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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 Saudi Arabia

    Consider another · Consider .com

    Your customer in Saudi Arabia 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.

  1. 01Registration1 to 10 yearsThe name is yours from the moment you pay, for the term you chose.
  2. 02Before expiry31 days, then 8 days beforeWe remind you twice by email; auto-renewal saves you the reminder.
  3. 03After expiryDays 1–8The website and email stop; renew within these days at the regular renewal price.
  4. 04AuctionFrom day 10The name may go to auction; if it sells, it passes to its buyer.Domain recovery policy
  5. 05Redemption30 daysIf the registry offers it after deletion: a $200 redemption fee plus a year’s renewal.
  6. 06Final deletion5 daysThen the name is free again for anyone to register.

Tips

Before you register

  1. 1Decide how long you need it before registeringFor one occasion a year is enough; for years, count the renewal, not the offer.
  2. 2Don’t make it your main email addressKeep your email on .com, and leave .pics for pictures.
  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 .pics

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.

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Register your domain nowTransfer your domain to us
.com domain per year
$17
Lowest first-year price (.pics)
$3
extensions in the price list
128