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A Global Case Study - What are the Characteristics of the .co.uk Domain?

The .co.uk domain represents a so-called Second Level Domain and technically forms a conventional address of the .uk domain, which is the country-specific Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom. Compared to alternatives and specifically to other Second Level Domains like .co.nl or .com.co, the .co.uk domain has an exceptionally high popularity, which is partly due to the long-standing requirements for registering domains in the UK.

Why is the .co.uk Domain so Popular Worldwide?

Like most countries, after the introduction of the .uk domain in the spring of 1986, there were high requirements for several decades, including a domestic residency. In addition, there were restrictions that made registering new Second Level Domains practically impossible, offering instead several alternatives including the .co.uk domain:

• .co.uk for general use and commercial interests in particular
• .gov.uk for the government and associated organizations
• .me.uk initially without specific requirements, now used for private websites
• .nhs.uk for state healthcare
• .net.uk for Internet Service Providers and IT companies
• .org.uk initially for non-profit organizations, later opened to the public
• .tld.uk and .plc.uk for companies with the legal form of Limited Company or Public Limited Company

This led to the .co.uk domain being considered the standard form for registering a .uk domain for universal use in the early decades of the internet. Due to the significant growth and expansion during this period, there was a rapid spread that far exceeded that of other Second Level Domains. It has only been possible since 2014 to register a .uk domain instead of a .co.uk domain directly - however, many owners in the UK still continue with their original .co.uk domain as it has traditionally established itself as the address of their online presence, and migrating would entail additional effort without tangible benefits.

What are the Characteristics of the .co.uk Domain?

Due to the strong fragmentation and specialisation caused by the different Second Level Domains, the distribution of TLDs in the United Kingdom evolved differently compared to most countries. The .co.uk domain is still often considered the standard, despite the liberalisation in 2014, while the actual .uk domain is seen more as an optional choice for a comprehensive presence in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, a clear trend is emerging - initially, the .co.uk domain, like the .com domain, was intended for commercial projects and restricted to them, but is now awarded without specific requirements. On the other hand, alternatives such as the .me.uk domain have taken a different approach, initially open for any use but now almost exclusively registered by private individuals.

What are the requirements for registering a .co.uk domain?

In principle, all interested parties can register any available .co.uk domain, as long as it is not taken according to a domain check. Exceptions exist within common boundaries - such as the prohibition of offensive terms, name length limited to three to 63 characters, and support for international special characters (IDN). Restrictions were in place for the .uk domain for a long time - one of the requirements until 2019 was that the matching .co.uk domain had to be available or already owned by the applicant. Due to these restrictions, it can sometimes be challenging to find suitable alternatives to a .co.uk domain within the United Kingdom. For private individuals, this may include a .me.uk domain, otherwise it is often advisable to opt for international TLDs such as the .com domain, or industry-specific alternatives like .shop or .art.