After months of speculation, ICANN finally gave us a date. ICANN has announced that Reveal Day for the 2026 New gTLD Round will be Wednesday, October 7. The announcement also confirmed a few extra milestones that follow into the new year.
So far, voluntary disclosures have shown only part of the picture: 700+ unique strings and 140+ early contention sets out of the 1,600+ applications filed. (You can see every public string we’re tracking here.) Most applicants have kept quiet, so expect a lot of new notices when the full list drops.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming:
- Reveal Day, October 7: At 2:00 p.m. ET, ICANN will publish every application moving forward, including who applied, which strings they applied for, and the first look at contention sets.
- Replacement Period, October 8–21: Applicants who named a backup string get two weeks to adjust. Just keep in mind that switching doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay out of contention later.
- String Confirmation Day, November 17: The final string list and updated contention sets go live. This also kicks off the last stretch of the refund window, which closes November 27.
- Community Input and Objections, November 17–March 16: This is the window for public comments, GAC Early Warnings, and objections. ICANN pauses over the holidays (December 19–January 4) but has built that time back into the schedule.
- Prioritization Draw, first half of 2027: The date is still to be determined. This draw sets the order for processing applications after string evaluation.
Our team will be combing through the Reveal Day data as soon as it’s out. Connect with your GCD team if you’d like to talk through what it means for your application or your brand.
