Launch of .au direct domain names

The .au Domain Administration (auDA) has officially announced the launch of direct .au registration – a new namespace for all Australians on 24 March 2022.

The launch of .au direct means Razz Hosting will be able to provide domain name registrations directly before the .au (e.g. mybusiness.au).

This new domain extension complements the existing *.au namespace (eg. com.au, net.au, org.au). They are shorter, more memorable and provide an easier experience when typing in domain names, especially on mobile devices.

It is important to note that .au direct is optional and will not affect any existing .au domain names.

Eligibility for All in Australia

Any business, association and individual with a local connection to Australia is eligible to register a .au direct name.

Priority Allocation Process

Registrants with an existing .au domain name (e.g. a registrant who holds mybusiness.com.au) will have the first opportunity to register the exact match of their existing domain name at the direct level (e.g. mybusiness.au) through the Priority Allocation Process.

auDA has confirmed that exact matches of all names in the Australian registry prior to the launch of the new namespace will be reserved for .au direct during the six-month Priority Allocation Period, beginning in March 2022.

In the event more than one eligible registrant applies for Priority Status for the same .au name, the name will be allocated according to priority categories, which will be determined by:

• Creation date of the existing domain name
• The Priority cut-off date of 4 February 2018, as outlined in Priority categories.

Overview of the .au direct Priority Allocation Process.

After the six-month Priority Allocation Period, all reserved .au domains will become publicly available.

How Do I Get More Information About .au?

auDA has prepared a fact sheet with information about the new namespace and the Priority Allocation period.

What is the cost for a .au domain?

The price of a .au domain name is the same as our other *.au domains; $18.95/year incl. GST.

How do I register a .au domain?

I already own a *.au domain (eg. com.au, net.au, org.au) and would like to register the direct .au equivalent:

Contact us and we'll put in a request on your behalf for your Priority Allocation as of March 24 to secure your domain name.

I'd like to register a brand new direct .au domain, I don't have the same domain in another *.au (eg. com.au, net.au, org.au) extension:

Great! If all goes to plan, we'll have .au domains available for registration on our website by the end of next week!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Have a great day!