History of the TLD

.engineering is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) created under ICANN’s New gTLD Program to serve individuals and businesses connected with the engineering profession globally. The domain was delegated into the DNS root zone in 2014 and became publicly available for registration later that year. Its creation was part of an initiative to expand domain name options beyond legacy extensions and offer industry-specific namespace choices.

Main Use and Industry Position

.engineering is intended for engineers, engineering firms, educators, publications, and related organisations. It signals to visitors that the site’s content or services relate to engineering. It is adopted across civil, mechanical, software, electrical, and other engineering sectors for branding, portfolios, corporate presence, and specialised online projects.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared with generic extensions like .com or .net, .engineering provides an immediate association with the engineering industry, improving brand clarity for targeted audiences. Unlike geographic or legacy TLDs, .engineering is tied to the profession rather than a location. It is similar to other vertical TLDs such as .design or .technology that serve specific professional communities.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Clearly identifies the domain as engineering-related

• Helps differentiate brands within the engineering industry

• Broad availability of names relative to legacy TLDs

Cons

• Not as universally recognised as .com or other legacy TLDs

• May be perceived as niche outside of industry contexts

• Variable pricing across registrars

Registration Criteria

There are no formal eligibility restrictions for registering a .engineering domain. It is generally open to individuals and organisations worldwide without documented qualification requirements, although it is intended to serve engineering-related purposes.

Summary

.engineering is an active generic top-level domain delegated in 2014 and designed for the global engineering community. It enables firms, professionals, and organisations to create domain names that communicate industry relevance and expertise. With no specific restrictions on registration and wide registrar support, it offers a professional branding option tailored to engineering audiences.