Beyond Reveal Day: Navigating Contentions, Objections, and Registry Launch in the New gTLD Round

On October 7, 2026, ICANN revealed the full list of over 1,600 New gTLD applications following weeks of preparation and administrative checks. For brand applicants and registry operators alike, Reveal Day moved the applications from confidential to public, starting the clock on essential next steps.

Key Dates

Reveal Day triggered a tightly timed series of operational phases starting in late 2026:

Replacement Period (October 8-21, 2026): Applicants with primary strings that are in contention may choose to switch to their eligible replacement string during this period. 

String Confirmation Day (November 17, 2026): ICANN will publish the final list of applied-for strings and updated exact-match contention sets.  Applications withdrawn by November 27th will receive a 65% refund ($147,550) of the ICANN application fee. 

Community Input and Objections (November 17, 2026 - March 16, 2027): Public comments, singular/plural notifications, GAC Early Warnings and formal objections can be filed during this time. 

String Evaluation (180 days starting November 17, 2026): Strings will undergo similarity, name collision, safeguard, geographic name, and singular/plural reviews.

Prioritization Draw (first half of 2027): This draw will set the order for application evaluation and contention set resolution.

What to Do Now

Over the coming months, applicants will navigate a complex series of checks and evaluations before reaching the long awaited delegation, estimated to commence 15.5 months after String Confirmation Day, according to the Applicant Guidebook. In the meantime applicants should be focusing on three areas:

1. Check for contention before October 21st. If an applied-for name is contested, applicants will need to decide whether to switch to their replacement string, if they are eligible. Refer to Module 5 of ICANN’s Applicant Guidebook for more information.
2. Review the published applications. Applicants should look for strings that could overlap with their string and note how newly revealed strings may affect their application(s). 
3. Prepare for objections and evaluation. There will be a four-month objections window opening on November 17, but before filing an objection applicants must check Section 4.5 of the Applicant Guidebook to confirm their standing. Applicants should also monitor their strings for GAC Early Warnings and track their applications to respond promptly to ICANN questions during the String Evaluation process.

The Role of the Registry Services Provider (RSP) 

The period following Reveal Day is a crucial time for applicants to refine the technical backend supporting their New gTLD.

Partnering with Identity Digital as your RSP provides distinct advantages for the road ahead:

• Proven Technical Infrastructure: Our world-class registry platform powers over 460 TLDs and tens of millions of domain names with 100% uptime and high-frequency DNS resolution.
• ICANN Compliance and Policy Expertise: From Pre-Delegation Testing (PDT) to ongoing operational compliance, our policy and registry services teams streamline every technical hurdle on the ICANN timeline.
• Integrated Abuse Mitigation: Our Dynamic Defense^TM model works with global law enforcement and the DNS community to help keep your TLD safe and reliable - all integrated in Identity Digital’s service offering.
• Seamless Launch and Lifecycle Support: Whether you are launching an open commercial extension, a restricted community TLD, or a .brand TLD, we provide the solution that you need - all supported by our 24 x 7 team of experts. 

Identity Digital has the tools, expertise and people to power your TLD. Contact us at rsp@identity.digital to ensure your New gTLD is set up for success.