Promote Your Business with New .au Direct Domain Names

Written on 29 October, 2021 by Webcentral
Categories Domains Tags .au direct

When it comes to bringing your business online, it is important to ensure that your customers can find you easily. As such, ensuring your domain name is the right one is crucial since it will directly affect your business URL. However, how do you know if you have chosen the ideal domain name for your Australian business?

What is the New .au Direct Domain Name?

There are currently a few different domain names you can choose from. Some of the more popular options are:

  • .com.au
  • .net.au
  • .org.au
  • .id.au

However, you should also be aware of the new domain name category that will be introduced next year. auDA recently announced the .au direct domain name will be introduced in March 2022. Australian business owners like yourself will have the choice to opt for a domain name looking like this:

  • .au

What Benefits Can I Look Forward To?

This introduction of the .au direct domain name will bring Australia in line with several other country code top-level domains.

Compared to the current list of domain names available, there are a few benefits that may apply to you and your new online business with .au direct:

  • A wider choice of available names in the trusted Australian domain
  • Allows your business to register shorter, more memorable online URLs
  • URLs will be easier to type and fully display on mobile devices
  • Relaxed eligibility requirements

How Can I Get the New .au Direct Domain?

how to get au direct domain name

While you won’t be able to start using a .au direct domain until March 2022, you can make sure your business is one of the first in line to take advantage of this new innovation. Register your interest here and we will keep you up to date on how you can secure your ideal domain.

If you already have a .com.au domain with Webcentral and are eligible for Priority Allocation we will contact you directly once you are available to place an order.

Eligibility for .au Direct

Eligibility is fairly straightforward as long as you have a presence in Australia and even easier compared to .com.au domains. For more information on eligibility criteria and what Australian presence means, check out our blog on .au direct eligibility to find out if you can register for a .au direct domain name with us.

It is important to confirm your eligibility as you won’t be able to register a .au if you don’t meet eligibility requirements.

The New .au Direct Priority Allocation Process

Should you already be the owner of an existing .au domain name, you will be able to apply for the exact match of the .au variant through the priority allocation process. This process ensures existing namespace owners have the opportunity to claim the .au direct variant before it becomes available to the general public. Use the auDa priority tool to check the status of your domain name.

We recommend all eligible Australian domain holders stake their claim on their .au domain as soon as possible to avoid losing out on this unique opportunity.

What will happen to my existing domain names?

new au domain names
Any existing domain names registered to you will not be affected by the introduction of .au direct domain names. Your existing domain names will continue to operate as long as they stay active and you remain eligible.

Webcentral Will Support You for .au Direct Registrations

If you would like to find out more about the new domain name, feel free to register your interest here for more updates around .au direct applications. You may also want to check out our FAQs page which may contain relevant information for your online business.

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