The .au Direct Launch

On 24 March 2022, Australia opened the Priority Allocation Process for the .au direct names launch. The Priority Allocation Process runs through 20 September 2022 and allows registrants to apply for priority to register for a .au direct domain.

What does this mean for you? If you currently have a website address that follows a similar pattern to yourclinic.com.au it means you can also apply to register the website address yourclinic.au at this time.

Why does it matter? From a purely marketing perspective, you don’t want someone else to swoop in after September and register a website address that is extremely close to yours. It could be confusing to someone to see bondidentist.com.au and bondidentist.au when both clinics are just down the road from each other. 

From the user perspective, it would be easy to have both addresses point to the same website, so no matter which address the user types in, they will ultimately land at the same destination.

How to Apply

The first step in applying for your .au direct domain name is to ensure that the registrant information associated with it is up to date before applying for priority status. You can’t update it once you’ve applied or while your application is active.

Then, send your application via an accredited registrar offering .au direct domain names during the six-month priority application period. You will need to ensure that you’re eligible to hold that domain name, and you’ll need a priority token for your application to be accepted.

Most registrants will be allocated the .au direct name shortly after applying for it unless there are any concerns with the name being contested by someone else applying for the same name or the same name in a different namespace. 

For example, someone holding the domain name yourclinic.com.au and someone holding the domain name yourclinic.net.au would both be able to apply for priority for the name yourclinic.au.

Handling Contested Names

If domain names are contested, they will be divided into priority categories based on their creation date.

• Priority 1: Category one is a name that the applicant created on or before 4 February 2018
• Priority 2: Category two is a name created after the cut-off date of 4 February 2018

Once all the contested names are categorised, the following rules apply:

• Category one applications have priority over category two applicants.
• If there are multiple category one applicants, a negotiation will occur between the applicants.
• If there are only category two applicants, the name is given to the applicant who has the earliest creation date.

Category 1 Negotiation Process

When multiple applicants for the same name fall into category one, they will need to negotiate amongst themselves to determine who will receive the .au direct name. 

WHOIS provides registrant contact information that applicants can use to contact each other directly. 

This Sounds Complicated…

It doesn’t have to be! If your website is currently under our guardianship, we’re more than happy to help you with the process. Most registrars are also creating easy-to-follow guides to show you how to apply for your new website address in their respective systems.

Let us know if you need help getting started.