The domain availability rules determine what names are available to register.
Names are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The name you apply for:
- cannot already be registered in the namespace you're planning to register in. e.g. forexample.com.au is already registered, so you can't apply to register it again. You can however apply to register forexample.net.au or forexample.id.au if those aren't already registered.
- cannot be a reserved name - includes words/acronyms restricted under Australian law, names of states/territories and names that pose a risk to the global DNS. (See the article on reserved names),
- complies with the syntax rules for the namespace you're applying for. (see the syntax rules)
- cannot be deceptively similar to another .au namespace - for names registered at the second level (coming in 2021). Examples would be comm.au as it resembles com.au or medicaregov.au - these would be likely to deceive or cause confusion among internet users due to their similarity
Category: Registering a name
