Overview
- .zip is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) applied for and operated by Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).
- The string is intended to convey an association with digital storage, archiving and related services, reflecting common use of the term "zip" for storage/archive concepts.
- The registry positions .zip as a dedicated domain space for second-level names that relate to storage offerings, information, or services.
History
- Application: .zip was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program (Reveal Day 13 June 2012) by Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).
- Name-collision assessment: In 2013 ICANN identified .zip among applied-for strings affected by the Name Collision issue; it was not eligible for an alternative delegation path and awaited mitigation planning.
- Contract signed: A Registry Agreement for .zip was signed with ICANN on 8 May 2014.
- Delegation: .zip was delegated into the DNS root zone on 15 September 2014, completing the successful application.
Usage and Audience
- Target audience per the applicant includes companies and services related to cloud storage, digital storage devices, hosting providers and technology firms that wish to signal storage-related content or services.
- The registry expected value for major high-tech and telecommunications players as well as general registrants seeking to associate with storage/archiving themes.
Registration Rules
- The applicant declared the gTLD would remain open and unencumbered by registrant restrictions.
- Domain names within .zip are intended to be available to the general public for registration and use.
- Registry services, including shared registration system access, are to be made available to all ICANN-accredited registrars.
- The applicant committed to implementing a suite of intellectual property rights protection mechanisms in line with ICANN requirements.
SEO and Brand Impact
- The registry's stated mission includes signaling the kind of content available in the domain, helping registrants convey a clear association with storage-related services.
- Google positioned .zip to enhance consumer choice, create organizational layers on the Internet, and provide branding value for companies in the storage/cloud space.
Notable Cases or Examples
- Operator: Charleston Road Registry Inc. (Google).
- Key milestones: application revealed 13 June 2012, Name Collision issues addressed in 2013, registry agreement 8 May 2014, delegation 15 September 2014.
- ICANNWiki entry lists registry priority as 857 for Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.).
Operator
Charleston Road Registry Inc.
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object
domain: ZIP
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: 37525 8 2 32eb9249d844b8593cf81fa5e2cec76cfcc536c249e116ea9b49269ac8f239ce
whois:
status: ACTIVE
remarks: Registration information: https://www.registry.google
created: 2014-08-23
changed: 2025-04-11
source: IANA
Registrars
