.top Domain Search

The .top top level domain is a new generic TLD from ICANN’s 2012 expansion program. Operated by Jiangsu Bangning Science & Technology Co., Ltd. in Nanjing, China, .top was positioned as a universal, prestige oriented string ('top' implying excellence) and culturally aligned with ranking concepts in Chinese internet culture. The application passed initial evaluation in March 2013, the registry agreement was executed in March 2014, and the TLD was delegated to the root zone in August 2014. A Sunrise period ran from October to November 2014, followed by General Availability beginning November 18, 2014. Adoption accelerated through aggressive low price promotions, peaking during speculative registration waves—especially in China—before later volatility driven by low renewals and abuse related cleanups.

The .top extension is frequently used for low cost websites, short term marketing pages, affiliate landing pages, experimental projects, and bulk portfolio registrations (often numeric or short strings). Some legitimate uses exist around ranking, lists, and 'best-of' branding, but the namespace is widely associated with transient registrations due to aggressive discounting. Internationalized Domain Name support and low entry pricing also contributed to uptake in non English speaking markets.