Register a .org domain

The .org extension is one of the original generic top-level domains. It predates the web, and that history is why it still reads as institutional. The registry does not check whether you are a charity, a club or a company. The meaning lives in how visitors interpret the address.

What .org signals now

Anyone can register a .org on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no charity registration, no paperwork and no residency requirement. The extension is open in the same way .com is open.

That openness is the point. Nonprofits, foundations, membership bodies, clubs, open-source projects and community groups use .org because it sets a different expectation from a shop or a startup. Visitors arrive expecting a mission, a resource or a membership, not necessarily a checkout.

The signal is real but it is not a credential. A .org does not make an organisation a charity, and a .com does not make it a business. If your site needs to prove nonprofit status, the domain cannot do that job. The about page, the registration details and the way you handle money have to.

When .org is the right call

Register the .org when most of these are true:

• The organisation exists to serve a mission, a membership or a community.
• Visitors should arrive expecting information or participation, not a product catalogue.
• The name is the organisation's name, not a campaign slogan that will change.
• You can live without the .com, or you already hold it as a redirect.
• The renewal fits a long-term institutional budget.

It is the wrong call when you sell to customers who expect a .com, when the site is a store first, or when a .org would imply a charitable status the organisation does not have. It is also wrong when the only available version needs a hyphen or a misspelling to work.

Where to see the price

A .org registration and a .org renewal are separate charges. The first-year price in an offer is not a promise about the renewal, and premium or resold names are priced differently from standard registrations.

This page does not quote a number. The search result and the checkout page show the current registration and renewal prices for the exact name you want, including whether it is a standard registration or a premium listing.

Email, hosting and other services are separate products. Nothing here is a bundle or a promotion. For the vocabulary of domain costs, read what affects domain pricing.

How .org registrations work

These are the current rules for .org, as listed in the .org help article:

• Registration and renewal terms: 1 to 10 years.
• Who can register: anyone, on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Name rules: 1 to 63 characters, letters, numbers and hyphens. A hyphen cannot sit in the third and fourth positions. Special characters are not allowed, and internationalized domain names are supported.
• Renewals: you can renew manually before expiry. Auto-renew is attempted on the expiration date, and the domain is parked after the first failed billing attempt. Redemption fees may apply 12 days after expiration.
• Transfers: moving a .org in or away is supported.
• Privacy: Domain Privacy and Domain Protection are supported.
• DNS: 0 to 13 nameservers, with IPv4, IPv6 and DNSSEC supported.

Registry rules and provider policies can change. Treat this as a summary of current practice, not a permanent guarantee.

How to check availability without wasting time

1. Search the organisation's exact name first.
2. Check the matching .com as well, even if you plan to use .org. It tells you who else is using the name.
3. Read whether the result is a standard registration or a premium listing.
4. Do not add a hyphen or a country code just to make a taken name fit.

If the name is gone, compare the realistic options rather than buying a compromise.

The .org fit test

Answer five questions honestly.

Reading the result

• Four or five yes: .org is a natural home for the name.
• Two or three yes: use .org for the mission and keep a commercial address separate.
• One or none: choose the extension your visitors already expect.

Who this is for

This page is for charities, foundations, associations, clubs, membership bodies, open-source projects and community groups. It is also for the founder of a mission-led company who wants an address that reads as purpose rather than promotion.

It is less useful for a product store, a local trade business or anyone whose customers need the reassurance of a .com. Those readers should start with .com and add .org only as a defensive registration.

Before you register

• Status claims. A .org does not make the organisation a registered charity. Keep the wording on the site accurate.
• Trademark conflicts. Another organisation may hold the same name on a different extension. Search before you build.
• Privacy. Supported on .org, but confirm it at checkout, especially if volunteers are listed as contacts.
• Donations. If the site takes money, use a payment flow that matches the organisation's legal status.
• Email. Set up role addresses such as info@ and test them before publishing.
• Renewal. Put the renewal date somewhere the whole team can see it.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed: 2026-10-19. This page describes current practice and general information. Prices and registry policies can change.