ICANN Invites Public Feedback on Updated String Similarity Guidelines for 2026 gTLD Round

On 26 November 2025, ICANN released an updated version of the String Similarity Evaluation Guidelines and opened a public comment period for the upcoming 2026 round of new generic top-level domains. The revised guidelines will serve as the primary reference for the expert panel responsible for evaluating applied-for strings in the 2026 gTLD program.

Public input is now open, with submissions accepted until 22 January 2026.

Why It Matters: Safeguarding DNS Integrity via String Similarity Checks

The String Similarity Evaluation Guidelines play an essential role in the gTLD application process. They are designed to help determine whether proposed top-level domain strings are visually or linguistically similar enough to existing or concurrently applied-for strings to cause user confusion. This process helps preserve security, clarity, and trust across the Domain Name System.

By updating these guidelines and gathering community feedback, ICANN aims to keep the evaluation process aligned with evolving script usage, character sets, and potential risks of visual similarity or homograph issues.

What’s Changing: Scope of the Updated Guidelines

The updated document outlines refined rules and methodologies for how the expert panel will assess applied-for strings, including declared variants. It details how comparisons should be made against existing gTLDs, previously applied-for strings, country-code top-level domains, blocked names, and all two-character ASCII strings.

The evaluation process consists of two steps. First, a pre-screening using a specialized tool identifies potentially similar string pairs. Second, expert reviewers conduct a manual assessment to determine whether a string is eligible, placed in contention, or disqualified.

What Happens Next: Community Feedback and Finalization

ICANN encourages stakeholders, potential applicants, registries, and the broader internet community to review the updated guidelines and submit comments before the 22 January 2026 deadline.

After the comment period closes, ICANN will review all submissions, incorporate appropriate changes, and finalize the guidelines. The completed version will then be used officially during the evaluation phase of the 2026 new gTLD application round.