This post is just to inform you about recent domain releases and our recommendations for your business. We are excited to let you know that you can now further protect your brand online and buy your business domain name as .au.
.auDA (.au Domain Administrator) is the domain administrator for .au domains like .com.au, .net.au, .org.au and .gov.au. They have now released a direct .au domain which allows for shorter, simple domain names. As a small business, we recommend owning this new domain, as owning this version protects your brand and business by stopping someone else from buying it and starting up a competitive business with your business domain name. You don’t need to add it to your website.
If you hold a domain name in any other .au namespace (eg. com.au, org.au, id.au etc.) created before 24 March 2022, you can apply for Priority Status to register its exact match in .au direct during the six-month period from launch.
If you want to register the .au direct match of your existing domain name, you will need to apply for Priority Status before 7:59 AM AWST 21 September (9:59 AM AEST 21 September)
How to apply
You can apply for Priority Status via your registrar or any other accredited registrar offering .au direct domain names during the Priority Application Period.
There will be a fee for lodging an application and, like the prices of domain name registrations, this fee will vary between registrars.
You must ensure that you are eligible to hold the .au domain, which forms the basis of your application. Your eligibility for your existing .au domain will be checked when you apply.
You will also need a priority token (or authorisation code) to accept your application.
Once you lodge your Priority Status application, you cannot update the registrant information associated with your existing domain name while your application is active. It is important to ensure it is up to date before you lodge your application.
If no priority applications have been made for the .au direct match, it will become available for registration by the general public at 6:00 am on the 4th of October (8:00 AM AEDT 4 Oct) 2022.
Please note: This information was gathered from the .auDA website; please visit this website for further assistance and guidance. If you have further questions or would like our assistance for your specific business needs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.