.here

Overview

.here is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program and operated by Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.). The string is intended to provide a dedicated namespace associating second-level domains with the concept of "here" — for example, location, socially-relevant sites, or content pinpoints.

History

• Proposed as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program; the applicant string was revealed on 13 June 2012.
• Successful applicant / registry operator: Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).
• A registry agreement with ICANN was signed on 06 February 2014.
• .here was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 29 August 2014.

Usage and Audience

• Intended uses described by the applicant include location-oriented names (e.g., restaurant.here), socially-relevant or meetup sites (e.g., meetup.here), and content pinpoints or calls to action (e.g., click.here).
• The gTLD targets registrants who want a direct association with the term "here," including businesses, local services, event organizers, and location-centric applications.

Registration Rules

• The applicant stated that .here would remain open with no restrictions on second-level registrations.
• Domain names within .here were to be made available to the general public for registration and use.
• Registry services (including the shared registration system) are to be made available to all ICANN-accredited registrars.
• The registry committed to implementing a suite of intellectual property rights protection mechanisms built upon ICANN's required policies.

SEO and Brand Impact

• The registry's stated mission emphasizes direct association with the term "here," positioning the TLD to signal location- or context-relevant content.
• The applicant argued that .here would add value by creating new layers of organization on the Internet and by signaling the kind of content available in the domain space.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Example second-level uses suggested by the applicant: restaurant.here, meetup.here, click.here — illustrating typical location, social, or call-to-action uses.

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

domain:       HERE

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:     32584 8 2 dc704ba2007a9f1f254659a40fc55762434b742f3919b6f31fdc53b8301657be

whois:        

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

created:      2014-06-12
changed:      2025-04-11
source:       IANA