.cal

Overview

.cal is a delegated brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) applied for and operated by Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.). The string was proposed to specifically align with Google Calendar and to provide a dedicated second-level domain space for users and enterprises to manage Google Calendar-related namespaces.

History

• Applicant: Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).
• Reveal/application mention: the string was among applied-for gTLDs during ICANN's New gTLD Program application process.
• Registry agreement signed by ICANN: 24 July 2014.
• Delegation to the DNS root zone / implementation date: 15 September 2014.

Usage and Audience

• Intended audience:

  • Google Calendar users seeking a distinctive, Google-managed namespace.
  • Enterprises and organizations that integrate or manage Google Calendar services.
  • Users desiring vanity second-level domain names that point to Google Calendar offerings.

• Purpose and positioning:

  • Provide a dedicated second-level domain space for management of Google Calendar.
  • Enable streamlined internal management by Google for introducing or retiring related services.
  • Offer users the ability to obtain unique vanity names within the gTLD that point to Google offerings.

Registration Rules

• Operational model described in the application:

  • Charleston Road Registry indicated intent to apply for an exemption to ICANN's Registry Operator Code of Conduct to operate .cal with Google as the sole registrar and registrant.
  • Proposed second-level domains would only point to the Google offering and would be managed by Google.

• Other registration specifics (allowed characters, periods, minimum/maximum registration lengths) are not provided in the available source material.

SEO and Brand Impact

• As a brand gTLD operated by Google and explicitly aligned with Google Calendar, .cal is positioned as a distinctive, Google-managed namespace for calendar-related services.
• The association with Google implies brand alignment and a specialized namespace intended to enhance personalization and management of calendar services; the source describes this as a way to "offer customers leading edge tools" and to spur creativity and new options for users within the Google Calendar context.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       CAL

organisation: Charleston Road Registry Inc.
address:      1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
address:      Mountain View CA 94043
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         TLD Admin
organisation: Google Inc.
address:      111 8th Avenue
address:      New York NY 10011
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 404 978 8419
fax-no:       +1 650 492 5631
e-mail:       iana-contact@google.com

contact:      technical
name:         TLD Engineering
organisation: Google Inc.
address:      76 Ninth Avenue, 4th Floor
address:      New York NY 10011
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 404 978 8419
fax-no:       +1 650 492 5631
e-mail:       crr-tech@google.com

nserver:      NS-TLD1.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:32:0:0:0:69 216.239.32.105
nserver:      NS-TLD2.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:34:0:0:0:69 216.239.34.105
nserver:      NS-TLD3.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:36:0:0:0:69 216.239.36.105
nserver:      NS-TLD4.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:38:0:0:0:69 216.239.38.105
nserver:      NS-TLD5.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4805:0:0:0:0:69 216.239.60.105
ds-rdata:     18550 8 2 5d5349186bbcc0b98dcc5662af9140ffe0b36f982043e2888043ba80665b08e3

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.registry.google

created:      2014-09-04
changed:      2025-04-11
source:       IANA