Overview
- .bing is a brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) associated with Microsoft's Bing brand.
- It was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program as a branded string intended to support Bing search services and brand protection.
History
- The .bing application succeeded in ICANN's New gTLD Program and the string was delegated to the DNS root zone on 10 June 2015.
- Sources state that Microsoft manages the TLD and is the registry operator; an ICANNWiki template entry also lists Verisign as the registry.
Usage and Audience
- Intended audience: customers and users of Bing search engine services and related Microsoft offerings.
- Purpose: provide a globally recognized platform for Bing, strengthen brand protection, and offer an increased sense of security and authenticity for users.
- The TLD is positioned as a branded, corporate namespace rather than a general public namespace.
Registration Rules
- Registration of .bing domain names is restricted to Microsoft Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
- All domains in the .bing registry are to be registered to Microsoft or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.
- Microsoft established a .bing Domain Management Policy (bDMP) to define eligibility, naming conventions, acceptable use, allocation rules, and dispute resolution policies.
- The described registration process comprises four steps: Eligibility Confirmation, Naming Convention Check, Acceptable Use Review, and Registration.
SEO and Brand Impact
- Microsoft stated goals for .bing include increasing user trust, providing authenticity, protecting the Bing brand, and promoting Bing services.
- The gTLD was intended to offer differentiation and a secure, recognizable platform to support Microsoft's search innovation and brand positioning.
Notable Cases or Examples
- The .bing gTLD is a brand-specific TLD with no indication of open public registration; domains are controlled by Microsoft and its subsidiaries.
- On Wikipedia, the .bing entry redirects to the Microsoft article, reflecting its use as a corporate/brand namespace.
Operator
Microsoft Corporation
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object
domain: BING
organisation: Microsoft Corporation
address: One Microsoft Way
address: Redmond WA 98052
address: United States of America (the)
contact: administrative
name: Program Manager
organisation: Microsoft Corporation
address: One Microsoft Way
address: Redmond WA 98052
address: United States of America (the)
phone: +1 425 706 3546
fax-no: +1 425 457 2511
e-mail: registry@microsoft.com
contact: technical
name: TLD Registry Services Technical
organisation: Nominet
address: Minerva House, Edmund Halley Road, Oxford Science Park
address: Oxford OX4 4DQ
address: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone: +44 1865 332211
e-mail: registrytechnical@nominet.uk
nserver: DNS1.NIC.BING 213.248.219.130 2a01:618:403:0:0:0:0:130
nserver: DNS2.NIC.BING 103.49.83.130 2401:fd80:403:0:0:0:0:130
nserver: DNS3.NIC.BING 213.248.223.130 2a01:618:407:0:0:0:0:130
nserver: DNS4.NIC.BING 2401:fd80:407:0:0:0:0:130 43.230.51.130
nserver: DNSA.NIC.BING 156.154.100.3 2001:502:ad09:0:0:0:0:3
nserver: DNSB.NIC.BING 156.154.101.3 2001:502:2eda:0:0:0:0:3
nserver: DNSC.NIC.BING 156.154.102.3 2610:a1:1009:0:0:0:0:3
nserver: DNSD.NIC.BING 156.154.103.3 2610:a1:1010:0:0:0:0:3
ds-rdata: 54939 8 2 aa18f258897855e86489c4a522ea45da55918bcd1c6dd418322081331df89e85
ds-rdata: 35654 8 2 5d6d052d2f2cbb18e7f16aa68b42e37b7ed0fc58bd491e8e97c8aeafb3279c81
whois:
status: ACTIVE
remarks: Registration information: http://www.microsoft.com
created: 2015-04-30
changed: 2025-05-01
source: IANA
