can avoid unnecessary confusion, eliminate ineligible ideas early, and focus on building applications that stand a real chance of approval.