ICANN Announces Reveal Day and Key Deadlines for 2026 New gTLD Round

Key Takeaways

• On Oct. 7, 2026, at 18:00 UTC, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will publish every new generic top-level domain (gTLD) application proceeding in the 2026 new gTLD Round, including who applied, which strings they applied for, and which applications are in contention.
  
  
• ICANN has confirmed that 1,616 paid applications will proceed in the 2026 Round; the application window closed on Aug. 12, 2026.
  
  
• Applicants with an eligible replacement string may switch to it from Oct. 8, 2026, through 23:59 UTC on Oct. 21, 2026, and applicants may withdraw for a 65% refund of the evaluation fee until 23:59 UTC on Nov. 27, 2026.
  
  
• Brand owners and other interested parties may comment on or object to 2026 Round applications during a limited window between Nov. 17, 2026, and March 16, 2027.
  
  
• Companies that did not apply may wish to review the published 2026 Round applications because third-party application for a string matching or resembling a company’s brand, or a competitor’s application for a string identifying the company’s core product or industry, could affect its rights or business.

2026 New gTLD Round Timeline at a Glance

ICANN Announces Reveal Day and Other 2026 Round Milestones

ICANN opened the 2026 Round of the New gTLD Program on April 30, 2026. The 2026 Round marked the first opportunity to apply for new top-level domains (such as .brand or generic-word extensions) since 2012. The application window closed on Aug. 12, 2026, and applicants submitted more than 1,600 applications. On Sept. 22, 2026, ICANN confirmed that 1,616 paid applications will proceed. On Sept. 29, 2026, ICANN announced the following milestones:

Reveal Day: Oct. 7, 2026

On Reveal Day (Oct. 7, 2026, at 18:00 UTC), ICANN will publish the following information:

• every applied-for primary string, plus any applicable variant or replacement strings;
• the identity of each applicant;
• the public portions of each application, including the applicant’s intended use of the string; and
• a list of contention sets (applications for identical strings).

From Reveal Day until contention is resolved, ICANN prohibits 2026 Round applicants in contention from discussing or negotiating settlement agreements or post-auction transfer arrangements with other applicants for the same string. Unlike the 2012 round, private auctions and other private resolutions are not permitted in the 2026 Round.

String Replacement Period: Oct. 8–21, 2026

2026 Round applicants that designated an eligible second-choice “replacement” string in their application may switch to their second choice from 00:01 UTC on Oct. 8 through 23:59 UTC on Oct. 21, 2026. Applicants may not use a replacement string if it is identical to another applied-for primary or replacement string.

String Confirmation Day: Nov. 17, 2026

On String Confirmation Day, ICANN will publish the final list of applied-for strings and updated contention sets. String Confirmation Day also opens the Community Input and Objections Period and starts the final 10-day window during which 2026 Round applicants may withdraw and receive a 65% refund of the evaluation fee. Applicants must submit refund requests by 23:59 UTC on Nov. 27, 2026.

Community Input and Objections Period: Nov. 17, 2026–March 16, 2027

During the Community Input and Objections Period, the ICANN community and the public may submit comments on 2026 Round applications, and governments may issue GAC Member Early Warnings. Under the 2026 Applicant Guidebook, parties with standing may file objections to a new gTLD application on four grounds:

• Legal Rights Objection – Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• String Confusion Objection – Administered by WIPO
• Limited Public Interest Objection — Administered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
• Community Objection — Administered by the ICC.

Singular/plural notifications must be submitted within the 30 days immediately following String Confirmation Day (Nov. 17, 2026). Additional, shorter objection windows may open later in the 2026 Round (e.g., for String Confusion Objections after String Evaluation, and following a .brand string change).

Why This Matters

For 2026 Round Applicants

Reveal Day will show 2026 Round applicants whether their new gTLD applications are in contention and who their competitors are. That information drives near-term decisions with fixed deadlines:

• whether to switch to an eligible replacement string by 23:59 UTC on Oct. 21, 2026;
• whether to withdraw by 23:59 UTC on Nov. 27, 2026, to receive the 65% refund;
• how to budget for a potential ICANN auction or Community Priority Evaluation;
• whether to file objections against competing applications, or prepare to defend against objections, including from a community applicant that may have priority; and
• how to comply with the prohibition on communications and private resolution with other applicants in their contention set.

For Brand Owners and Companies That Did Not Apply

Even if a company did not apply in the 2026 New gTLD Round, the applications submitted may affect its legal rights or business. For example:

• If a business’s brand consists of or includes a term that is generic in another context, a third party may have applied for that term, or something confusingly similar, as a generic or .brand TLD.
• If a third party or competitor applied for a generic string that identifies a company’s primary product, service, or industry, how it plans to operate that TLD (for example, open to all registrants or restricted to its own use) might affect that company’s industry and brand-protection strategy.

Mechanisms exist to object to new gTLD applications that affect businesses’ rights, but the time to act is limited. Because applicants may switch to replacement strings during the String Replacement Period, brand owners should also consider rechecking the final list published on String Confirmation Day (Nov. 17, 2026).

Reveal Day is also the first indication of which new TLDs may launch to the public, each with a sunrise period for trademark owners. Recording key marks in the Trademark Clearinghouse now positions brand owners to use those sunrise periods and to receive notices of matching domain name registrations.

Frequently Asked Questions About Reveal Day and the 2026 New gTLD Round

When Is ICANN Reveal Day for the 2026 New gTLD Round?

ICANN Reveal Day for the 2026 New gTLD Round is Oct. 7, 2026, at 18:00 UTC. On Reveal Day, ICANN will publish the applied-for strings, the applicants’ identities, the public portions of the 1,616 proceeding applications, and the initial contention sets on its 2026 Round Application Publication and Statistics website.

How Might a Trademark Owner Object to a New gTLD Application?

A trademark owner with standing may file a Legal Rights Objection, administered by WIPO, against a 2026 Round application for a string that infringes its trademark rights. Trademark owners may also submit public comments on 2026 Round applications, and other objection grounds may apply depending on the circumstances.

What Is the Deadline to Object to a New gTLD Application?

The Community Input and Objections Period for the 2026 New gTLD Round runs from Nov. 17, 2026, through March 16, 2027. Certain objections, such as String Confusion Objections following String Evaluation, may have later and shorter filing windows.

Does ICANN Allow New gTLD Applicants in a Contention Set to Negotiate With Each Other?

No. In the 2026 New gTLD Round, ICANN prohibits applicants in the same contention set from discussing or negotiating settlement agreements or post-auction transfer arrangements from Reveal Day until contention is resolved. Unlike in the 2012 round, private auctions and other private resolutions are not permitted.

Does a Company Need to Consider Acting if it Did Not Apply for a New gTLD?

Possibly. A company that did not apply in the 2026 New gTLD Round should consider reviewing the Reveal Day list for applications matching or resembling its brands or identifying its core products or industry, because the window to comment on or object to those applications closes on March 16, 2027.