.ing

Overview

• .ing is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) introduced through ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string references the English gerund suffix "-ing" (as in "singing", "cooking") and is intended to provide a dedicated namespace for second-level domains that use that suffix (for example, sail.ing or cook.ing).
• The successful applicant and registry operator is Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).

History

• .ing was applied for as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program (application revealed 13 June 2012).
• A Registry Agreement with ICANN was signed by Google on 23 January 2014.
• .ing was delegated to the DNS root zone on 30 August 2014, completing the delegation process.

Usage and Audience

• Target audience: businesses, organizations and individuals who want domain names built around gerund-style or action-focused terms.
• Anticipated uses include branded or descriptive second-level names that read as verbs/activities (e.g., cook.ing, sail.ing).
• Example industries and use cases represented among observed registrations:
  • Food / culinary sites
  • Communications and privacy-focused services
  • Social networks and mindful-community platforms
  • Charitable and donation platforms
  • Fashion and clothing brands
  • Travel services
  • Document editing and productivity tools

Registration Rules

• Charleston Road Registry stated that .ing would remain totally open and unencumbered by registrant restrictions.
• Domain names within .ing are available to the general public for registration through ICANN-accredited registrars.
• The registry committed to implementing a suite of intellectual property rights protection mechanisms in line with ICANN requirements.

SEO and Brand Impact

• The registry's mission emphasized creating a namespace that signals the kind of content available (action/verb-oriented domains), which can aid branding and user expectation.
• By remaining open and broadly applicable, .ing aims to add choice and namespace flexibility for brands and individuals seeking action-oriented domain names.
• The registry's stated commitment to rights protection measures is intended to support trust and brand protection for registrants and rights holders.

Notable Cases or Examples

• dumpl.ing — a culinary website centered around dumplings (https://dumpl.ing/)
• messag.ing — a privacy-oriented communications platform (https://messag.ing/)
• humanbe.ing — a mindful social network emphasizing privacy and identity (https://humanbe.ing/)
• giv.ing — a charitable platform focused on donations and impact (https://giv.ing/)
• adapt.ing — a clothing brand site (https://adapt.ing/)
• go.ing — a travel website (https://go.ing/)
• edit.ing — a platform for document editing and refinement (https://edit.ing/)

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

domain:       ING

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:     27256 8 2 f7b48a11530565ead3cc6ccdcce9841b6a65a707ea8cc20a4d81f9aeb7656a91

whois:        

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

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