What does .co mean?
Registry operator: Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC) — per the IANA root database.
Source: IANA root zone database, checked August 23, 2026.
What .co is actually used for
Twitter used t.co and half of Y Combinator went through a .co phase — the TLD is fully domesticated. The one structural flaw never goes away: some fraction of your users will type .com and land on someone else's site. Budget for buying the .com later if you win.
Is .co a country code or generic domain?
.co is technically a country-code TLD (the ccTLD for Colombia), but it's widely marketed and used as a general-purpose extension. Google treats several such ccTLDs — including this one where applicable — as generic rather than geo-targeted.
Who runs .co?
.co is operated by Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies (MinTIC), the registry for Colombia. It has been live in the official IANA DNS root since 1991.
Can anyone register a .co domain?
Yes — .co is open for public registration through accredited registrars. Availability of a specific name still depends on whether someone already owns it, and some ccTLDs add local-presence or ID requirements. Here’s how to check whether a specific name is taken.
Should you use it?
Our short answer: The best pure .com substitute — one letter off, reads as 'company', no explanation needed. For the full pros, cons, and rating, read the complete .co review.