History of the TLD

.salon is a generic top-level domain created under ICANN’s New gTLD Program and was delegated into the DNS root zone in 2015. It was launched publicly around 2016. The registry operates under Identity Digital and was designed to serve the beauty and personal care community.

Main Use and Industry Position

The .salon extension is aimed at the beauty, grooming, wellness, and personal care industry. It is typically used by hair salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, spas, stylists, and makeup artists. It provides an industry-specific namespace that enhances brand visibility and relevance.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared to generic options like .com or .net, .salon signals a clear niche focus, helping with marketing and recall. It has no geographic restriction unlike country-specific TLDs. Similar industry-specific TLDs include .beauty and .fashion, which also identify business sectors clearly.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Clearly identifies industry focus for beauty and wellness brands

• Open registration with no special eligibility

• Memorable and niche specific

Cons

• Less universal recognition than .com

• Potentially higher registration cost than common TLDs

• Not ideal for non-beauty or unrelated businesses
  
  

Registration Criteria

Anyone can register a .salon domain. There are no special requirements or documentation needed. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Summary

.salon is an industry-focused gTLD launched in 2015 aimed at businesses and professionals in the salon, beauty, and wellness sector. It offers open registration and technical features such as DNSSEC support and WHOIS privacy. It provides a targeted digital identity useful for niche marketing but lacks the broad recognition of established extensions.