Why do you need to urgently register your .au domain?

.au Domain- Register now or Lose it

The organisation responsible for managing Australian domains, auDA, has recently announced that Australians can now purchase a domain with just a short and simple .au.

As of March 24, 2022, the .au has been available for purchase for existing businesses who wish to shorten or just secure their current .com.au domain or any Australian resident wanting to create a new website with a .au address.

These shorter, simpler domain names end in .au’ (e.g. myaussiecompany.au) and will complement existing namespaces such as ‘com.au’, ‘net.au’, ‘org.au’, ‘asn.au’, ‘id.au’, ‘gov.au’ and ‘edu.au’.

Although this may initially seem unnecessary, “why do I need another url?… surely one is enough?”; you must understand the consequences of not registering.

Secure your Intellectual Property

As a business owner, your website and its content form part of your intellectual property.

Unlike registering a com.au, individuals do not need an Australian Business Number (ABN) to claim a .au domain – they only need a connection to Australia, such as being an Australian resident.

Since it’s so easy to secure, it’s also just as easy for someone else to purchase your .au domain. So even though you may intend to continue to use your existing myaussiecompany.com.au, if someone secures myaussiecompany.au, you risk your loyal customers accidentally going to their website. This situation will confuse your visitors and negatively impact your SEO ranking.

Prevent Cybercriminals from pretending they are you!

Whilst this new domain name option creates excellent opportunities for businesses, organisations and individuals, it also provides a lucrative opportunity for cybercriminals. The new ‘simple’ registration process now allows someone to impersonate you by registering and using myaussiecompany.au even though you are the owner of myaussiecompany.com.au.

Simple registration of the .au will prevent such cyber criminals from registering your domain name in the future and using the domain for attempted financial fraud and criminal activities.

What happens if a business with a similar name tries to register the same .au domain?

The earlier you file to register the .au name, the better your chance of securing it.

What’s the rush? Why register before the September 20 deadline?

If you have an existing domain, you have a priority to register the .au directly equivalent to your current domain until September 20 2022.

If you try and register after this date, you risk losing the option to register and may risk someone else getting their hands on it. As after this deadline, any domain names that have not been allocated will become available to the general public.

What should I do? How should I register?

To help ensure the registration is seamless, we highly recommend that you:

• Ensure your current domain contact information and payments are up to date as auDA will also review eligibility requirements for the qualifying domain name registration and will check your records before approval.
• Check the expiry of your current com.au domain name. If it expires and cannot be recovered before the September deadline, your .au domain could be secured by an unrelated business or individual.
• Contact the organisation that initially registered your domain or your current website hosting provider. A list of auDA accredited registrars is available on the auDA website. They will be able to help you secure your registration.