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.au Domain Registration: Protect Your Business
Thursday 24 March 2022 marks a new era for Australian web addresses. The launch of the .au domain extension will allow people who can demonstrate their business has a direct connection to Australia to drop the .com for the first time.
auDA, the organisation that manages Australian domains, conducted a lengthy consultation process and found the majority of those surveyed supported the shorter, simpler extension.
"We heard from more than 97,000 people, the overwhelming majority of whom were in favour of the introduction of short, simple, distinctly local domain names."
If you already have a .com.au domain (or similar), you will have priority access to register the corresponding .au domain extension for the first six months.
So, NOW is the time to act if you want to protect your business and shorten an existing name or register a new one.
Here’s what you need to know in order to register your .au domain.
If you have a verifiable Australian presence, you are eligible for a .au domain. This includes being a citizen, a permanent resident or an organisation registered in Australia. Visit auDA to read the full definition of an Australian presence.
Contact Webics. From 24 March 2022, we will be able to register your .au extension provided you meet the eligibility criteria. Find out more about our domain name registration service.
All .au direct domain names that correspond to existing domain names in the .au registry prior to launch will be placed on Priority Hold for six months until 20 September 2022.
If you would like to register the exact match of your existing domain name, you can apply for Priority Status during the Priority Allocation period (24 March 2022 to 20 September 2022).
If the name is uncontested, most applicants will be allocated the .au extension soon after they apply for it.
Read more about the Priority Allocation Process, including what to do if your name is contested.
You can use auDA’s Priority Status Tool to see if there are other registrants eligible for the .au extension you want to secure.
Ready to get started? Contact the team at Webics to register your new .au domain name extension and protect the future of your business.
Not quite sure on what you want?
Feel free to contact us, and we will be more than happy to answer all of your questions.