gTLD, ccTLD and New gTLD: How Top-Level Domains Are Classified
Not every extension is governed, priced or restricted the same way. The class a TLD belongs to explains who runs it, who may register in it and which rules apply when something goes wrong.
The root zone database as the source of truth
The authoritative list of top-level domains is the root zone database kept by IANA, which records each TLD, its sponsoring organisation, its technical contacts and its type. IANA classifies entries by type, with categories such as generic, sponsored, country-code, infrastructure and test; its labels have been refined over the years, so check the database for the current wording. Industry shorthand such as "new gTLD" or "legacy gTLD" is layered on top of those labels and is not itself an IANA type. When someone asks whether an extension is a "real" TLD, the practical test is whether it appears in the root zone database.
The IANA database is published at iana.org/domains/root/db. It is the place to confirm the operator of any TLD you read about, since operators change when registries are sold.
At a glance: the main families compared
| Family | Examples | Who may register | Governed by | Zone file access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy gTLD | .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz | Mostly anyone; some have eligibility rules | ICANN registry agreement and consensus policies | Generally via CZDS |
| Sponsored | .edu, .gov, .mil, .museum, .travel | A defined community | ICANN agreement plus a sponsor's charter | Varies; some restricted TLDs have no public zone |
| Country code | .de, .uk, .vn, .jp | Open or local, set by the operator | Operator's policy and national law | Mostly not via CZDS |
| New gTLD (2012 round) | .app, .xyz, .shop, .london | Mostly open; some restricted | ICANN registry agreement, rights protection mechanisms | Generally via CZDS |
| Brand TLD | Single-company names | The brand owner only | ICANN agreement with brand exemptions | Not applicable in practice |
Legacy gTLDs and the sponsored class
The original generic names are .com, .net and .org, joined later by .info, .biz, .name and .pro. Another group was created as "sponsored" TLDs, each run on behalf of a defined community with its own eligibility rules: .edu, .gov, .mil, .int, .museum, .aero, .coop, .travel and a few others. A sponsored TLD answers a basic question: who decides whether you belong? Sometimes it is a government, sometimes an association. Some sponsored zones are not distributed to the public, so tools that analyse zone files do not see them.
Legacy gTLD registries are bound by contracts with ICANN. That brings consensus policies, transfer rules, the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy and a published fee structure. For the big ones, the contract terms around price caps have been a long-running topic, which is why .com pricing follows different rules to a new gTLD.
Country-code TLDs: national assets, not ICANN products
Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are two letters, drawn from the ISO 3166-1 list of countries and territories, with a few exceptions: .uk is used where ISO has GB, and .eu is reserved by the ISO standard for the European Union as an exceptional case. IANA delegates each ccTLD to a manager, usually a national registry, academic body, or in some cases a private company with a government mandate.
Three features set ccTLDs apart:
- Governance. A ccTLD is run under the local laws and policy of the territory. The operator decides pricing, dispute handling and whether to publish statistics. Some voluntarily adopt the UDRP or a similar procedure, and some use their own.
- Residency and eligibility. Many ccTLDs ask for a local presence or legal entity: for instance, a registrant in the EU for
.eu, or a Canadian connection for.ca. Other ccTLDs are open to the world. Residency rules also change, so verify with the registry before you plan around a name. - Data visibility. ccTLD zone data is mostly not distributed through ICANN's Centralized Zone Data Service; any claims about a ccTLD's size should be traced to the source. See zone files and CZDS.
Structurally, some ccTLDs sell names directly at the second level, as .de does, while others use a second level such as .co.uk or .com.au. This affects counting, as discussed in how many domains exist.
Generic-use ccTLDs and why they matter
A handful of two-letter ccTLDs became popular for reasons that have nothing to do with their territory, because the letters spell something marketable. Registries for these domains have generally embraced the open use and sell worldwide.
| ccTLD | Territory | Why it attracted use |
|---|---|---|
| .io | British Indian Ocean Territory | "I/O" for input/output, popular with tech startups |
| .ai | Anguilla | Initials of artificial intelligence |
| .co | Colombia | Short for company and a near-.com spelling |
| .me | Montenegro | Personal sites and brands |
| .tv | Tuvalu | Video and broadcasting |
Google lists these among the ccTLDs it treats as generic for search purposes, so using them does not signal a country to the search engine. The usual caveats still apply: a ccTLD is subject to its territory's decisions. The long-term status of the territory behind .io has been the subject of international negotiation, and any such change could affect how its TLD is administered. That is a long-term risk to weigh, not a short-term failure mode, and the details should be checked at the time you decide. Individual guides to .io cover the practicalities.
