Extension reference table
Transfer mechanics and eligibility rules differ by extension, and both decide how easily a name changes hands once a price has been agreed.
Two columns below do real work in a transaction. The transfer mechanism sets what the seller must produce and how long a handover takes. The restriction sets whether a given buyer may hold the name at all, which is worth settling before negotiating rather than after.
The table
| Extension | Type | Registry | Transfer mechanism | Notable restriction | Aftermarket liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | Legacy gTLD | Verisign | Authorisation code, or an account push within one registrar | None on who may register | Deepest market, and the reference point for every other extension |
| .net | Legacy gTLD | Verisign | Authorisation code, or account push | None | Moderate, trades mainly where the matching .com is taken |
| .org | Legacy gTLD | Public Interest Registry | Authorisation code, or account push | Open in practice despite the non-profit association | Moderate, mostly institutional terms |
| .info | Legacy gTLD | Identity Digital | Authorisation code, or account push | None | Thin, with occasional demand for short terms |
| .io | ccTLD, British Indian Ocean Territory | Identity Digital | Authorisation code | Long-term status is tied to the sovereignty question over the Chagos Archipelago, and any retirement would follow a lengthy ICANN process | Active in software and technology, shallow elsewhere |
| .ai | ccTLD, Anguilla | Government of Anguilla, with registry operations run by Identity Digital since 2025 | Authorisation code, with a minimum renewal added at transfer | Terms run in multi-year blocks rather than single years | Strong for artificial intelligence terms, and volatile |
| .co | ccTLD, Colombia | Operator appointed under contract by the Colombian government, changed in 2025 | Authorisation code | Open to registrants anywhere | Moderate, mostly startup and product names |
| .xyz | New gTLD | XYZ.COM LLC | Authorisation code | None | Thin, apart from very short and numeric strings |
| .app | New gTLD | Google Registry | Authorisation code | The whole extension sits on the browser preload list, so sites must be served over HTTPS | Thin to moderate, tied to software products |
| .nl | ccTLD, Netherlands | SIDN | Transfer token issued by the losing registrar, which must supply it on request within five days | No local presence requirement | Deep inside the Dutch market |
| .de | ccTLD, Germany | DENIC | AuthInfo code under the provider change procedure, valid for a limited window | Holder must supply accurate contact data including an email address | The largest European country code by registrations |
| .co.uk | ccTLD, United Kingdom | Nominet | Change of the registrar tag by the losing registrar, no authorisation code | Registrant data is validated against name and address records, and data that fails validation can lead to suspension | Deep in the British market |
| .fr | ccTLD, France | Afnic | Authorisation code | Holder must be resident or established in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland | Moderate, almost entirely domestic demand |
| .be | ccTLD, Belgium | DNS Belgium | Transfer code issued by the registry and valid for a short period | No residency requirement | Moderate, split across two language markets |
| .eu | Regional ccTLD | EURid | Authorisation code | Holder must be a citizen of an EU or EEA state regardless of residence, a resident of one, or an organisation established in one | Moderate, mostly defensive and pan-European use |
Reading the transfer column
Authorisation codes work the same way wherever they are used: the losing registrar issues a code, the buyer submits it at the gaining registrar, and the transfer completes after a release period. An account push, where both parties hold accounts at the same registrar, avoids codes and locks and is the fastest safe route in a live deal, as described in closing and escrow.
The exceptions matter. A .uk name moves by changing the registrar tag, so the losing registrar performs the action and the buyer supplies no code. A .nl name moves on a token the losing registrar must hand over on request, and a .be code comes from the registry itself rather than the registrar, expiring quickly if unused.
Restrictions that survive a sale
Eligibility rules attach to the holder, not to the name, so they re-apply at every change of holder. A buyer outside the European Economic Area cannot take a .eu, and a buyer outside the listed states cannot take a .fr, which removes part of the buyer population before a negotiation begins. That is one reason the same term prices differently across country codes, a pattern examined in the country code spotlight.
Registries in the European Union also work under obligations to hold accurate registration data, so a transfer completed with placeholder details is an unstable one.
Reading the liquidity column
Liquidity here means how quickly a typical name in the extension finds a buyer at a predictable level, not what a single strong name might achieve. A thin market can still produce a large sale when the right buyer appears, but not on a schedule. The relationship between extension and price is the subject of the extension effect.