Struggling to find the right strings?

As the TAMS application submission deadline approaches, many applicants are putting the final touches on their bids, while others are still gathering intelligence in an effort to avoid direct competition. A few observations come to mind:

• Applicants increasingly rely on external tools and market intelligence services to assess whether others may be pursuing the same string.
• The first application round in 2012 attracted 1,930 new gTLD applications. My expectation is that the 2026 round will exceed that number, including a significant volume of .BRAND applications.
• Identity Digital, the largest new gTLD applicant, operates 270 new gTLDs and manages a portfolio of 470 TLDs. Following its funding announcement in December 2025, it would not be surprising to see the company expand its ambitions in the upcoming round.
• GoDaddy is another player that could increase its application activity.
• Unstoppable Domains kept announcing lots of strings too.
• SuperNova200 has publicly stated its intention to submit 200 applications.
• Internet.best announced a list of 10 strings.
• Anyone using AI to generate lists of promising strings should remember that they are unlikely to be the only ones taking that approach. If an idea seems obvious to an AI, it is probably obvious to many other applicants as well.
• As in the 2012 round, new entrants with substantial financial resources could emerge and compete aggressively for attractive strings.

The bottom line: AI can be a valuable tool for brainstorming and research, but it may not be the best companion when it comes to identifying truly unique and uncontested strings. In a crowded and increasingly sophisticated market, originality, market insight, and strategic thinking may prove far more valuable than AI-generated suggestions alone.

Round 2 and Blocked Names: Page 191 of the new gTLD Applicant Guidebook

I didn't pay attention to this in the first place because I saw no reason for a change about the .LOCAL new gTLD.

The .LOCAL new gTLD...

...is definitely one of the best strings to submit an application for anyone wanting to promote local content with domain names ending in ".local" (instead of ".com").

Can you submit an application for .LOCAL ?

I read it twice and compared both versions of the two applicant guidebook: version 2012 (page 60 & 61) and version 2026 (page 191 & 192) to understand why the .LOCAL new gTLD (and a few others) had disappeared from the list of Blocked Names from the 2026 Applicant Guidebook.

I noticed a few strings were missing form the list of Blocked Names and wondered: "How is it possible that I did not notice this?"

Reality came back knocking at my door when I read that paragraph about Special-Use Domain Names :

"Special-Use Domain Names: These are specific strings reserved by technical standards for purposes inconsistent with delegation, as explicitly noted on IANA’s Special-Use Domain Names Registry.245,246,247".

Special-Use Domain Names are specific strings reserved by technical standards for purposes inconsistent with delegation and when you click on the 245 hyperlink, it shows a few more strings that you cannot submit an application for. "Local" (and a few others) is in that list.

List of Blocked Names from 2012 Round 1:

List of Blocked Names from 2026 Round 2:

Don't submit an application for .LOCAL : this string is a blocked name. 

Vant Nexus is in Seville

We are in Seville, let's meet!

Contact me on LinkedIn.

Round 2 Projected Timeline based on 2,000 applications received

The ICANN Round 2 new gTLD Application Window just opened and I noticed an update on the Timeline. See below.

Official info from ICANN is available here.

 

From 12 of August to Reveal Day = 9 weeks

When the window closes to submit new gTLD applications close(s) in August the 12, this can be a good moment to start your communication on your project.

Isn't it the perfect moment to announce the rest of the world that you are submitting an application to operate the .FLAMINGO Top-Level Domain?

August 12, 2026 is probably going to be one of these marvelous and exciting moment to watch all new gTLD initiatives website pop-up online.

A good place to inform the entire industry and other potential applicants will be the "ICANN New gTLDs & .BRANDs" group on LinkedIn.

You are welcome to join the 3,000 subscribers and post about your project mid-august.

The Applicant Guidebook: questions for the AI

Some questions asked to multiple AIs sometimes return answers from the first Applicant Guidebook dated 2012. Some answers also return with lots of precision.

• New gTLD Program: Replacement Strings?
• Applications Not Included in the Prioritization Draw in the next Round of new gTLDs
• What are the Fundamental Obligations of Registry Operators in relation to Registrars?
• ICANN new gTLDs: What are the Clarifying Questions?
• ICANN new gTLDs: What is the Prioritization Draw?
• How do I learn if someone plans to submit the same new gTLD application as me in April 2026?
• Should I own a registered trademark to submit a dotBrand new gTLD application to the ICANN in 2026?
• Which strings cannot be submitted as new gTLD applications in the 2026 ICANN round?
• How many new gTLD applications will be submitted to the ICANN in April 2026?
• Brand and Trademark Protections in the new gTLD program: what should an applicant know?
• What are the Different gTLD Application Types in the next ICANN new gTLD Round?
• Round 2 of new gTLDs: what are Replacement String and the Replacement Period?
• What are GAC Member Early Warnings and GAC Consensus Advice in the next ICANN new gTLD Round?

Answer here.

The gTLD Report for "Round 2" in 2026

The gTLD Report offers monthly snapshots of new gTLD registration volumes and we just updated the report for January 2026.

For the next round of the ICANN new gTLD program to start in April 2026, we have added another column entitled "Round".

According to each new gTLD launching starting 2026, we will add corresponding strings to the right report and indicate if the string counts for the first round of the ICANN new gTLD program from 2012 or the new one from 2026.

We will announce each new Registry on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Jovenet Consulting: a new chapter

Jovenet Consulting is a company which operated between the first and the second round of the ICANN new gTLD program.

Highly focused on new gTLD innovation, its owner Jean Guillon, was offered to continue developing more innovative projects with new partners.

Check my LinkedIn profile for more and don't forget to join the new gTLD group on LinkedIn.

I am happy to connect soon ;-)