Shorter and simpler Australian domain names launch on 24 March 2022.

.au direct (e.g. getyour.au) represents Australia’s first new .au namespace since 2004 andwill provide Australians with greater choice when building their online presence. For Australian businesses, .au direct will provide short, simple and uniquely Australian domain names, a greater choice of website or email address ending in .au, as well as addresses that are easier to type into mobile devices.

Registering new .au direct names

From 24 March 2022, Australian businesses will be able to register new .au direct names. These are names that are available to the public on a first come, first served basis as they are not already registered in any other .au namespace e.g. com.au, or org.au. New names can be registered via any participating .au accredited registrar.

Registering the exact match of an existing .au domain you hold

If you already hold a .au name in another namespace e.g. com.au, org.au. etc. you will have six months from 24 March until 20 September 2022 to apply for its exact .au direct match. For example, if you are the registrant of getyour.com.au you will have until 20 September 2022 to apply for getyour.au via a participating .au accredited registrar. In most cases you’ll be able to register and begin using your matching .au direct domain name soon after you apply for it.

In some cases, there may be more than one applicant for the same .au direct domain name as there are different registrants that hold the same domain name licence in different namespaces.

For example:

• Tina is the registrant of getyour.com.au
• Gene is the registrant of getyour.net.au

Both are registrants eligible to apply for getyour.au

In these cases, the .au direct exact match will be allocated according to the Priority Allocation Process. If you are an existing registrant, you can expect to hear from your existing .au registrar about the launch of .au direct and how you can apply for the exact match of any .au names you already hold licences for.

Applying to register your matching .au direct name is optional and has no effect on your existing .au domain names. Your existing name in the .au domain will continue to operate as it does today, provided you maintain your registration.

More information

For more information about .au direct and how it may impact your business, we’ve developed detailed factsheets on .au direct and the Priority Allocation Process.

If you want to hear the latest news about .au direct and important updates about the .au domain, you can become a .au member. It’s free to join and there are a range of member benefits, including invitations to regular events and webinars. Become a .au member today!