How It Works

1. Search for a name

Use Find a Domain to try the name you have in mind. We check it across the extensions we support and label every result: sponsorship-eligible, needs special approval, standard price, premium, already taken, or unsupported. Where pricing is available you see both the first-year price and the renewal price, because renewal is what you pay every year after.

2. Choose the option that fits

If your name is available on a sponsorship-eligible extension, you can apply for support. If it is available only on an extension outside the program, we show the standard price so that you can make an informed choice, and you can still talk to us. If it is taken, the results suggest close alternatives.

3. Apply for sponsorship

Create a free account and complete a short application: the domain you want, who you are, what you are building, and how you plan to use the address. There is an optional question about whether cost is a barrier. We do not ask for income figures, bank statements, or identity documents. You can save a draft and come back to it.

4. A person reviews your application

Every application is read by a member of our program team. Reviewers consider fit with the program, the practical barriers you describe, and the funding available. They may ask you for a little more information; you will see the request in your dashboard and by email. The Sponsorship and Eligibility Policy explains the criteria in full.

5. Registration

If your application is approved, we ask our registrar to register the domain. Your dashboard shows “Registration Pending” while we wait, and “Active” only once the registrar confirms the registration. Until that confirmation arrives the name is not yours, and in rare cases someone else may register it first; that is why the application asks for alternatives.

6. Setup and support

Once the domain is active, your dashboard shows its details, its expiry date, and how long the sponsorship covers it. We help you connect the domain to a website, set up a professional email address, and adjust DNS settings. Our resources cover each step in plain language.

7. Renewals

Domains are registered for a term, usually one year, and must be renewed to stay active. We review sponsored renewals ahead of each expiry date, subject to funding, and we will always tell you well in advance if anything about your renewal is changing. If you would prefer to take over renewals yourself, we will help you transfer the domain.

Independent domains and free subdomains

There are two quite different ways to have an address online, and we want you to know which one you are getting.

• An independent domain such as yourname.org is registered in the global domain system. It can be moved between registrars and hosting companies, and it can stay with you for as long as it is renewed. This is what most people mean by “my own domain”, and it is the focus of our sponsorship program.
• A subdomain such as yourname.example.org sits underneath a domain that someone else controls. It can be quick and free to set up, but the owner of the parent domain ultimately controls it, and it cannot be transferred to another provider.

Where we offer subdomains, search results label them clearly, and we will never describe a subdomain as a domain you own.