The top-level domain (TLD) under discussion here is .AMSTERDAM. A TLD is the last part of a website’s domain name (for example, in www.google.com, ‘.com’ is the TLD). The .AMSTERDAM TLD is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) that is intended to associate a website with the city of Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands.
The .AMSTERDAM domain name was first proposed by the municipality of Amsterdam and was approved for use by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) during the expansion of gTLDs in 2011. The ICANN, as stated on its official website, is an international organization that helps to coordinate the internet’s naming system and ensure the stable and secure operation of this system.
The .AMSTERDAM TLD is managed by a registry operator, which in this case is dotAmsterdam B.V. Registry management involves handling domain name registrations, setting policies for its operation and use, and interacting with domain name registrars to distribute domain names to end-users.
The introduction of the .AMSTERDAM TLD allowed local businesses, organizations, and individuals to associate their websites with the city, thereby promoting local content and services. Websites that use the .AMSTERDAM domain name are expected to adhere to a policy that requires some relation to the city, either in terms of content or operations.
However, as is the case with all gTLDs, anyone can register a .AMSTERDAM domain name. This can be valuable, for example, for global companies wanting to set up a local presence in Amsterdam, local citizens looking to start a blog related to the city, a tourism company promoting Amsterdam’s attractions, or an eCommerce platform looking to optimize its SEO for the city.
According to data from domain name stat (a website database for tracking domain registry statistics), there are over 20,000 active .AMSTERDAM domain names as of January 2022. This reflects the popularity of this TLD amongst users with a connection to the city.
Therefore, .AMSTERDAM is much more than a TLD; it is a tool that supports localized digital branding, recognizability, and unique identification for Amsterdam-based activities on the internet.
Sources used:
- ICANN.org (https://www.icann.org/)
- The Domain Name Stat (https://domainnamestat.com/)
- dotAmsterdam BV (the .AMSTERDAM registry)
- The Municipality of Amsterdam.
