.au direct domain names like web3.au are the new shorter domain names for all Australians. They are here as of the 24th of March 2022.

Anyone with a connection to Australia can register a .au direct domain for themselves or their business. Aside from being shorter, they will operate in an identical manner to the .com.au and other existing Australian domain names.

Because they are shorter and more available, they are a great choice as a new domain for your website. Make sure you secure yours before someone else does.

Will .au direct affect existing domain names?

There are no changes to existing Australian domain names. They will continue to exist and you will be able to register them as normal.

It’s possible that Australian domains using the .au direct extension will become the new number one domain to use in Australia. This is because they are shorter in length, (currently) more available and have the same abilities as their old .com.au sibbling. Upon launch, there will likely be a rush to get ownership though it will take time for the .com.au version to phase out and the .au domain to become the new standard.

If you have an established .com.au website then redirecting your existing domain to the new .au direct domain is not overly recommended unless you have a reason to do so. This is because changing domians can impact on any search engine optimisation that may have taken place on your existing domain.

If you do register a .au domain then you should redirect it to you current live websites URL. This is to ensure future proofing if someone enters your domain into the browser, they will still get to your website.

If you are registering a brand new domain and website then using the shorter .au direct domain is a good choice. You would then redirect any new additional domains you own like .com.au to the live .au direct URL.

Six-month Priority Period

When .au domain names launch, a Priority Allocation Process will be in place to enable you to apply for the exact match equivelant of your pre-existing domains you own.

If you already own an australian domain e.g. web3.com.au (or web3.id.au, .net.au, .org.au), you can register the exact match .au direct version (e.g. web3.au) ahead of anyone else during a six-month priority period starting 24th March. If multiple people have an exact match equivelant Australian domain then they will be eligible to register for priority status too.

If there are multiple people applying for the same .au domain during the priority period, registrants will need to negotiate between themselves to determine who will be allocated the .au direct domain name they have applied for.

There are 2 types of Priority status which decide how the .au direct domain name is allocated in the case of multiple valid applications:

  • Priority category 1 – Registered on or before 4 Feb 2018
  • Priority category 2 – Registered after 4 Feb 2018 and before 24 Mar 2022

Use the Priority checker tool to see if there are other valid applications.

If you are applying for priority allocation, there may be a fee involved. This fee will vary depending on the registrar you register through. Web3 won’t charge a priority allocation fee.

How can I register a .au direct domain name?

Any business who owns an Australian domain should also own the .au direct domain to protect their brand.

You register an .au direct domain name through a registry the same way you would register any other Australian domain name.

Web3 can assit you in applying for priority allocation and registering your domain name.

Secure your .au domain name