The top-level domain (TLD) “.bf” represents the country code for Burkina Faso, a nation located in West Africa. Its use, as with any country-specific code, is intended essentially for entities, organizations, or individuals connected with Burkina Faso.
A top-level domain is the last part of a domain name on the Internet; it is the section that follows right after the last dot. The most famous TLDs are .com, .net, .org. However, every country also has its specific TLD called a country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD).
The .bf TLD is managed by the Agency for Promotion of Information Technologies (ANPTIC). The official website of ANPTIC does not provide much information about how the .bf domains are administered, but few sources show that the administration responsibilities for .bf domains were transferred to ARCEP (the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post), another Burkinabe governmental agency. However, it is always best to verify this information with official correspondence or through contacting these agencies directly.
Like many country-specific TLDs, some local presence requirements on Burkina Faso may usually apply, although requirements can differ by registrar. For example, some ccTLDs require the registrant to be a citizen or a company registered in the country. Others may allow registration by anyone, but require a local administrative contact.
As for the use of .bf, any Burkina Faso business worth its salt will likely choose to grab a .bf domain, in addition to any other extensions they might want. Indeed, owning a local TDL can help in establishing credibility in the eyes of local customers, it can improve local search engine optimization (SEO) results and helps to enhance the company’s local brand equity.
Even if the .bf TLD is a ccTLD, its use is not restricted to Burkina Faso’s businesses. It can also be used creatively in domain hacks. A domain hack is a domain name that suggests a word, phrase, or name when concatenating two or more adjacent levels of that domain.
For example, the company “Buffer” could use the domain name “Buf.f er”.
As for the sources, information was collected from the official ANPTIC website and other tech-based information resources such as TechTarget, SearchEngineJournal, and ICANNWiki. It’s always essential to cross-check information, especially where domain registration is concerned since these regulations can change frequently and without widespread notice.
