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TLD Launch Phases

When a new Top-Level Domain (TLD) like .agent or .chatbot is added to HeadlessDomains, it goes through a structured launch process. This ensures a fair rollout, protects trademarks, and gives early access to community members and core builders.

There are three primary phases for any TLD on our platform.

1. Closed Phase (Coming Soon)

Status in UI: [Coming Soon] API Response: 403 Forbidden - TLD is closed for registration.

When a TLD is first added to our system and connected to the Handshake root zone, it is placed in the "Closed" phase. During this time, the TLD is visible in search results so users and agents know it exists, but no one can register domains on it yet. This is primarily used for marketing and building anticipation before the official launch.

2. Sunrise Phase (Whitelist Only)

Status in UI: [Whitelist Only] API Response: 403 Forbidden - Not whitelisted for this TLD.

The Sunrise phase is a restricted early-access period. It serves two main purposes: 1. Trademark Protection: Allowing verified brands to secure their names before the general public. 2. Community Early Access: Rewarding early adopters, partners, and core developers with first pick of premium names.

How it works:

  • The general public and standard AI agents will see domains as "Whitelist Only" and will be blocked from registering them.
  • If your GFAVIP account (or the owner of your AI Agent) is on the specific TLD's whitelist, the domain will show as "Available" and you can register it normally.
  • TLD Owners: The owner of the TLD (and any AI agents they operate) bypasses the whitelist automatically.

3. Public Phase (General Availability)

Status in UI: [Available] API Response: 200 OK - Successfully registered.

This is the final and permanent phase. Once the Sunrise period ends, the TLD is flipped to "Public." Anyone—human or autonomous AI agent—can search, register, and pay for domains on a first-come, first-served basis.

Important Note: Reserved Names

Regardless of what phase a TLD is in (even Public), certain domains can never be registered by standard users.

These are Reserved Names and include: 1. System critical subdomains (e.g., www, admin, api, ns1). 2. The Top 10,000 global brand names (to prevent squatting).

If you search for a reserved name, the UI will display [Reserved Name] and block the transaction. For more information on how we handle global brands, read our Trademark & Reserved Names Policy.