.shop Domain: A Retail Extension Read in Many Languages
The .shop registry agreement dates from 8 April 2016 and the zone was added to the root on 5 May 2016. The registry operator is GMO Registry, Inc. of Tokyo. Its own registration policy describes the extension as a domain name for commerce, aimed at online shops and at offline retailers building an online presence, with shopping malls, review sites and guides counted inside the same scope.
The registry's stated rationale is linguistic: because the word shop is recognised across many languages and cultures, the address identifies a site as retail or e-commerce without further explanation. There is no eligibility rule, and names are allocated first come, first served once general availability opens. Test your shortlist on the .shop domain search page, and review hosting options before you commit to a build.
The registry retired its whois service on 1 May 2026 and moved registration data queries to RDAP, in line with ICANN's RDAP transition policy. The practical consequence is concrete: a port 43 whois query now returns a redirection notice rather than record fields. When you need to check the status of a .shop name, use your registrar's control panel or the registry's RDAP service instead.
.SHOP Domain at a Glance
- Registry operator GMO Registry, Inc. (Tokyo)
- Root zone entry 5 May 2016
- Eligibility None; first come, first served in general availability
- Registration data Whois retired 1 May 2026; queries served over RDAP
- Document Requirement There are no requirements for buying .shop domain registration
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.shop Domain Prices — No Surprise Fees
Registration, transfer and renewal fees are listed separately. The renewal price can differ from the first-year price, so you see both up front.
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New Registration
$1.99 / years -
Transfer
$39.92 / years -
Renewal
$39.92 / years -
Restore
$179.90 -
Late Renewal
$6.98
Included With Every .shop Domain
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Free DNS management
Change A, MX, TXT and CNAME records yourself from the panel — no waiting on anyone when you move a site or mailbox.
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Domain lock
While the lock is on, nobody can move your domain to another registrar without your approval.
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Domain forwarding
Point the domain at your existing site, a campaign page or a social profile — at no extra cost.
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Free WHOIS privacy
Your name, address and phone stay out of public WHOIS records, which cuts down spam and scam calls.
.shop Domain Lifecycle
Domain lifecycle
The stages in order, from registration to releaseDomain Is Available (Available)
A .shop address at this stage has not been taken yet, and it goes to whoever registers first. Check the name you have in mind — if it is free, it can be yours within minutes.
Domain Is Active (Active Period)
Once registration is complete the domain is yours for the term you chose. You can renew at any point before expiry to keep it uninterrupted, or switch on auto-renewal so you never have to watch the date.
Redemption Period (Redemption Period)
The domain is not released the moment it expires — during this window it is still yours and can be recovered. Some extensions charge an extra restore fee at this stage, so renewing before expiry is always the cheaper route.
Pending Delete Period (Pending Delete Period)
If the redemption window is missed too, the domain enters the final stage and waits to be deleted. Renewal and recovery are no longer possible here; when the period ends the registration is removed for good.
Domain Is Available Again
Once deletion completes, the domain leaves the system and anyone can register it — popular names are often taken the same minute by someone watching. Keep auto-renewal on so a name you care about never gets this far.
.shop Domain Specifications and Registration Rules
Registration conditions, supported features and the registry's own timelines in a single table.
.shop Domain Registration
- Document Requirement There are no requirements for buying .shop domain registration
- Character Length 3 - 63 characters
- Registration Period 1 - 10 years
- Name Server Count 2 - 10 servers
.shop Domain Support
- IDN Support Yes
- Transfer Support Yes
- Late Renewal Support Yes
.shop Domain Registration Periods
- Registration Periods 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 years
- Renewal Periods 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 years
- Pre-registration 1 days
- Accounting Period 5 days
- Finalization Period 1 days
- Failure Period 44 days
- Payment Period 61 days
- Redemption Period 30 days
- Deletion Hold Period 5 days
- Renewal Time 5 Day
Frequently Asked Questions About .shop Domains
The questions people actually ask before registering — answered plainly.
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No. The registry's registration policy allocates names first come, first served once general availability opens, and it sets no identity, sector or licensing condition. A sole trader, a limited company and an association apply on identical terms. The extension is not a permit: whatever authorisation your trade requires arises from the activity itself, not from the address. Try your candidates on the .shop search page.
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Because the registry closed its whois service on 1 May 2026 and moved registration data queries to RDAP. A query sent to port 43 now returns a short notice describing that change instead of record fields. Your expiry date, lock state and contact details remain visible in your registrar's control panel, and classic lookups still work for other extensions through the whois search page.
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The registry publishes an IDN policy that lists twelve supported languages and scripts, among them Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Turkish. Two practical checks come first, though: confirm that your registrar accepts those characters, and confirm that your mail and certificate tooling handles the name cleanly. When in doubt, register an ASCII equivalent alongside it.
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Both signal retail; the difference lies in the operator and the connotation. The word shop reads as noun and verb at once and evokes an actual storefront, while .store carries a slightly more corporate, catalogue-like tone. The decision rule is plain: say your brand aloud with each one and keep whichever flows better. Holding both and redirecting one is inexpensive insurance for a brand you intend to grow.
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Release the transfer lock, obtain the authorisation code, then file the request with the gaining registrar. Downtime translates straight into lost orders in e-commerce, so schedule the move outside promotional periods and export a copy of your DNS records first. Run the process from the domain transfer page, and plan certificate coverage for your checkout pages via SSL certificates.
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