.guru

.guru
Introduced2013
TLD typeGeneric top-level domain
StatusActive
RegistryDonuts
Intended useGeneral expertise
Registered domains60,360 (February 2022)[1]
DNSSECYes
IDNYes

.guru is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) owned by Donuts. It was delegated on 6 November 2013.[2]

History

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.guru was one of the first seven gTLDs launched simultaneously by Donuts in late 2013.[note 1] The sunrise period, during which pre-existing trademark holders may register URLs prior to general availability to prevent domain squatting, lasted from 26 November 2013 through to 24 January 2014. .guru did not undergo a landrush period in which a closed group of non-trademark holders are able to purchase domains for a premium price, and instead went straight to general availability release.[4]

The launch of .guru was part of a significant movement in the creation of top-level domains; prior to 2014, only 22 gTLDs were available for registration, while over a thousand were launched in February 2014 alone.[5] .guru quickly became the pre-eminent new gTLD in signups, having 55,000 registrations by May of that year[6] with 35,000 in the first three weeks of its opening alone.[7] Until the release of .app, .guru had the most pre-orders of any new gTLD at GoDaddy.[8]

However, the market for new gTLDs performed below expectations, with fewer registrations and a smaller market share than originally predicted. While .guru's first-mover advantage gave it a respectable market share amongst other minor gTLDs, the overall picture was of a more niche product than anticipated.[9] In 2015, a year after its launch, .guru was found to have the second highest number of its registrations lapsed or deleted after .tips.[10]

Despite the failure to meet original expectations, .guru nonetheless remains a popular niche for many individuals and small businesses, particularly in India.[11]

Usage

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As of 2022, there are 60,360 registered .guru domains, making up 0.21% of all domains. GoDaddy has the majority of the .guru market share with 47.4%, while NameCheap runs a distant second at 11.3%.[1] Approximately 56,000 of the registrations are to active websites, and an estimated $1.5-2 million dollars are paid in .guru registration fees per year.[12] According to The Spamhaus Project, as of September 2023 3.9% of .guru domains engage in spamming, compared to 1.5% of .com, 2.1% of .net, 6.6% of .info, 2.7% of .biz, and 0.8% of .org domains.[13] .guru's primary competitors are .expert, which is similarly focused on expertise, and .ninja, another "edgy" expert-focused gTLD.[6]

Notes

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  1. ^ The other six were .bike, .clothing, .holdings, .plumbing, .singles, and .ventures.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b ".guru". nTLDStats. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  2. ^ Murphy, Kevin (6 November 2013). "Nine Donuts gTLDs delegated". Domain Incite. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. ^ Cole, Mason (7 November 2013). "Donuts Adds Seven Generic Top-Level Domains To The Internet, Signs 13 Registrars". Bloomberg. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  4. ^ Berkens, Michael (6 November 2013). "Donuts 1st 7 New gTLD's Will Not Have a Landrush Period But Go Live After Sunrise On Jan 29". The Domains.
  5. ^ Mirani, Leo; Yanofsky, David (22 January 2014). "The biggest land rush in the history of the internet starts on February 4". Quartz. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b Allemann, Andrew (6 May 2014). "Is .expert the next "big" top level domain name?". Domain Name Wire. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  7. ^ Ermert, Monika (24 February 2014). "Sobering figures for new Top Level Domains". Internet Policy Review. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  8. ^ Allemann, Andrew (6 June 2018). "Timing is everything: why .XXX dwarfs other adult top level domain names". Domain Name Wire. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  9. ^ Allemann, Andrew (28 February 2019). "New TLDs, five years in". Domain Name Wire. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. ^ Allemann, Andrew (13 April 2015). "See which new top level domain names are deleting". Domain Name Wire. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  11. ^ Ahmed, Mastufa (25 June 2018). "Do Indian SMEs favour a dot-com domain name or a clear brand identity?". SME Futures. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  12. ^ Mutton, Paul (13 April 2017). "New gTLDs: Are they a success?". Netcraft. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  13. ^ "The World's Most Abused TLDs". The Spamhaus Project. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
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