History of the TLD

The .industries top level domain is a generic gTLD introduced through ICANN’s new gTLD program. The registry agreement for .industries was signed in December 2013 and the extension was delegated into the DNS root zone in early 2014. It became publicly available after the standard sunrise and general availability phases. The extension is operated by Identity Digital.

Main Use and Industry Position

.industries is designed for businesses, organisations, and individuals across a broad range of industrial sectors. It allows businesses to convey their industrial identity directly in their domain name and to associate online presence with specific industry terms. Use cases include manufacturers, technology companies, professional associations, service providers, and any entity wishing to highlight its role in an industry. Registration is open without restriction, making it a flexible choice for commercial branding and sector related online presence.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared with generic extensions like .com or .net, .industries provides descriptive context relevant to business and industrial sectors. Against other industry‑oriented TLDs such as .business, .company, or .enterprise, it offers a broad term that can apply to multiple fields rather than a narrow niche. It differs from country code extensions by not indicating geographic origin and focuses on sector identity.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Strong industry relevance for business and sector focused sites
  

• Open registration without special eligibility criteria
  

• Enables descriptive and brand specific domain names
  

Cons

• Lower general recognition compared with legacy extensions such as .com
  

• Pricing often higher than many standard TLD options
  

• Potential for confusion with other business or industry related extensions
  
  

Registration Criteria

Registration is open to individuals and organisations without special restrictions. There are no local presence requirements or specific eligibility barriers tied to industry type. Registrants may include businesses, non profits, professionals, and individuals.

Summary

.industries is a generic top level domain delegated in early 2014 through ICANN’s new gTLD program. It is operated by Identity Digital and is positioned to support a broad range of industry and business uses. Open registration and descriptive branding make this extension suitable for entities seeking an industry aligned domain, although its recognition may be more niche compared with traditional global TLDs.