Chau Nguyen
2 years ago · 3 min read
Since March 2022, the way domain names are registered in Australia has changed. It is the biggest change in domain names in the last 20 years.
Australians have access to shorter and simpler domain names with the introduction of direct .au domain names. Which means you’re now able to register and use a shorter domain name, such as yourbusiness.au rather than yourbusiness.com.au.
To be eligible for a .au domain, you must have a current Australian presence. This includes:
When .au direct launches on 24 March 2022, registrants of eligible .au domain names (such as .com.au and .net.au) have until 20 September 2022 to indicate whether you intend to apply for the exact match of their names in .au direct via the Priority Allocation process. If you choose not to apply for the exact match of a name it will become generally available.
So, for example, if FnC owns financeandcoffee.com.au, we have until 20 September 2022 to register financeandcoffee.au as well.
After this priority period, the .au domain will become available to the general public on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Read on for more information about the process here: https://www.auda.org.au/au-domain-names/au-direct/priority-allocation-process
It’s important to consider the risks of not doing so, including cybersecurity risks. If you don’t register the .au alternative, it’s also possible that someone else could step in and take it. Consider th