About .xxx Domain Names

The .xxx top-level domain name (TLD) provides an easily identifiable extension for the adult entertainment industry, its consumers, and those who want to avoid it.

These domain names can be three to 63 characters in length. They can contain English-language letters A through Z, digits 0 through 9, and hyphens (except at the beginning, end, or in both the third and fourth position of the domain name). Internationalized domain names (IDNs), spaces, and special characters (such as !, $, and &) are not allowed.

For more information, see About .xxx Domain Names.

You can also visit the ICM Registry's Launch page and Launch Plan and Related Policies PDF.

Note: On Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. (Arizona time), we released all .xxx domain names with failed Sunrise applications into a general pool. Those domain names are now available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

If we are unable to secure your .xxx domain name, we will refund your domain name registration.

Community Members

You must complete the ICM Registry's free membership application process before your domain names can resolve to the internet. When you purchase a .xxx domain name, the registry emails you within 24 hours and provides information on completing this process. The registry might request additional documentation to validate the membership. After the registry validates the membership, you must submit your membership credentials (ID) to us.

Once you have a membership ID, you can use it for all .xxx domain names you register. You do not need a separate membership ID for each .xxx domain name.

Note: Log in to the ICM Registry website as a member to recover your lost or forgotten membership ID.

Non-Members (Defensive Registrations)

Applicants outside the sponsored adult entertainment community can purchase defensive registrations to block domain names from becoming .xxx domain names on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants with defensive registrations must pay to register the domain names but are not required to complete the ICM Registry's membership application process. Instead, the registry places those domain names on non-resolving nameservers.

The ICM Registry manages and supports .xxx domain names, and the International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR) is the separate, non-profit organization responsible for its policies.

You can apply to register .xxx domain names for a minimum of one year and a maximum of 10 years.

Your .xxx domain name renews on its expiration date. Auto-renewal is attempted on the domain name's expiration date. If the renewal attempt fails, we re-attempt renewal on the 5 days later and again 7 days after that.

If we cannot auto-renew the domain name and you do not manually renew it by the 12th day after the expiration date, it must be redeemed. There might be a fee for the redemption. See Recovering Expired Domain Names for more information.

Yes. See Transfer my domain to GoDaddy for information on transferring .xxx domain names to us.

See Transfer domain to another registrar for information on transferring .xxx domain names to another registrar.

NOTE: You must enter your membership ID to process a transfer.

Yes. Private Registration, Protected Registration, and Deluxe Registration are available for .xxx domain names. For more information, see Add Private Registration and Add Protected Registration .

No. We do not support the backorder of .xxx domain names.

Yes. See Move a domain to another GoDaddy account for information on moving .xxx domain names between accounts with us.

Yes, you can update contact information. Sunrise B .xxx domain names can not be updated. See Change domain contact information for information on making these changes.

You can use any valid nameservers with .xxx domain names. If you have a defensive registration to block a domain name from becoming an .xxx domain name or you have purchased your .xxx domain during the Sunrise B phase, you cannot manage your domain nameservers.

Yes. If you are outside the sponsored adult entertainment community and do not have a registered trademark or intellectual property rights, you can apply for a defensive registration to block a domain name from becoming a .xxx domain name. For more information, see About .xxx Domain Names.

To become a member of the sponsored adult entertainment community, you must complete the ICM Registry's membership application process. When you register a .xxx domain name, the registry emails you within 24 hours and provides information on completing this process, which is free and easy to do. Once approved, the registry issues you a membership ID. Without a membership ID, your .xxx domain name will not resolve on the Internet.

Note: Log in to the ICM Registry website as a member to recover your lost or forgotten membership ID.

Once you have a membership ID, you can use it for all .xxx domain names you register. You do not need a separate membership ID for each .xxx domain name.

Note: You are not required to complete the ICM Registry's membership application process if you have a defensive registration to block a domain name from becoming a .xxx domain name. If you purchased your .xxx domain during the Sunrise B phase, you cannot manage your domain or enter a Membership ID.

After you register .xxx domain name, you must complete the ICM Registry's free membership application process to confirm your status as a member of the sponsored adult entertainment community, to confirm your contact information, and to get a membership ID.

Once you have a membership ID, you can use it for all .xxx domain names you register. You do not need a separate membership ID for each .xxx domain name.

Note: Log in to the ICM Registry website as a member to recover your lost or forgotten membership ID.

You must complete the ICM Registry's free membership application process before their domain names can resolve to the internet. When you submit an application, the registry emails you within 24 hours and provides information on completing this process. The registry might request additional documentation to validate the membership. After the registry validates the membership, you must submit your membership credentials (ID) to us.

Note: You are not required to complete the ICM Registry's membership application process if you have a defensive registration to block a domain name from becoming a .xxx domain name. If you purchased your .xxx domain during the Sunrise B phase, you cannot manage your domain or enter a Membership ID.

By combining free expression with responsibility, .xxx domain names are advantageous to the adult entertainment industry, its consumers, and those who want to avoid it. The extension provides the adult entertainment industry with thousands of new domain names to register. Its consumers can easily locate .xxx sites, which means increased traffic, global brand recognition, and profit. On the other hand, those who want to avoid online adult entertainment, such as parents concerned with child protection, can easily filter out .xxx sites.

This extension also offers revolutionary features, such as built-in McAfee® malware scanning to keep site visitors safe and registry-sponsored portals and directed searches to help increase site traffic.

No. Registration of .xxx domain names is voluntary, and you can continue to use existing extensions for adult-themed websites.

You must complete the ICM Registry's free membership application process and submit their membership credentials (ID) to us before their domain names will resolve.

Note: The registry places successful defensive registrations on non-resolving nameservers. For more information, see the "Who can register .xxx domain names?" section above.

Yes. Applicants within the sponsored adult entertainment community who have associated their membership ID with their domain can park their .xxx domain names. Parked pages do not have to display adult-themed content.

If you want to use your .xxx domain or publish content (resolve) to the Internet, you must complete the ICM Registry's free membership application process to obtain a valid .xxx membership ID.

When you purchase your domain name, the registry emails you within 24 hours and provides information on completing this process. The registry confirms your status as a member of the sponsored adult entertainment community as well as your contact information.

Once the registry validates the membership, you must associate your membership ID with your domain name before it can resolve to the Internet. One membership ID can be used for all of the .xxx domain names you register.

Note: You are not required to complete the ICM Registry's membership application process if you have a defensive registration to block a domain name from becoming a .xxx domain name. If you purchased your .xxx domain during the Sunrise B phase, you cannot manage your domain or enter a membership ID.

To Manage Your .xxx Membership ID

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account.
2. Next to Domains, click Manage.
3. Select the .xxx domain names you want to update.
4. From the Settings menu, select .XXX Membership ID Settings.
5. Do one of the following:
   • If you haven't associated your Membership IDs with your account, enter a vaild .XXX Membership ID provided by the ICM registry.
   • If you have associated your Membership IDs with your account, select the option you want to use.
6. Click OK.

Note: Log in to the ICM Registry website as a member to recover your lost or forgotten membership ID.