About .tw domain
.tw is a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) delegated for Taiwan. It is operated by the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), a non-profit organization, and was introduced in July 1989. The registry manages registration through a network of accredited commercial registrars and offers a variety of second-level domains for different purposes. As a product, it provides a structured namespace with specific categories for entities and individuals.
Who can register .tw domain
Registration eligibility depends on the chosen second-level domain. For general-purpose domains like .tw, .idv.tw, .club.tw, .game.tw, and .ebiz.tw, registration is open to anyone globally, with identity verification typically conducted via email. For other categories, restrictions apply: .com.tw requires a registered commercial entity, .org.tw is for non-profit organizations, and .net.tw is for licensed telecommunications enterprises. Domains like .edu.tw, .gov.tw, and .mil.tw are restricted to specific Taiwanese institutions and are administered by corresponding government ministries.
How to register .tw domain
- Search for your desired .tw domain name at an accredited registrar to check its availability, considering the different second-level categories like .com.tw or .idv.tw that may suit your needs.
- Compare the pricing, registration terms, and additional services (like WHOIS privacy, if offered by the registrar) from different TWNIC-accredited registrars before selecting one.
- Complete the checkout process with your chosen registrar, providing accurate contact information which will be used for mandatory email verification to activate the domain.
- After purchase, verify your email address as prompted and proceed to configure your domain's DNS settings, such as nameservers, through your registrar's control panel to point it to your website or service.
Typical uses of .tw domain
The .tw extension is predominantly used by entities and individuals connected with Taiwan. Commercial businesses operating in or targeting the Taiwanese market frequently use .com.tw to establish a local presence, while individuals often register .idv.tw for personal websites or blogs. Non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and network service providers utilize their respective restricted second-level domains (.org.tw, .edu.tw, .net.tw) to denote their official status and sector within the Taiwanese digital landscape.
Tips for registering .tw domain
- Registrations are available at both the second level (e.g.,
example.tw) and under specific second-level categories (e.g.,example.idv.tw), each with its own eligibility rules. - Domain names must contain between 1 and 63 characters after Punycode conversion, and the hyphen (-) cannot be used at the beginning, end, or consecutively.
- The registry supports internationalized domain names (IDNs) in several scripts, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, French, and German, for registration directly under .tw.
- Identity verification via email is a standard requirement for completing the registration of most open second-level domains.