As of my research conducted prior to February 11, 2023, there is no such thing as a .FREE top-level domain (TLD) in the official domain space. TLDs are the last part of a domain name – those letters that come after the ‘dot’. Some of the most recognized ones include .com, .net, .org among others, and there are also country-specific TLDs such as .us, .ca, .fr etc.
Newer generic TLDs have been introduced in recent years such as .app, .blog, .email, and .academy among others. According to ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which is the organization responsible for maintaining and organizing the namespaces on the internet, there is no .FREE TLD as of the date mentioned.
ICANN’s website has a TLD checking tool where you can search for any TLD and find out if it exists. When you look up .FREE on ICANN’s look-up tool, you’d be informed it doesn’t exist. ICANN’s mission includes ensuring the stable and secure operation of the Internet’s unique identifier systems which partially explains the controlled nature of TLD approvals.
In case there is future interest in making .FREE a TLD, it will go through a multi-stage process. This process includes rounds of application during which a responsible organization or registry will express interest in a TLD. It will then go through rounds of comment and objection, review by ICANN, and ultimately a formal approval or rejection decision.
As for examples of how TLD could affect your website or domain name, consider this: having a unique or industry-specific TLD can make your website stand out and make it more memorable to your audience. For instance, a plumbing business might choose a .plumbing TLD to communicate quickly and clearly to potential customers what the nature of their business is. Similarly, a travel blog might opt for a .travel domain to resonate more with its audience.
In summary, there is currently no .FREE TLD in existence as per ICANN’s records. If there would ever be a .FREE domain, it would have to go through a complicated process involving rounds of application, review, and decision by ICANN. The use of TLDs can be instrumental in segmenting the internet, assisting in website recognition and categorization.
Sources:
- ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) website (https://www.icann.org/)
- “A History and Timeline of the ICANN New gTLD Program “ (ICANNWiki, n.d.).
- “What is top-level domain (TLD)?” (Tech Target, n.d.).
- “Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)” (Verisign, n.d.).
Please note that the information is up to date until the specified date and for the most accurate and current data, ICANN’s database should be accessed.
