How does an organisation get a domain name?

Depending on the nature and activity of the organisation, there are many options available, including in the .au space, including .com.au, .org.au, .net.au, .asn.au and .edu.au. The full list of available domains can be found at http://www.auda.org.au. Two of the more commonly used options for community and non-profit groups are .org.au and .asn.au. In some instances an organisation may prefer to register a .org domain name (see below for details).

1. org.au

.org.au is the domain which is allocated to charity groups and/or non-profit organisations (as defined by their constitution) operating in Australia.

Domain names must be derived from the name of the organisation or must be otherwise "closely or substantially connected to" the organisation because it refers to:
* a service that the organisation provides;
* a program that the organisation administers;
* an event that the organisation organises or sponsors;
* an activity that the organisation facilitates;
* a venue that the registrant operates; or
* a profession that the members of the organisation practice.

2. .asn.au

asn.au is for "associations" but is not limited to those incorporated under specific State legislation. asn.au organisations can include Australian:
* incorporated bodies;
* political parties:
* trade unions;
* sporting and special interest clubs; or
* "partnerships" between disparate organisations.

As with .org.au, domain names need to be derived from the registrant's name or be otherwise substantially connected to the registrant. The formulation requirements for domain names in the .org.au and .asn.au spaces are the same as for all the other open spaces. Domain names must:
* be at least two characters long;
* contain only letters, numbers and hyphens (or a combination of these); and
* not contain hyphens in the first, last, third or fourth position.

To find out about registration fees, see the web sites of the various registrars for the .org.au and .asn.au spaces. Licences must be renewed every two years.

3. .org

Some organisations may choose to register a .org domain name (rather than a .org.au domain name). You may wish to do this if the name you want is already in use in the .org.au domain space. Registration is simpler for .org domain names, as the only limitation on obtaining a licence is availability. For a list of registrars through which you can register a .org domain name, click here.


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End Notes