New generic extensionSince 2014
.pics domain registration
The casual English short form of “pictures”: a light extension for a shared album, a photo page for an occasion, or a playful project that’s seen more than read.
Score card
.pics in six cells
Our score out of five, as we see it when we help a customer choose.
- Trust
- 3 out of 5
- Easy to remember
- 4 out of 5
- Global reach
- 2 out of 5
- Price stability
- 1 out of 5
- Short names available
- 4 out of 5
- Local meaning
- 1 out of 5
Overview
What is .pics
.pics is a casual short form of pictures, as people say it in everyday English. It speaks to anyone sharing pictures without fuss: a family album, trip or party photos, or a small project built on images. It was added to the internet’s root in 2014, and IANA’s record names XYZ.COM LLC as the body responsible for it.
Its tone is playful and informal; it suits a page for an occasion or a hobby more than a studio presenting itself to a paying client. It supports DNSSEC signing, but takes no names in Arabic letters, so your album’s name is written in Latin.
Its first year is very cheap with us, but renewal is much higher. If you want the name for years, work out the renewal cost before you register; if it’s for a single occasion, one year may be enough. And some mail filters are stricter with cheap new extensions.
- Type
- New generic extension (new gTLD)
- In the root since
- January 9, 2014
- Name’s origin
- pics, casual English for pictures
- Responsible body
- XYZ.COM LLC
- Who may register
- Anyone, person or organization, from any country
- DNSSEC
- Supported
- Names in Arabic
- Not supported
Who it suits
For your field: is .pics the best fit?
Every field has an extension that says something about it. Here is what .pics says in each, and which extension completes it.
A family or occasion album
Excellent · The first choice
Wedding or trip photos in one light link that family and friends remember.
Register it with.pics.photos
A hobby photographer
Good · A good fit
It suits someone who shoots for themselves and shares; if photography becomes your trade, .photos serves better.
Register it with.pics.photos
A photo campaign or contest
Good · A good fit
A short-lived page for a contest or campaign, for which one year is enough.
Register it with.pics.com
A professional photographer
Consider another · Consider .photos
Its tone is informal; a paying client trusts .photos or .com more.
Register it with.photos.com
A local business in Lebanon
Consider another · Consider .com
Your customer in Lebanon looks for a name they know; .com is clearer and steadier.
Register it with.com.shop
An online store
Consider another · Consider .store
A checkout page needs trust, not playfulness; .store and .com suit buyers better.
Register it with.store.com
What it does for you
What you gain when you register it
A light link for pictures
Short and playful, sent in a message and understood to hold pictures.
A cheap start
Its first year is very cheap, so you try your idea before you commit.
One place for everyone
Family and friends gather their photos at one address instead of scattered groups.
Your pictures under your name
You decide who sees them, away from the platforms’ terms.
And where its value shows
In a message after the occasion
One link that gathers everyone’s photos.
On the invitation card
Guests know where to find the photos.
In your profile bio
A light link for a photography hobby.
On a contest poster
A short address, easily remembered and typed.
Pros and cons
What you should know before you register
Frankly, as we’d tell a customer who asks us before registering.
Pros
- 01Short, playful and easy to say
- 02A very cheap first year with us
- 03Short names easier to find than in .com
- 04Supports DNSSEC signing
Cons
- 01Renewal is much higher than the first year
- 02Too informal in tone for professional work
- 03Takes no names in Arabic letters
- 04Some mail filters are stricter with cheap extensions
Rules
Registration terms for .pics
What the registry requires and what we add, in one place.
- Who may register
- Anyone, person or organization, from any country
- Documents
- None required
- 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
- Optional, for a separate fee
- Transfer
- 60 days after registration or the last transfer, with an EPP code; adds a year to its term
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.
- 01Registration1 to 10 yearsThe name is yours from the moment you pay, for the term you chose.
- 02Before expiry31 days, then 8 days beforeWe remind you twice by email; auto-renewal saves you the reminder.
- 03After expiryDays 1–8The website and email stop; renew within these days at the regular renewal price.
- 04AuctionFrom day 10The name may go to auction; if it sells, it passes to its buyer.Domain recovery policy
- 05Redemption30 daysIf the registry offers it after deletion: a $200 redemption fee plus a year’s renewal.
- 06Final deletion5 daysThen the name is free again for anyone to register.
Tips
Before you register
- 1Decide how long you need it before registeringFor one occasion a year is enough; for years, count the renewal, not the offer.
- 2Don’t make it your main email addressKeep your email on .com, and leave .pics for pictures.
- 3A short name, read as it’s writtenIf it needs spelling out on the phone, it’s too long or too complicated.
- 4No digits or hyphens that need explainingEvery hyphen or digit has to be said, and what has to be said gets forgotten.
- 5Renew automatically, or register for yearsUp to 10 years at once, so you never miss a date.
- 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 .pics
- .photosBetter suited to the professional photographer.$28 first year
- .artFor art photography and exhibitions.$34 first year
- .showTo show your work or your occasion.$25 first year
- .eventsFor an occasion or party page.$31 first year
- .comThe best known, for what lasts years.$17 first year
- .mePersonal, for your own album.$36 first year
FAQ5 questions
Frequently asked questions about .pics
Didn’t find your answer? Our technical support team is with you around the clock.
Contact support$3 for the first year with an offer, then $37 for each renewal. Look at the renewal price before you register: it’s what you’ll pay every year after the first.
Anyone, person or organization, from any country, with no documents or conditions; the contact details in the owner’s name just need to be accurate.
Yes, once 60 days have passed since it was registered or last transferred. Ask your current provider for the transfer (EPP) code and open a transfer request with us; a full year is added to the domain’s term.
We remind you by email 31 days and 8 days before expiry, and 3 days after it. After expiry the website and email stop, and you can renew in the first eight days at the regular renewal price; from day 10 it may go to auction. If it is deleted and the registry allows redemption within 30 days, the redemption fee is $200 plus a year’s renewal.
No. IANA’s repository of internationalized names (IDN) holds no Arabic table for .pics, so names in it use Latin letters, digits and hyphens.
Get your standout domain at unbeatable prices
Start now and choose the perfect domain for your business or brand, with full control and round-the-clock technical support in one place.
- .com domain per year
- $17
- Lowest first-year price (.pics)
- $3
- extensions in the price list
- 128
