Do you look at the address bar in your browser every time you land on a web page from a google search engine page? If yes, then it is a good habit. It will inform you about the website name and other information like the type of website, in some cases the region the website is targeting, the category of the webpage and the topic of the webpage, etc.
Sometimes you may have noticed “.icu” as an extension with the website name instead the commonly found extensions .com, .net, .org, .info, etc. You may be wondering what is icu extension and what is icu domain.
In this blog post, I will explain what does .icu mean in a web address and its importance in the world of domain names. If you are curious about the dot icu domain and want to know whether this new and unique TLD will be good or not for your new website, then you must continue reading this blog. I will also provide some basic information that will help you if you want to buy icu domain.
ICU Top Level Domain
.ICU is a generic top level domain name (gTLD) that is used as an extension with a domain name by some websites. It comes in the orbit of new gTLDs, a group of new domain extensions approved by ICANN.
A generic domain name means that the domain name does not represent a specific brand, organization, company, country, or any other geographic region. Hence everyone is allowed to register a domain name for his website with such an extension regardless of the subject of the website and the region where the audience of the website lives.
.ICU Domain Meaning
ICU stands for “I see you”. It is a slang expression that is used to express awareness about someone’s activity, progress, or anything else.
In medical terminology, “ICU” is the abbreviation of “Intensive Care Unit”.
The icu domain extension is used in the first meaning. By using top level domain icu with a website name a company, brand or an individual expresses a recognition about its audience. This way they may get a feeling of closeness with the brand, person, or company.
Basic Information about ICU Top Level Domain
Registry of .icu top level domain
Registry of .icu domain is shortdot, a Luxembourg based domain registry company that operates five new top level domains including .bond, .cyou, .sbs, .cfd.
No. of registrars
According to shortdot there are 77 ICANN-accredited registrars that sell .icu domains. The number is 141 according to domainnamestat.com.
No. of registered domain names with .icu domain extension
There are more than 8 million domain names registered with .icu domain extension.
The Unique TLD
ICANN which is the international body that oversees and regulates the world of domain names initiated a program for launching new domain name extensions. A list of new TLDs was introduced but most of them were specific to certain fields, topics, or professions.
For example .audio may be used for a website providing a database of audio or services related to audio files. .diet may be part of a website name that provides information, tips, and news on dieting. .property, .flowers, .hosting are few other in the list of new gTLDs.
.icu is different because it is not specific to any niche, field, topic, or industry. It may be used for a website of any category related to any business.
A short history of the new TLD
The Denmark-based domain registration company, name.com was the first that requested the .icu TLD in ICANN in 2015.
In April Luxembourg-based company shortdot got its sponsorship. Its sunrise period lasted three months during which only specific entities were allowed to register a domain name ending with .icu.
In August 2018 they opened the tld for registration by all people from around the world.
What is special in .ICU web domain?
It is short
.icu web domain is short, it consists of only three letters. Most of the new gTLDs have more than three letters. As the majority of websites have generic domain names with three-letter like .com, .net, .org, etc., people are seeing most domain names ending with three-letter extensions.
It is natural that when someone sees a new or relatively rare domain extension with just three letters, it will not look too much different.
It is distinctive
Since .icu is not limited to a specific industry, topic, or field as compared to most of the new generic TLDs.
Also, these are not commonly found like those in the majority such as .com, .net, .org, etc. So, a domain name registered with .icu will be seen as distinctive and extraordinary. This way the domain name may get special attention.
It is universal
ICU for “I See You” is an easy-to-understand slang worldwide. Moreover, it is not a ccTLD, which means that it is not a country specific top level domain. There are no restrictions on the registration of this domain in any region of the world. The domain name is open for registration by anyone residing in any country. So, it is a truly universal top level domain.
It is memorable
Due to its unique and distinctive character .icu TLD can be remembered easily.
.icu Domain Name Registration
For which type of websites .icu can be used?
.icu TLD domain can be used for any type of website whether it is providing a service, information about some brand, a blog website, a forum site, or an entertainment news site.
Eligibility for ICU Domain Registration
Anyone residing in any country or region of the world is eligible for registering a domain name with .icu TLD. There are no limits on national or geographic binderies for this top-level domain name.
.ICU Domain Price
Different domain registrars sell .icu domain names at different prices. The regular price of .icu domain name ranges from US$ 3.99 to US$ 15.
As you know that most domain registrars charge a low registration fee for the first year, but the renewal fee in the next year may rise remarkably. It is therefore advisable not to see only the first year price but check the regular price as well.
If you want to buy an icu domain name then our three best domain registrars for this domain name are listed in the following table.
| Registrar | First Year Price | Regular Price Regular (Renewal) | Transfer | Fee WHOIS Privacy | Free DNS | SSL Certificate | Email Forwarding |
| Sav | US$ 0.99 | US$ 3.99 | US$ 3.99 | Yes | Yes | ||
| Alibaba Cloud | US$ 1.60 | US$ 6.00 | US$ 5.70 | Yes | Yes | Free | Free |
| NameCheap | US$ 2.05 | US$ 7.98 | US$ 7.98 | Yes | Yes | Free | Free |
The maximum time for which .icu domain can be registered
The maximum time duration for which a .icu domain can be registered is 10 years.
What do you need when you are going to register your .icu domain name?
You just need a valid email address and a credit card or other payment source as per the payment option available on your registrar’s website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the ICU top level domain?
Answer: ICU domain is a relatively new generic top level domain name. More than 8 million domain names have been registered with this extension since August 2018 when it was made available for open registration.
Question: To which country .icu TLD belong?
Answer: ICU is not a country-code top level domain (ccTLD). Rather, it is a generic TLD. This means that there is no icu domain country and this domain name does not target a specific region or country of the world.
Question: Who owns the .ICU domain?
Answer: .ICU domain names are managed by a company named ShortDot SA which is based in Luxembourg. According to the company, there are more than 70 domain registrars who are accredited by ICANN to provide.ICU domain names. If you are looking to search for the owner of a specific website having a domain name ending with .icu, then you should try ICU DOMAIN WHOIS provided the owner did not have availed WHOIS privacy.
Question: Is .ICU domain safe?
Yes, A .ICU domain is safe. You can get a domain name with this extension and use it for your brand website or blog site. It does not matter what the brand industry or blog niche is.
Moreover, this unique and short domain extension does not belong to any specific region or country. If your domain name is not available with the .com extension, you may safely try it with the .icu extension.
Since it is a relatively new top-level domain, chances are great that you will find your domain name here.