The next expansion of domain names has moved into a more visible stage. Businesses can now see which endings organisations have applied to operate.
On 7 October 2026, ICANN published applications from its 2026 new generic top-level domain round. Its snapshot lists 1,615 applications, including 333 brand applications and 21 applications for Internationalized Domain Names.
Applications are still being evaluated
These numbers describe applications and proposed strings. They do not describe 1,615 new domain endings already available for registration.
ICANN says applicants with an eligible replacement string can choose it during the period from 8 to 21 October. The final applied-for string list is scheduled for 17 November, when the community input and objections period begins.
That means a business reviewing the list today should expect some details to change. Keep the date of the snapshot beside any count or proposed name you discuss.
What a hosting provider can do now
For a host or domain reseller, the immediate opportunity is to review rather than sell. Look for proposed endings relevant to your customers and identify the organisations behind them.
Keep a distinction between an application, a successful evaluation, delegation into the DNS and a registrar's retail launch. Each stage answers a different question about when a customer can use a name.
If customers ask about a proposed ending, give them the current stage and source. Avoid promising availability, prices or launch dates that the operator has not confirmed.
Check forms that assume familiar endings
A useful maintenance job is to review systems that accept domains and email addresses. A hard-coded list of familiar endings can reject a legitimate address even when DNS and mail are working.
Test the forms in your own signup, billing, support and provisioning flows. Include representative international names where your product claims to support them.
Separate text validation from ownership verification. Accepting the shape of a domain and establishing that a customer controls it are different jobs, and one should not be mistaken for the other.
Businesses should monitor names that matter
Our view is that a business with a recognisable brand should review the published list for relevant proposed strings and follow ICANN's stated milestones. If a particular application raises a concern, use the official information about the available input and objection processes.
For an ordinary website move, there is no reason to abandon an established domain because the application list has grown. Customers still need a reliable address, working email and clear communication about any future change.
Reveal Day gives the industry a concrete list to examine. For now, useful preparation means accurate customer advice, systems that handle valid names and a reminder to revisit the confirmed strings in November.
Reporting checked on 13 October 2026. Application figures are ICANN's 7 October snapshot.
