History of the TLD

 .CEO is a generic top-level domain introduced in March 2014 as part of ICANN’s new gTLD program. It was created to serve chief executive officers, C-suite executives and business leaders worldwide, offering a dedicated digital space to establish professional brands and leadership identities online. The TLD was originally delegated to CEOTLD Pty Ltd and later transferred to XYZ.COM LLC as the registry operator.

Main Use and Industry Position

.CEO is primarily used by business leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, executive coaches and organisations that wish to signal leadership, authority and professional credibility in their online presence. It is positioned as a premium TLD that emphasises executive status and is deployed for personal branding, leadership portfolios, corporate executive profiles and networking platforms.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared with general purpose TLDs like .com, .net or .biz, .CEO carries a clear executive focus and niche branding appeal. Unlike broader extensions, it conveys leadership and C-suite relevance at first glance. It differs from industry-specific TLDs like .tech or .finance by targeting individual professional identity rather than functional or sector utility. Its adoption rate and recognition are more specialised and less ubiquitous than legacy TLDs but more targeted for leadership personas and executive branding.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Clear branding for executives and leadership roles
  

• Signals authority and professional status
  

• Greater availability of desired names compared to more crowded TLDs
  
  

Cons

• Less universal recognition than .com or .net
  

• Potentially higher registration and renewal costs
  

• Adoption and traffic may be limited outside executive communities
  
  

Registration Criteria

.CEO domains are available on a first-come, first-served basis with no specific user restrictions. Any individual or organisation can register a .CEO domain. Standard domain character rules apply including allowed letters, numbers and hyphens within required syntactic structures.

Summary

.CEO is a specialised generic top-level domain launched in 2014 to serve leaders and executives. It allows individuals and organisations to project executive authority and personal brand online. It stands out for its professional signalling value but remains less common than core TLDs like .com. Registration is open to all, and the TLD supports standard domain name features such as multi-year registration, IDN support and privacy options through registrars.