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Country extensionSince 1997

.io domain registration

The British Indian Ocean Territory’s extension that became a familiar address for tech startups: two letters programmers read as input/output, open to anyone, person or company, from any country.

Score card

.io in six cells

Our score out of five, as we see it when we help a customer choose.

Trust
4 out of 5
Easy to remember
5 out of 5
Global reach
4 out of 5
Price stability
5 out of 5
Short names available
2 out of 5
Local meaning
2 out of 5

Overview

What is .io

.io entered the internet’s root in 1997 as the extension of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and its manager in the IANA record is Internet Computer Bureau Limited. Because programmers read the two letters as input/output, it became familiar among tech startups and developer tools, and anyone, person or company, from any country can register it.

One thing worth knowing before you choose: in 2025 the UK and Mauritius signed a treaty on the territory, but it has not entered into force. IANA says a change of sovereignty does not by itself change .io; and if the code IO were ever removed from ISO’s list of countries, its policy phases a country extension out over five to ten years.

Today .io is still an active extension in IANA’s records, run by the same manager, and it supports DNSSEC signing, but it has no table for Arabic letters. Its price with us is fixed every year, and the highest among the country codes we sell, and its short tech words were taken long ago.

Type
Country extension (ccTLD)
In the root since
September 16, 1997
Name’s origin
Indian Ocean; also read as input/output
Responsible body
Internet Computer Bureau Limited
Who may register
Anyone, person or organization, from any country
DNSSEC
Supported
Names in Arabic
Not supported

Who it suits

For your field: is .io the best fit?

Every field has an extension that says something about it. Here is what .io says in each, and which extension completes it.

  • A startup or developer tool

    Excellent · A strong choice

    Developers and investors in tech know it, and you’ll find a short name for your product in it; register .com too if it’s free.

    Register it with.io.com

  • An open-source project

    Good · A good fit

    Familiar for a software project developers read; .org says the project belongs to its community.

    Register it with.io.org

  • A game or web app

    Good · A good fit

    A short link for an app that opens in the browser; add .app if you want an extension that says “app” outright.

    Register it with.io.app

  • A software company in Egypt

    Good · A good fit with .tech

    .io tells people in tech you’re one of them, and .tech says it as a full word to your client in Egypt outside that world.

    Register it with.io.tech

  • An online store

    Consider another · Consider .store

    The everyday buyer may not know .io, and .store or .com says “store” with more trust.

    Register it with.store.com

  • A non-tech local business

    Consider another · Consider .com

    .io says nothing to a restaurant’s or a shop’s customer in Egypt, who knows .com and types it out of habit; add .shop if you sell.

    Register it with.com.shop

What it does for you

What you gain when you register it

  • Says “tech” to those in it

    Developers and investors read it as a familiar tech address, placing you among them from the first link.

  • Short names for your product

    A short name for a product or a tool is easier to find in it than in .com.

  • Email for your team

    team@nile-soft.io is an address telling your client they’re writing to a tech company.

  • No conditions, no documents

    A country code anyone, person or company, from any country can register, without living in the territory.

And where its value shows

On the product page

A short link developers know.

In technical documentation

An address for APIs and guides.

In the investor pitch

A name that says “tech company” from the first slide.

In developer communities

A link familiar among programmers.

Pros and cons

What you should know before you register

Frankly, as we’d tell a customer who asks us before registering.

Pros

  • 01Two letters familiar in tech and among startups
  • 02Open to everyone from any country, with no documents
  • 03More short names available than in .com
  • 04One price with us, the first year and every renewal
  • 05Supports DNSSEC signing

Cons

  • 01Its future is tied to the territory’s status, though nothing has changed so far
  • 02The highest-priced of the country codes we sell
  • 03Customers outside tech may not know it
  • 04Doesn’t support names in Arabic

Rules

Registration terms for .io

What the registry requires and what we add, in one place.

Who may register
Anyone, person or organization, from any country
Documents
None required; accurate contact details and address
Name length
Up to 63 characters
Characters
a–z, digits and hyphens, never first or last
Names in Arabic
Not supported
Registration term
1 to 10 years
DNSSEC
Supported
Privacy protection
Not prohibited by the registry; UK privacy law limits what is published
Transfer
With an EPP code from your current provider

Life cycle

From registration until the name is free again

What happens to your name if it isn’t renewed, and when you can still get it back.

  1. 01Registration1 to 10 yearsThe name is yours from the moment you pay, for the term you chose.
  2. 02Redemption30 daysOnce deleted, it can be redeemed for an extra redemption fee.
  3. 03Final deletion5 daysThen the name is free again for anyone to register.

Tips

Before you register

  1. 1A backup name beside .ioRegister the same name in .com or .co, so you have a ready alternative for your address and email, whatever changes.
  2. 2A name understood outside techIf your customers are outside that world, a clear name serves you better than an abbreviation only programmers know.
  3. 3A short name, read as it’s writtenIf it needs spelling out on the phone, it’s too long or too complicated.
  4. 4No digits or hyphens that need explainingEvery hyphen or digit has to be said, and what has to be said gets forgotten.
  5. 5Renew automatically, or register for yearsUp to 10 years at once, so you never miss a date.
  6. 6Make sure the name isn’t someone else’s trademarkA registered trademark’s owner can recover the name from whoever registered it first.

Nearby extensions

If your name is taken in .io

FAQ5 questions

Frequently asked questions about .io

Didn’t find your answer? Our technical support team is with you around the clock.

Contact support

  • $87 a year, for the first year and every renewal: the price you see when you search, with no other fees at registration.

  • Anyone, person or organization, from any country, with no documents; the registry asks for accurate contact details and a real address.

  • Yes: ask your current provider for the transfer (EPP) code, and open a transfer request with us.

  • Renew it before it’s due, since the grace period after expiry is set by the registrar. If the name is deleted, the registry’s platform allows redemption within 30 days for a redemption fee; then it is deleted for good after 5 days and is free again.

  • No. IANA’s repository of internationalized names (IDN) holds no Arabic table for .io, so names in it use Latin letters, digits and hyphens.

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