What Is .au?
The .au domain is Australia's country code top-level domain, managed by .au Domain Administration (auDA). Traditionally, most Australian registrations used second-level domains like .com.au (commercial), .net.au (network), and .org.au (organizations).
In 2022, direct .au registrations were opened, allowing shorter domain names like example.au instead of example.com.au. This made Australian domains more competitive with global alternatives.
Registration for .com.au and .au domains requires an Australian presence — you need an ABN (Australian Business Number) or be an Australian citizen/resident. This restriction helps maintain trust and local relevance.
Why This Matters for Startups
If your startup targets the Australian market specifically, a .com.au or .au domain builds local trust and can improve local search rankings. However, if you're building a global product from Australia, a .com, .ai, or .io domain will serve you better internationally. Many Australian startups like Canva and Atlassian chose .com for their global ambitions rather than .com.au.
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