.search

Overview

.search is a proposed generic top-level domain (gTLD) submitted under ICANN's New gTLD Program. The string denotes the generic term "search" and is intended for uses tied to search-related services and the broader search community.

History

• Status: Listed as "proposed" in ICANN-related records.
• Submitted as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program by multiple applicants.

Applicants

• Amazon
• Donuts (Bitter McCook, LLC)
• Famous Four Media (dot Now Limited)
• Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.)

Key milestones and actions

• Community objections were filed against Google's application (by ICOMP and FairSearch). Those objections were dismissed, allowing Google's application to proceed.
• The applications from Amazon and Google received GAC Early Warnings issued by Australia and GAC Chair Heather Dryden. The warnings raised concerns that exclusive control of the common generic string "search" could negatively affect competition.
• Google's application included a proposal for a dotless .search service intended to let users designate preferred search functionality and have queries redirected accordingly; this proposal drew objections from Microsoft and other parties.

Usage and Audience

• The string clearly targets the search sector; likely audiences include search engine operators, search technology providers, and related online services.
• Objections and warnings reference potential impacts on the broader "search" community and concerns about exclusive access to a common generic term.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Concerns raised during the application process focused on competition and market impact rather than direct statements about search-engine ranking or technical SEO.
• Governments and stakeholders flagged that granting exclusive control over a generic term like "search" could have unintended consequences for market competition and brand access.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Google's .search application (Charleston Road Registry Inc.) — included a dotless-domain proposal and was the subject of community objections.
• Community objections by the Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace (ICOMP) and FairSearch against Google — both objections were dismissed.
• GAC Early Warnings issued for Amazon and Google over concerns about exclusive control of the generic string.
• Microsoft objected to Google's dotless-domain proposal for .search.

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

domain:       SEARCH

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:     36497 8 2 afaec406996df5555fc4365c07c7c74de82fe7cf5264fc5fad9d1ab948f3da28

whois:        

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

created:      2017-06-08
changed:      2025-04-11
source:       IANA