Upcoming TLDs / .start
Can you register a .start domain?
Source: ICANN 2026 round applications, checked October 27, 2026. Not in the IANA root zone as of October 26, 2026.
What .start would mean
In their own words, from the public part of each application (question 118):
to begin doing something, to set something in motion
Common English verb and noun. To start is to begin something or to set it in motion; a start is the beginning itself. The string is used in that ordinary sense.
Who applied for .start
Link Freedom Group / LFG
Link Freedom Group Ltd, MT, stage: Pre-Evaluation Processing
Link Freedom Group (LFG) aspires to become a best-in-class, vertically integrated domain name registration authority, see linkfreedomgroup.link. This TLD is part of a carefully curated portfolio of strings that LFG intends to pursue in ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Program. In assembling this portfolio, LFG focused on securing meaningful, memorable, and commercially compelling strings that resonate strongly with end users and offer long-term growth potential.
XRegistry Inc.
XRegistry Incorporated, JP, stage: Pre-Evaluation Processing
The mission of .start is to give services a front door that says what it is. The string is the ordinary English verb and noun ""start"". What makes it useful at the top level is the construction it allows: the second level names the service and the top level names the action, so that gym.start, hosting.start or lesson.start read as an instruction rather than as an address.
What happens next
- April 30, 2026: Application window opened (done)
- August 12, 2026: Application window closed (done)
- October 7, 2026: Reveal Day: ICANN published every applied-for string (done)
- October 21, 2026: Replacement period ended (applicants could switch to a backup string) (done)
- November 17, 2026: String Confirmation Day: the final list of applied-for strings
- March 16, 2027: Community input and objections period ends
Dates from ICANN’s Reveal Day announcement, checked October 27, 2026. We re-check the applications every day and this page changes when they do.
When will .start be available?
ICANN has not set a date. The final list of applied-for strings comes on String Confirmation Day (November 17, 2026), community input and objections run until March 16, 2027, and ICANN processes applications after a prioritization draw in 2027. Registration opens only after ICANN delegates .start and its registry announces launch dates.