Industry news · 5 min read
String Confirmation Day is November 17, 2026. Here is what actually changes.
ICANN publishes the final applied-for strings and updated contention sets. Objections open. Everyday registrations keep working as usual.
Summary
- String Confirmation Day is set for 17 November 2026 in ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Round milestones.
- ICANN publishes the final list of applied-for strings (after the replacement period) and updated contention sets.
- That date also starts the Community Input and Objections period, scheduled through 16 March 2027.
- Applicants still in a refund window for a large evaluation-fee refund must act by the deadline ICANN published (23:59 UTC on 27 November 2026 for the 65% window described in the milestone notice).
ICANN has scheduled String Confirmation Day for 17 November 2026. On that day, according to ICANN’s New gTLD Program materials, the organization publishes an updated list of each application’s final confirmed applied-for string and refreshed contention sets after the String Replacement Period.
For most applied-for strings (with limited exceptions described for some .Brand cases), that confirmation is the lineup that carries forward through evaluation. It is also the starting gun for community input and objections — including application comments, GAC Early Warnings, and formal objection grounds — with the main window described as running through 16 March 2027.
Myth vs. what the calendar actually does
| Claim | Verdict | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| New TLDs go live on Nov 17 | Myth | Confirmation is a list milestone, not a go-live date. |
| Contention sets get clearer | True | Updated sets help applicants and observers see overlaps. |
| Brand owners should ignore the day | Risky | If a string conflicts with your mark, the objections window is the structured path — get counsel. |
| You should wait to register anything | Usually myth | Today’s catalog still resolves. Build on what you can use now. |
Practical checklist for founders (not applicants)
- Note Nov 17 as an industry milestone — not a launch day for new endings.
- If you own a trademark that could conflict with an applied-for string, talk to counsel about the objections calendar; do not wait for social media summaries.
- Keep registering and transferring names you need this quarter on extensions that already work.
- Watch primary sources (ICANN New gTLD Program / APS) rather than rumor screenshots for the confirmed string list.
FAQs
Will DNX sell every new string that gets confirmed?
Not automatically. Registrars add endings through registry contracts and their own catalog decisions. DNX’s current list is on the pricing page; new endings arrive later, if at all, after evaluation and contracting.
Should I buy defensive names on today’s TLDs because of the round?
Defend marks you actually use. Panic-buying long lists of unrelated names rarely helps. Prioritize the brand you will operate.
Where do I read the official list?
ICANN’s New gTLD Program site and Application Processing System materials are the primary sources. Secondary coverage is useful for context — not as a substitute for the published list.
Sources: ICANN, “ICANN Announces Date for Reveal Day and Other 2026 Round Milestones” (String Confirmation Day 17 Nov 2026; objections window and refund timing as stated there); ICANN New gTLD Program FAQ “What happens on String Confirmation Day?”; WIPO notice on the objections phase. Re-verify dates and refund cutoffs on ICANN primary pages before acting.
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