.ink

Overview

• .ink is an active generic top-level domain (gTLD) intended for the tattoo industry and other industries that rely on ink, such as printing and publishing.
• The string was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program and was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 11 March 2014.
• Top Level Design was the original registry operator and sole applicant; the registry was acquired by GoDaddy Registry in 2023.

History

• Application and intent:
  • The .ink application was submitted by Top Level Design as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant described .ink as a designated Internet space for the tattoo industry and related ink industries.
• Contract and delegation:
  • Registry Agreement with ICANN signed on 5 December 2013.
  • Delegated to the root zone on 11 March 2014, completing the successful launch of the gTLD.
• Operator change:
  • Top Level Design was the original registry operator and sole applicant; the registry was later acquired by GoDaddy Registry in 2023.

Usage and Audience

• Primary targets identified by the applicant and registry materials:
  • Tattoo artists and individual practitioners
  • Tattoo parlors and studios
  • Tattoo product and equipment manufacturers and suppliers
  • Tattoo enthusiasts and portfolios/galleries
• Secondary and broader uses called out by the applicant:
  • Printing, publishing, typographers and designers
  • Ink manufacturers and other creative industries that work with ink
• Positioning: intended as a creative, niche namespace to clearly identify tattoo- and ink-related sites and communities.

Registration Rules

• Registration policy: described as an open registration policy targeted at members of the tattoo industry and tattoo enthusiasts.
• Eligibility: available to any interested individuals, parlors, companies and related businesses (per the applicant's stated policy).
• Pricing approach: the original registry planned higher wholesale pricing than many gTLDs as a niche pricing strategy to encourage relevant registrations and discourage speculative or malicious uses.
• No technical details provided in the source about minimum/maximum registration periods, specific character rules, or other technical restrictions.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Branding intent from the applicant:
  • .ink was promoted as a short, single-syllable TLD with strong connotations for the tattoo community and other ink-related sectors.
  • The registry positioned .ink as a way to create a clear, discoverable namespace that signals relevance (e.g., tattoo artists, suppliers) and as a more innovative alternative to strings like .tattoo.
  • The applicant emphasized using the TLD for identity and cultural expression, framing it as a creative and niche branding tool.
• Policy influence on brand/trust:
  • The planned niche pricing and open-but-targeted registration policy were intended to encourage productive development and reduce low-value or malicious registrations, supporting a more trustworthy namespace for the target community.

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

domain:       INK

organisation: Registry Services, LLC
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

contact:      technical
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

nserver:      A.NIC.INK 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.192.10
nserver:      B.NIC.INK 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.194.10
nserver:      C.NIC.INK 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.196.10
nserver:      X.NIC.INK 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Y.NIC.INK 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Z.NIC.INK 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82
ds-rdata:     48370 8 2 9ae237cac9d9160455e023b1097161f066c986f9821247dd279b1c84f5163716

whois:        whois.nic.ink

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://nic.ink/

created:      2014-02-27
changed:      2024-04-16
source:       IANA