You may have seen or heard about the new .au direct top level domains becoming available recently. We’ve prepared a short-ish guide for you.
What’s Going On? (Short Version)
All Australian domain names that end in .au are administered by .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA). Go4 Multimedia purchase and look after your domain and make sure that it points to your website.
auDA have recently released .au direct domain names – like yourdomain.au. These are shorter, simpler domain names that will be available as a new option for Australian Internet users from 24 March 2022.
.au direct names are general purpose – they’re open to anyone with a verified connection to Australia who wants to create or manage an online presence for themselves or their organisation.
Anyone who holds a domain name in an existing .au namespace (yourdomain.com.au for example), will be able to apply for Priority Status to register its exact match in .au direct during the six-month period from launch.
Why Should I Care?
This is a tricky question and can only be answered by you.
It’s unlikely that direct names will become popular in the short term, however they will probably become the default over time. If you have secured a popular domain name; have a site that you are driving traffic to, or if you like the idea of a shorter domain name, then you might want to get onboard before someone else does. However if your site audience is small and know where they are going this won’t be so important to you.
If you are unsure, please give us a call or send us a message and we can help you decide.
What Can I Do?
We have three options for you:
1. Let Go4 Handle the Registration for You.
We will register the direct domain for you and point it to the same location as your current domain name, or another site of your choosing. We will also organise a new security certificate for your direct domain if we host your site. If your domain is a contested domain (see below) we will follow the application process and negotiate on your behalf if necessary.
2. Register a Direct Domain Yourself.
If you just want to hold on to the domain name yourself and you don’t want us to do anything with it, you will need a priority token from us if we currently manage your domain. Simply let us know and we will send you the token details at no charge. You can also let us know if you need us to decline to apply for yourdomain.au to speed up your own application.
3. Take No Action.
If you don’t want a .au domain, or don’t think you need it, then you don’t have to do anything. Your do is still handled by us and nothing changes. Please be aware that after 24th September 2022 anyone who is based in Australia will be able to register yourdomain.au.
What About My Existing Domain Names?
There is no change to any of your current domain names. Any that we look after remain safe and secure with us.
What Happens With a Contested Domain?
If there are several different people that have registered your domain name for example yourdomain.com.au, yourdomain.net.au and yourdomain.org.au then the direct domain becomes a contested domain.
This is a rare situation but can happen. auDA has a search tool that can let you know if you are in this situation at https://www.auda.org.au/tools/priority-status-tool. This tool will also tell you about the different priority categories and how the decision on contested domains is made. If you have any concern that you may have a contested domain please give us a call.
I’m not Sure What to do Next?
As mentioned above, there is no changes to your current domain name and you have until 24th September 2022 before anyone else can registeryourdomain.au. If you want us to get in contact to chat about any of this, complete the form below.