The Top-Level Domain (TLD) for AUDI is .audi. Established as a brand TLD, .audi provides a unique domain space for AUDI, an international car manufacturer based in Germany. This TLD is intended for use by AUDI and its affiliates for the purpose of creating a brand-centric hub that’s easy for users to remember and find.
In terms of categorizing, the Top-Level Domains can be divided into several types including: gTLDs (generic TLDs, such as .com, .net, .org), ccTLDs (country code TLDs representing specific geographical locations like .us, .uk, .eu), and the newer introduction of brand TLDs like .apple, .nike, and of course, .audi.
AUDI AG is among a select group of organisations that applied for a branded TLD in the first application window offered by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 2012. ICANN is the American non-profit organization that oversees the maintenance and procedures of several databases related to the namespaces and numerical spaces of the internet, ensuring the network’s stable and secure operation.
To note, regarding usage, brand TLDs serve two key purposes: they help in strengthening the brand identity in digital spaces and they add a certain authenticity to the website, thereby enhancing user trust. For instance, AUDI customers and general internet users can be more assured that a website ending with .audi belongs to AUDI AG or its associated entities, providing a level of fraud protection.
In this way, AUDI can use this TLD for different purposes such as marketing (newmodels.audi), customer service (support.audi), or corporate communications (investorrelations.audi). It gives more control over the brand’s online presence, limiting domain squatting or phishing attempts. Still, as of this writing, AUDI mostly uses the .com domain for its main website, which is a common practice among corporations using brand TLDs.
It should be noted though that for AUDI or any other brand TLD, the general public cannot register a domain under it, as it’s strictly reserved and controlled by the brand itself.
Such information can be verified by WHOIS, a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource, such as a domain name.
Therefore, the TLD .audi plays a crucial role in establishing AUDI’s digital identity, and offers a unique, branded digital arena for the company.
Sources:
1. ZookNIC.com, “Internet Domain Survey” (2021)
2. ICANN.org, “New gTLD Program” (2012)
3. WHOIS, “WHOIS Search, Domain Name, Website, and IP Tools” (2021)
