Updated September 2026
Note, September 2026: the priority reservation window described below closed on 20 September 2022. Direct .au domains are now available to register generally. If you never claimed yours, it is worth checking whether someone else has.
A new shorter and easy to remember extension is now available from the 24th of March 2022. These shorter simpler domain names will end in .au rather than .com.au, .net.au, or .org.au.
All Australian businesses will have until the 20th of September 2022 to reserve their .au equivalent domain name,
After this date it will become available to the general public register so it is important to register your “.au” before then.
There are a couple of reasons that you may want to register this new category of domain name extension, firstly there is the intent behind the release which is that it allows you to register shorter, more memorable names.
The second relates to the downside to any new extension, which is that it creates new opportunities for cyber criminals and hackers to conduct fraudulent cyber activities using your brand.
Should you choose not to purchase the .au domain for your business, then there is the potential for a bad actor to purchase it instead. They may create a fake website or simply create an email address that looks like yours. These can then be used to create confusion for your customers by sending what appear to be legitimate emails or causing them to access a seemingly legitimate website, only to end up having sensitive details stolen and used against them and the business. “Phishing” as it is known is becoming more sophisticated each day.
In short, Cyber criminals could register your .au domain name in an attempt to impersonate your business. This makes registering this new domain name extension more important than it ever has been before.
Take action now and register your name using our domain name service.
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