The 2012 new gTLD round
ICANN opened applications for new generic TLDs in 2012 after years of discussion, and the delegations that followed from 2013 onward added more than a thousand strings to the root; ICANN's program page says over 1,300 strings could become available, and its published list of delegated strings has the current count. The program turned the namespace from a few dozen generics into a catalogue with:
- Open generics such as
.xyz,.online,.shop,.siteand.club, where anyone can register. - Industry and community names such as
.bankor.law, some of which enforce eligibility checks. - Geographic TLDs (geoTLDs) naming cities and regions, for example
.london,.tokyoand.nyc, which are tied to local government support and often to local registration policies. - Brand TLDs, where a company applied for its own name and used a contract exemption to operate it as a closed namespace. Most do not sell names to the public.
- Internationalised TLDs in non-Latin scripts, which are stored in the root as punycode strings; see IDN, punycode and homographs.
New gTLD registries operate under a standard base agreement, with obligations such as rights protection mechanisms (a Sunrise period and a Trademark Claims service), a Uniform Rapid Suspension procedure in addition to UDRP, and zone file availability for approved researchers. A later, second application round has been discussed within ICANN; its status should be checked at the source if it matters for your plans.
The new gTLD space is also where most of the very cheap registrations are, and where reputation varies the most across extensions. The head-to-head budget new gTLDs compared covers that end specifically.
Practical consequences of the class
If something goes wrong
For a gTLD, trademark and abuse complaints follow ICANN-defined procedures and the registry contract. For a ccTLD, the first path is the operator's own policy and then local courts. Prepare differently for each.
If you want to analyse a TLD
gTLD zone files are the basis for daily new and dropped domain lists. ccTLD coverage depends on the operator's own data sharing, so assume less data and read each TLD's guide for specifics.
If you are choosing a name
Match class to risk. A legacy gTLD gives maximum predictability; a new gTLD gives price and availability with weaker brand recognition; a ccTLD gives local trust, with residency and policy dependencies. The framework in choosing a TLD for a startup applies these distinctions to a real decision.
A quick way to classify any extension
When you meet an unfamiliar extension, ask three questions in order. Is it two letters? Then it is almost certainly a country-code TLD, and the next question is whether the registry restricts registrants to residents or local presence. Is it longer than two letters and delegated after 2012? Then it is a new gTLD, and the useful question is who the registry operator is, because pricing, renewal policy and abuse handling follow the operator. Is it one of the original names such as .com, .net or .org? Then price caps and long registry history apply. Writing the answers down for each candidate name takes a minute and prevents most surprises at renewal time.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a gTLD and a ccTLD?
A gTLD is a generic top-level domain governed by a contract between its registry and ICANN, such as .com or .shop. A ccTLD is a two-letter domain for a country or territory, run under that territory's policy and law, such as .de.
How many new gTLDs were created in the 2012 round?
More than a thousand new strings were delegated from the round, starting in 2013. ICANN's program page cites over 1,300 strings as the scale of the program, and its delegated strings list has the current count, which shifts as TLDs are retired or transferred.
Are .io, .ai, .co and .me really country domains?
Yes. They belong to the British Indian Ocean Territory, Anguilla, Colombia and Montenegro respectively, but they are marketed and used globally, and Google treats them as generic rather than geotargeted.
Do I need to live in a country to register its ccTLD?
It depends on the operator. Some require a local presence or entity, for example .eu requires an EU connection, while others are open worldwide. Check the registry's current rules before purchase.
What is a brand TLD?
A top-level domain a company applied for under its own name in the 2012 round and typically operates as a closed namespace for its own use, rather than selling names to the public.
Where can I confirm who operates a TLD?
In the IANA root zone database at iana.org/domains/root/db, which lists the sponsoring organisation and type for every TLD.