If your trademark team’s radar isn’t picking up .web yet, it should be. On July 22, 2026, Verisign confirmed that .web has been delegated into the domain name system’s root zone, more than a decade after the string was first introduced in ICANN’s 2012 new gTLD round. Verisign now plans to open registration through its registrar network later this year.
For most people, that’s an interesting domain industry headline . For brand and legal teams, it’s a calendar entry to secure a .web domain name.
Why .web is a different kind of launch
Most new gTLDs come and go without much fanfare outside the domain industry. .web isn’t most gTLDs. It’s a short, universally understood word, and — arguably the most recognizable string since the original 2012 expansion. .web isbeing launched by Verisign, the same operator behind .com and .net, with a global registrar distribution network already in place. That combination of brand recognizability and operational scale means demand at launch is likely to be higher, and faster, than a typical new TLD.
For a company, that means the window between “quiet before launch” and “someone else owns yourbrand.web” is going to be short. Cybersquatters and domain speculators watch high-profile launches closely, and a generic, high-recognition domain names is exactly the kind of TLD that draws early, aggressive registration activity the moment it opens.
What most teams do (and why it’s often too late)
The common approach to a new TLD launch is to wait until dates are confirmed, then register defensively once the news breaks. For smaller or more niche extensions, that’s usually fine. For a launch of this size, it isn’t.
Sunrise periods (the window reserved for verified trademark holders) typically run around 30 days, and eligibility depends on having an active record in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). TMCH verification itself can take one to three weeks. Teams that wait for an official Sunrise date before starting that process often find they’ve missed the window entirely, or are registering during General Availability alongside everyone else, including speculators.
Getting ahead of it
The practical work here is straightforward, which makes it easy to get prepared:
- Check your TMCH status now. If your marks aren’t currently verified in the Trademark Clearinghouse, start that process today, not when Sunrise is announced.
- Audit your brand exposure. Which of your brand terms would be attractive as a .web registration to someone other than you?
- Decide on scope. A single defensive registration of your core brand may be enough, or a blocking service across your full TLD portfolio may make more sense if you’re managing exposure at scale.
- Watch for the LRP. Early signals point to a Limited Registration Period prioritizing registrants who already hold the matching .com — worth knowing if that’s you.
What to do next?
You don’t need to have a final answer on .web strategy today. You do need your TMCH record in order, because that’s the one dependency with a real lead time. Everything else — registration scope, blocking decisions, LRP eligibility — can be decided once Verisign publishes firm dates, but only if the trademark groundwork is already done.
The .web domain is finally here. The only question now is whether you’ll be ready when Sunrise opens — or racing to catch up once it does.
Don’t miss .web’s Sunrise period.
101domain tracks TLD launch phases and will flag .web’s Sunrise dates the moment Verisign confirms them.