Note: The Priority Allocation Period for .au direct domain names is now closed.
In auDA’s latest webinar, we provided an update on Australia’s newest namespace, .au direct and the Priority Allocation Process for priority applicants. auDA CEO Rosemary Sinclair AM and Chief Operating Officer Dr Bruce Tonkin hosted the discussion, covering the benefits of .au direct and details about Priority Allocation ahead of its closing date, 20 September 2022.
When .au direct launched on 24 March 2022, it opened with a six-month Priority Allocation period to enable existing registrants priority to apply to register exact matches of their existing domain names in the new namespace. Designed following extensive consultation with stakeholders, and with a view to overseas experiences, the six-month Priority Allocation Period closes on 20 September 2022. On 3 October 2022, any .au direct names without a priority application will be made available to the public.
Easier to type and display on mobile devices, .au direct is an innovative namespace well-suited for a mobile-first digital economy. With more than 200,000 registrations since launch, the Australian community has demonstrated it is eager to embrace shorter, more memorable .au direct domain names.
Eligibility
Anyone with an Australian presence is eligible to register a .au direct name, including businesses, organisation and individuals but applying for a .au direct name is optional. It expands existing options people have to register a name in multiple namespaces, for example in com.au, net.au or even .com. Multiple registrants of the same name already co-exist within current .au namespaces, such as abc.net.au, abc.org.au and abc.edu.au which each have different registrants.
For those with existing .au domain names that choose not to register a matching .au direct domain name, their existing domain name will continue to operate provided the registration details are kept up-to-date.
.au direct and security
auDA takes security of the .au domain seriously. Like existing .au namespaces (e.g. com.au and net.au), auDA ensures multiple protective checks against cybercrime are made for new .au direct registrations including registrant eligibility validation by registrars, post-registration audits, checking against DNS abuse threat intelligence feeds and the availability of a robust complaints process where required. These processes make .au one of the most secure domains in the world, with DNS abuse levels (relating to phishing, malware, botnets and spam) of 0.03 per cent, which is well below the global average.
Next steps
If you’re considering a .au direct domain name that matches your existing .au name, find out more about Priority Allocation from the resources below:
- Watch our Priority Allocation Update webinar
- Read our Priority Allocation Update webinar frequently asked questions
- Read our Priority Allocation Fact Sheet
- Check out the auDA website.
To register a .au direct domain name, find an auDA accredited registrar here.
