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    • .st

    Country-code top-level domains

    Overview

    .st is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to São Tomé and Príncipe. While intended for entities connected with the country, the TLD is marketed worldwide and commonly used for domain hacks, short URLs, and general-purpose registrations.

    History

    • Introduced / implemented on 7 November 1997.
    • Registry and administration:
      • Whois/registry information lists Bahnhof ST Registry as the registry.
      • Tecnisys is named as sponsor/manager in registry materials and other records.
    • The registry's terms and conditions govern registrations and dispute handling.

    Usage and Audience

    • Official use in São Tomé and Príncipe (government, organizations, institutions).
    • Marketed internationally for a variety of uses, including:
      • Domain hacks (words ending in "st").
      • Abbreviations such as "street" or "state."
      • URL shortening for brands and media outlets.
    • Typical users:
      • Local governments and public bodies (e.g., gov.st).
      • Businesses and nonprofits in São Tomé and Príncipe.
      • Global brands, developers, and marketers using creative or short domains.

    Registration Rules

    • Eligibility: Any corporation or individual worldwide can register a .st domain.
    • Structure: Registrations are taken directly at the second level.
    • Reserved second-level labels (used for specialized third-level registrations or reserved use) include:
      • nic.st (registry), gov.st, saotome.st, principe.st, consulado.st, embaixada.st,
        org.st, edu.st, net.st, com.st, store.st, mil.st, co.st
    • Name length and characters:
      • Permitted length: 1 to 23 characters; however, single-letter names (a–z) are reserved.
      • Names may not begin or end with a dash.
      • Uppercase letters are treated as lowercase; spaces and other invalid characters are not accepted.
    • Applicant warranties (from registry terms): registrants must warrant the name will not infringe third-party rights, will not be used for unlawful purposes, and will not be used for abuses such as spam.
    • Dispute policy: The registry obeys court orders and may adjudicate disputes itself for a fee, per registry terms.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • The TLD is actively marketed for branding uses (e.g., "street", "state") and for domain hacks, making it attractive for memorable or short domain names.
    • It is commonly used for URL shortening and brand-focused domains, which can support marketing and recognition strategies.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • Common domain-hack examples: toa.st, ho.st.
    • URL shortening / brand examples cited in registry materials and usage:
      • The Washington Post: wapo.st
      • PlayStation: play.st
    • Official/registry-related names: nic.st (official registry site) and country-specific SLDs such as gov.st, saotome.st, principe.st.

    Operator

    Tecnisys

    Whois

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

domain:       ST

organisation: Tecnisys
address:      Travessa Joa de Deus
address:      CP 709
address:      Sao Tome and Principe

contact:      administrative
name:         Aguinaldo Salvaterra
organisation: Tecnisys
address:      Travessa Joa de Deus
address:      CP 709
address:      Sao Tome and Principe
phone:        +239 12 22753
e-mail:       info@tecnisys.net

contact:      technical
name:         Andreas Norman
organisation: Bahnhof AB
address:      Box 930
address:      Borlänge 78129
address:      Sweden
phone:        +46-8-55577100
fax-no:       +46-8-55577197
e-mail:       bahnhof@registry.st

nserver:      DNS-ST.BAHNHOF.NET 2001:9b0:1:601:250:56ff:feb7:46 79.136.119.20
nserver:      NS1.BAHNHOF.NET 195.178.160.2 2001:9b0:1:104:250:56ff:feb7:5c51
nserver:      SOUTHEAST-2.DNS-AU.ST 2406:da1c:306:4700:d0cf:a4f8:f1c7:249e 52.63.82.137
nserver:      WEST-2.DNS-US.ST 2600:1f14:15:cb00:c08f:baeb:bf79:c730 34.218.33.231

whois:        whois.nic.st

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.nic.st

created:      1997-11-07
changed:      2022-11-15
source:       IANA

    Registrars