Application Publication and Statistics (APS) | TAMS User Guide | APS User Guide | Replacement String Attestation Demo
To potentially reduce the instances of contention, applicants were encouraged to designate a replacement string alongside their original choice of string. Applicants may designate only one replacement string per application. An applicant may avoid contention by replacing its original applied-for string with its designated replacement string, subject to the conditions and criteria detailed in Section 5.1 Replacement Strings of the Applicant Guidebook.
Following the publication of the list of applications on Reveal Day, applicants are given 14 days (known as the Replacement Period) to review the published application information and complete a task via the TLD Application Management System (TAMS) to elect to replace the original string with the replacement string.
Applications in which the original string is replaced then proceed through the remaining application process stages using the replacement string. An applicant that opts for its replacement string is unable to revert to the original applied-for string. An applicant that does not indicate its intention to use its replacement string during the Replacement Period forfeits this option and proceeds with the original applied-for string.
| Applies to | New gTLD Program: 2026 Round applications with an eligible replacement string. |
| Submitted by | New gTLD Program: 2026 Round applicants that submitted an eligible replacement string with their original application. |
| Timeline | 14 days following Reveal Day, known as the Replacement Period. |
| Is my replacement string eligible? | A replacement string is eligible to be used if it does not create or expand a contention set. A replacement string cannot be used:
Applicants with an eligible replacement string will receive a task to submit a Replacement String Attestation in TAMS. Applicants who do not have an eligible replacement string will not receive a Replacement String Attestation in TAMS. You can review applied-for strings and allocatable variants and download a CSV file with the list of contention sets on the Application Publication and Statistics (APS) website. |
| How to choose your original or replacement string in TAMS | An applicant is not required to take any action upon receipt of the Replacement String Attestation if they wish to continue with their original applied-for string. To choose either your original applied-for string or replacement string during the replacement period, submit a Replacement String Attestation in the TLD Application Management System (TAMS). For more information, see: |
Impact | If an applicant submits the Replacement String Attestation in TAMS, that selection is permanent and irreversible. Under no circumstances can applicants change their selection. If an applicant does not submit their Replacement String Attestation within the replacement period, the applicant will proceed with their original applied-for string. |
| Resources | Published application information and contention sets: Applicant Guidebook: Training resources: Other resources: |