gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

Extensions like .com, .net, .app, and .dev operated under ICANN policy.

Generic TLDs are the extensions governed by ICANN's registry agreements: the legacy set (.com, .net, .org) plus the new-gTLD program's additions (.app, .dev, .xyz, .tech, and over a thousand more).

gTLDs offer policy uniformity — standardized dispute resolution (UDRP), RDAP requirements, and transfer rules. Some, like Google's .app and .dev, add technical requirements such as HTTPS-only resolution via HSTS preloading.

For naming strategy, the practical trade-off is scarcity versus trust: .com has unmatched credibility but extreme scarcity; new gTLDs offer availability but require stronger branding. DomainFind.ai's multi-TLD sweep quantifies exactly this trade-off per name.

Related terms

ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) — A two-letter TLD assigned to a country or territory — some repurposed as global brands.
Domain Availability — Whether a domain can be registered right now at standard pricing.

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