Domain names with different suffixes are subject to different naming rules. You must comply with the naming rules to ensure a successful domain name registration and audit. This topic describes the naming rules for Chinese domain names, English domain names, and other special domain names. You can read the naming rules and plan your desired domain name based on your business needs.

Note
  • If a domain name for an organization contains "中国", "国家", "中华", or "全国" or other Chinese or English characters with the same meaning, such as "China", "chn", and "sino", the application and registration must be submitted by its direct owner. Individuals or other organizations cannot register such a domain name without prior authorization. Otherwise, the application for domain name registration will be rejected.
  • If you want to register a company name that starts with "中国", "国家", "中华", or "全国", you must fill in the template for domain name registration, complete real-name verification,and then submit the following documents to the Ticket System:
    • A photo or scanned copy of the certificate of the domain name registrant, and the photo or scanned copy of the ID card of the domain name registrant contact.
    • A domain name registration application stamped with the official seal of the domain name registrant. The application needs to contain the domain name you want to register, the organization name and contact information of the domain name registrant, and the purpose for registering the domain name.
  • If a domain name contains characters prohibited by the Measures for the Administration of Internet Domain Names of China, the domain name cannot be registered or will be rejected in domain name audit in the Chinese mainland. In this case, you need to transfer the domain name to a registrar outside the Chinese mainland.

Naming rules for Chinese domain names

A Chinese domain name must comply with the following rules:
  • The Chinese domain name must contain at least one Chinese character and can contain letters, digits, and hyphens (-). The letters are case-insensitive.
  • A domain name can be registered in either simplified Chinese or traditional Chinese.
    Note
    • Most domain name registries provide equal protection for domain names in both simplified and traditional Chinese. You can register a domain name in either simplified or traditional Chinese, but not both.
    • If a domain name is registered in simplified Chinese, but you need to register the same domain name in traditional Chinese, you must cancel the simplified Chinese domain name first. This is also true if you want to re-register a traditional Chinese domain name as a simplified Chinese domain name. To cancel a domain name, submit a ticket by using the online troubleshooting tool.
  • The domain name cannot start or end with a space or a special character such as a hyphen (-), a plus sign (+), an at sign (@), or an ampersand (&).
  • The domain name cannot contain letters only or digits only.
  • The domain name cannot contain consecutive hyphens (-), consist of only one hyphen (-), or start or end with a hyphen (-).
  • The domain name cannot exceed 63 characters in Punycode.
  • Some domain names cannot contain a suffix that ends with .cn, such as ".com.cn", ".net.cn", and ".org.cn".

Naming rules for English domain names

An English domain name must comply with the following rules:
  • The domain name can contain letters, digits, and hyphens (-). The letters are case-insensitive. The domain name cannot contain spaces or special characters such as

    ! $ & ? .

  • The domain name cannot contain consecutive hyphens (-), consist of only one hyphen (-), or start or end with a hyphen (-).
  • The domain name cannot exceed 63 characters in length.
  • Some domain names cannot contain a suffix that ends with .cn, such as ".com.cn", ".net.cn", and ".org.cn".

Naming rules for domain names suffixed with ".中国", ".cn", ".公司", and ".网络"

The Notice on the Adjustments of Domain Name Audit Standards issued by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) specifies the following requirements: If a Chinese domain name for an organization is suffixed with ".中国", ".cn", ".公司", or ".网络" and contains "中国", "国家", "中华", or "全国", the domain name must be applied for and registered by its direct owner. Individuals or other organizations cannot register such a domain name without prior authorization.

For example, the domain name "中国律师协会.中国" can only be applied for and registered by the All China Lawyers Association. After registration, the registrant must submit documents required for entity identity verification within five days and cannot use the domain name until it passes the verification. If the registration application is submitted by an individual or an organization that is not the direct owner of the domain name, the applicant will fail the entity identity verification by CNNIC and the domain name will be deleted.