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    • .shop

    Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC

    Overview

    • .shop is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) intended for e-commerce and online retail.
    • The string was delegated to the DNS root zone in May 2016 and became publicly available in September 2016.
    • The registry operator is GMO Registry, Inc.
    • Registry metadata (Jan 1, 2023) reports over 1.55 million registered .shop domains.

    History

    • The idea of a dedicated .shop namespace dates back to at least 1999; Commercial Connect pursued related efforts in the 2000 round.
    • Multiple applicants competed for .shop in ICANN's 2012 new gTLD application round — reported applicants included GMO Registry, Google, Amazon, Famous Four Media, Radix, Donuts, Commercial Connect and others.
    • In an ICANN public auction on 28 January 2016, GMO Registry won the rights to operate .shop with a reported bid of US$41.5 million.
    • .shop entered the DNS root zone on 5 May 2016 and was made officially available in September 2016.
    • Milestones: the TLD surpassed one million active domains (reported July 16, 2021) and had over 1.55 million registered names as of January 1, 2023.

    Usage and Audience

    • Primary audience: online retailers, brands, marketplaces and businesses focused on selling goods and services over the web.
    • Common industries: e-commerce merchants, multichannel retailers, branded stores and product-focused sites.
    • Notable brand usage includes examples such as netflix.shop.

    Registration Rules

    • The registry indicates no general registration restrictions for .shop.
    • Registrations are governed by the Registry Agreement and the registry's published policies, including an anti-abuse policy and other operational rules maintained by GMO Registry.
    • For policy details and operational terms, the registry maintains documentation and policy pages (for example: Registry Agreement and anti-abuse policy links on GMO Registry / get.shop sites).

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • As an explicit e-commerce TLD, .shop signals commercial intent and can help clarify that a domain hosts an online store or sales-focused site.
    • The .shop string faced scrutiny during the new gTLD process over string similarity and exclusivity concerns; governments and community stakeholders raised questions about granting exclusive control of a highly generic retail term — factors that influenced regulatory and objection processes.
    • High-profile brand use and sizable registration volumes contribute to the TLD's commercial visibility and perceived relevance for retail-oriented branding.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • ICANN auction (28 Jan 2016): GMO Registry won .shop for a reported US$41.5 million — at the time, one of the largest reported auctions in the new gTLD program.
    • Applicant controversies and objections: Amazon received a GAC Early Warning related to competition concerns; community objections and string-similarity disputes (for example, Commercial Connect's objection to .shopping) affected application outcomes and contention sets.
    • Public adoption milestone: .shop reached one million active domains (reported July 16, 2021); notable sites include netflix.shop.

    Operator

    GMO Registry, Inc.

    Whois

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

domain:       SHOP

organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo
address:      Japan

contact:      administrative
name:         Representative Director and CEO
organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      Cerulean Tower
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512
address:      Japan
phone:        +81354561601
fax-no:       +81337805239
e-mail:       newgtld@gmoregistry.com

contact:      technical
name:         Director
organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      Cerulean Tower
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512
address:      Japan
phone:        +81354561601
fax-no:       +81337805239
e-mail:       newgtld@gmoregistry.com

nserver:      A.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.192.4
nserver:      B.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.194.4
nserver:      K.GMOREGISTRY.NET 37.209.196.4
nserver:      L.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:4:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.198.4
ds-rdata:     50701 8 2 30f44f9e79f1119aebed349d3ec34f7aedd83a58f1e706d8303c3bbfe83bc7ec

whois:        whois.nic.shop

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.gmoregistry.com/en/

created:      2016-05-05
changed:      2019-08-20
source:       IANA

    Registrars