TLDR
auDA confirmed existing .com.au and .net.au licence holders will keep their domains under proposed tighter allocation rules, after industry estimates put up to 2.5 million names at risk. New registrations would face a stricter test tied to a personal name, registered name or Australian trade mark. Public consultation on the draft rules is still scheduled for later in 2026.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What auDA decided and what it did not
The .au Domain Administration body (auDA) confirmed on 19 October 2026 that no current registrant of a .com.au or .net.au domain name licence will be affected by the proposed changes to the allocation criteria.[1] auDA also confirmed no final decisions have been made on the proposed changes or their implementation.[1]
The clarification followed a September 2026 release of draft rule changes that drew sharp criticism from small business groups and domain industry figures. An external Policy Advisory Panel had recommended removing the so-called 'close and substantial connection' rule, which had allowed businesses to register descriptive or generic names tied to a product or service rather than one matching a registered name or trade mark.
The panel's recommendation passed four votes to two with one abstention. The Internet Commerce Association called the outcome a mistake, saying it was made on "a divided recommendation and a thin evidentiary record on harm, cost and transition."[3]
What the rule change means for new registrations
David Warmuz, Chief Executive Officer of Trillion.com and Drop.com.au, suggested the number of affected names could be as high as 2.5 million of roughly 3.47 million .com.au and .net.au domain names.[3] James Richardson of Optimising put his estimate at between two million and 2.7 million names.[2] Both are industry estimates, not auDA figures.
For agencies and marketing teams, every new campaign microsite, product launch URL or brand extension registered after the rules take effect would need to match a personal name, registered name or registered Australian trade mark. auDA says an exact match is not required under the current rules and it does not propose changing that, but a name justified only by a product or service connection would no longer qualify. auDA confirmed public consultation on the draft .au Licensing Rules will proceed later in 2026, meaning teams planning new digital properties should monitor the consultation outcome before committing to a domain strategy.[1]
Descriptive names for product microsites and campaigns are a common tactic for Australian marketers, and that route narrows for new registrations. auDA has not set an effective date; that waits on the consultation. Prompt the Market reported the original proposal on 14 October.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will my existing .com.au domain be cancelled or changed under the new rules?
What changes for new .com.au registrations?
When will the new rules take effect?
Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.
