gtlds.fyi turns ICANN's new domain applications into a searchable directory

Why it matters

A directory makes ICANN's large application release easier to search. Its count differences show why readers need to distinguish proposed strings from applications and eventual live domains.

New York-based software engineer Sriganesh Sureshkumar built gtlds.fyi, a searchable directory for applications that ICANN published on October 7th. It puts applicant names and competing bids in one view, making the public data release easier to browse.

A faster way to scan the round

The homepage lists 986 proposed strings and 263 overlaps, with filters for names and applicants and an option to include replacements. A user can see, for example, that .agent has many competing applicants, or that the list includes brand-name strings such as .adidas, .adobe and .airbnb alongside terms like .api and .agi. Those are applications, not approved or operating domains.

The overlap view shows where multiple applicants are pursuing the same string. A contested string must be resolved by agreement or auction before it can be delegated to one applicant. The directory places the applicant names beside each string, so users can see both the naming interest and the organizations behind it. For a quick scan, that is less cumbersome than moving through individual application records.

ICANN's Application Publication System is the authoritative source for application information and status. It supports searches by applicant, status, region and other fields, and offers application summaries. gtlds.fyi works as a lightweight discovery layer over the released information, not a substitute for those records. The project also links its source code on GitHub.

The totals need a label

The numbers on gtlds.fyi do not match every other tracker because the counts may measure different things. ICANN reported 1,615 applications in its Reveal Day snapshot. nTLDData counts 980 applied-for strings and 263 contested strings, and separately identifies 442 replacement strings. gtlds.fyi displays 986 strings and 263 overlaps, and includes a replacement filter.

That six-string gap between gtlds.fyi and nTLDData should not be treated as an error or as evidence of extra applications. ICANN explains that an application with a replacement string can appear as two records in its public system while counting as one application in its statistics. gtlds.fyi does not explain how it calculates its 986 total, so the number is best read as the site's own displayed count, not a definitive count of applications or unique final domains.

The same caution applies to the 263 overlaps. That number describes contested strings, not 263 additional applications or 263 domains that will reach the internet. ICANN's application data is still subject to evaluation and changes in applicant choices. A proposed string may be withdrawn, rejected, replaced or tied up in a contention process. The directory captures the map of bids at publication, not the outcome.

A useful layer over the public record

Reveal Day put hundreds of proposed names and applicant organizations into public view at once. ICANN's system supplies the detail and formal status; gtlds.fyi makes it easier to browse the names and spot the collisions. The directory organizes the information, while ICANN's system remains the source for application details and status.

The directory's longer-term usefulness will depend on whether it tracks changes as applicants adjust strings and evaluation proceeds. That could turn a one-day index into a more durable tool, while keeping ICANN's records as the source for what has actually changed.