Most of the internet works quietly in the background.

You type a domain name.
A website appears in seconds.

It feels simple.

But behind that moment sits a global system that keeps billions of websites organized and reachable.

Look at the last part of any website address.

.com
.org
.net
.app
.shop

These endings are called top level domains.

They sit at the highest level of the internet’s naming structure.

Now pause for a moment and ask yourself something most people never consider.

Who decides when a new domain extension can exist?

Icann.org is the organization that coordinates the issuance of new top level domains.

Through its global policies and review processes, ICANN evaluates applications from companies or groups that want to operate new domain extensions such as .app, .shop, or .blog.

It determines whether applicants can run the required technical infrastructure and whether the proposed domain will not conflict with existing names.

What happens before a new domain extension appears

A new domain extension cannot simply be created by a company overnight.

Instead, the organization that wants to run that extension must apply to ICANN.

ICANN then evaluates the proposal carefully.

It asks questions such as:

• Can the applicant operate secure and reliable domain servers?
• Do they have the resources to manage the extension long term?
• Will the extension create confusion with existing domains or trademarks?

Only after passing these checks can the process continue.

This review ensures that every new domain extension works properly with the rest of the internet.

The step that makes a domain extension real

Once ICANN approves a new extension, one technical step still needs to happen.

The extension must be added to the root zone, which acts as the master list of all domain endings used on the internet.

This step is handled by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, commonly called IANA.

When IANA adds a new extension to that list, internet servers around the world begin recognizing it.

At that point, the domain extension officially becomes part of the internet.

How people actually buy domains

You do not register a domain directly with ICANN.

Instead, you buy domains from companies called registrars.

Registrars include companies like GoDaddy and Namecheap.

These companies sell domain names to individuals and businesses.

Behind the scenes, each domain extension is operated by a company called a registry.

For example, the .com extension is run by VeriSign, which manages the systems that keep .com domains working.

So the process works like this:

1. ICANN approves the domain extension
2. A registry operates the extension
3. Registrars sell domain names to the public

This structure keeps the internet organized while allowing domain registrations to happen globally.

Why new domain extensions were introduced

For many years, the internet relied heavily on a small group of extensions such as .com, .org, and .net.

As the web grew, millions of new websites competed for the same names.

Finding a short and memorable .com domain became difficult.

To solve this problem, ICANN launched the New gTLD Program in 2012.

This program allowed organizations to apply to run entirely new domain extensions.

Since then, hundreds of new options have appeared.

Examples include:

.app
.shop
.blog
.online
.tech

These extensions give businesses, communities, and brands more choices when selecting domain names.

The cost and effort behind launching a new extension

Creating a new top level domain is not a small project.

Organizations that apply must show strong technical capability and long term financial stability.

The application fee alone has historically been about $185,000.

That fee covers the review process, technical evaluation, and administrative work involved in approving a new extension.

Even after approval, the organization running the extension must maintain reliable infrastructure to keep domains working across the internet.

Different types of domain extensions

Not all domain endings belong to the same category.

The internet uses several types of top level domains.

Legacy extensions

These were introduced in the early days of the internet.

Examples include:

.com
.org
.net

They remain the most widely used domain extensions.

Country domains

These represent individual countries.

Examples include:

Country	Domain
Kenya	.ke
United Kingdom	.uk
Germany	.de
Japan	.jp

Each country usually has its own organization that manages these domains.

For example, the .ke domain is operated by Kenya Network Information Centre.

New domain extensions

These came from the expansion program launched by ICANN.

Examples include:

.app
.store
.agency
.blog

They help businesses find relevant domain names when traditional options are already taken.