---
id: "b7f60583-b971-49e8-8565-ac6cf9cb7463"
kind: "link"
title: "ICANN’s 2026 gTLD applications show shift from apps to AI agents"
language: "en"
section: "gtld"
date: "2026-10-09T20:51:36Z"
updated: "2026-10-09T20:51:36Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/l/icanns-2026-gtld-applications-show-shift-apps-ai-agents/"
origin: "master"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/l/solicitudes-gtld-2026-icann-muestran-giro-apps-agentes-ia/"
source:
  name: "circleid.com"
  url: "https://circleid.com/%20posts/from-apps-to-agents-how-the-2026-new-gtld-strings-mirror-a-changed-internet"
  language: "en"
  date: "2026-10-08T09:00:00Z"
---

# ICANN’s 2026 gTLD applications show shift from apps to AI agents

## in plain words

ICANN is running a new round where companies apply for new website endings, like .com but different. In 2026, the most popular requested ending is .agent, wanted by big names like Google, OpenAI and Meta, showing the internet now cares about AI helpers instead of phone apps. Back in 2012, the top choice was .app. A writer at CircleID compared the two rounds to show how much the internet has changed.

ICANN published the full list of applications submitted during the 2026 round of its New gTLD Program on October 7, revealing 1,615 applications from 481 applicants filed between April 30 and August 12. Simone Catania, writing on CircleID, compares this round with the first one in 2012 to show how the internet has changed over fourteen years.

In 2012 the most contested string was .app, drawing 13 applications. In 2026 that title goes to .agent, also with 13 applicants, including Google, OpenAI, Meta, an entity listing Alibaba Cloud as its website, portfolio registries Radix, XYZ and Intercap, an Identity Digital subsidiary, and a community applicant called Open Agent Registry. None of the five most contested 2026 strings, .agent, .bit, .api, .brand and .hub, were applied for in 2012.

Catania’s comparison shows wider shifts in the internet itself. Around 2.3 billion people were online in 2012, versus around 6 billion, or 74 percent of the world, in 2026. Registered domain names have grown from about 240 million to 401.6 million, with 52.9 million of those now in new gTLDs that did not exist in 2012. The 2026 round drew fewer applications overall, 1,615 versus 1,930, but a higher share landed in contention: 55 percent, up from 39 percent.

A new feature of the 2026 round is the replacement string, letting applicants name a fallback choice if their first pick ends up contested. Of the 1,615 applications, 1,169 include one. Counting primary and replacement strings together brings the round’s unique strings to 1,430, close to the 1,409 unique strings seen in 2012, despite fewer total applications. The application fee also rose, from 185,000 dollars in 2012 to 227,000 dollars in 2026.

Geographically, North America and Europe still dominate applications, though Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa show smaller shares than in 2012. Brand applications now form a formal category with 333 entries, while the Applicant Support Program drew 51 applications compared with just three in 2012.

Source: [circleid.com](https://circleid.com/%20posts/from-apps-to-agents-how-the-2026-new-gtld-strings-mirror-a-changed-internet)