ICANN 2026 gTLD Round Review: Application Process, Contention Sets, and Brand Protection Options

The ICANN 2026 gTLD round closed its application window on 12 August 2026 after opening on 30 April. ICANN published the full list of applicants and strings on Reveal Day, 7 October 2026, showing 1,616 paid applications from roughly 480 entities targeting 980 unique strings.

Of those, 333 came from brand owners, 16 from community groups, and 21 involved internationalized domain names. The data appear on the official ICANN publication system and independent trackers such as nTLDData.

Application Process and Key Numbers

Applicants submitted primary strings along with optional replacement strings. After Reveal Day, a two-week Replacement Period ran from 8 to 21 October, allowing switches without creating new contention. String Confirmation Day on 17 November will lock the final list and start the 104-day Community Input and Objections Period ending 16 March 2027.

ICANN recorded 263 contention sets covering 891 applications, or about 55 percent of the total. The largest set is .agent with 13 applicants, including entities linked to Google, OpenAI, and Meta. Contention resolution will use Community Priority Evaluation or ICANN auctions later in 2027.

Public portions of every application, including applicant names and proposed strings, remain available through the 2026 Round Application Publication system. No delegations are expected before the second quarter of 2028.

Contention Sets, Objections, and Brand Protection

Brand owners can file Legal Rights Objections with WIPO during the objections window if a string creates confusion or unfair advantage under existing trademark rights. The window aligns with the Community Input period that begins after String Confirmation Day.

Trademark holders should also record marks in the Trademark Clearinghouse to prepare for Sunrise and Claims periods once new TLDs delegate. GAC Early Warnings and formal objections on limited public interest or community grounds remain available until 16 March 2027.

After String Confirmation Day, applicants have ten days to request a 65 percent evaluation fee refund if they withdraw. String evaluation itself is expected to take roughly 180 days from 17 November 2026.

Next Steps and Current Limitations

Following evaluation, ICANN will run a prioritization draw in the first half of 2027, then resolve remaining contentions through auctions or community priority processes. Contracting and pre-delegation checks follow before any string reaches the root zone.

The process still carries uncertainty: 55 percent of applications sit in contention, and formal objections could extend timelines further. No strings have been delegated yet, and final launch dates depend on the speed of later stages.