The independent Policy Advisory Panel's review of the .au Licensing Rules (.au Licensing Rules Review) made a range of recommendations aimed at supporting the rules to remain effective, reflect community expectations, and maintain trust and confidence in the .au domain.
The Panel’s recommendations are set out in its Final Report, following a multi-stakeholder review process. The Panel’s process included two phases of public consultation, with feedback from a range of stakeholders including business groups, consumer groups, government, academia and the domain name industry.
In August 2026, the auDA Board approved the Panel's recommendations in principle and directed management to develop an implementation plan that takes into account the impact of the recommendations. No changes to the .au Licensing Rules have been finalised.
As part of this work, auDA is considering the impact of all recommendations and how they might be implemented. One key recommendation relates to allocation rules for com.au and net.au domain names.
What is the change set out in recommendation 2?
Unlike many other domain extensions, .au domain names operate under eligibility and allocation requirements which support trust and confidence in the Australian domain name system.
Recommendation 2 relates to the allocation requirements for com.au and net.au domain names. A majority of the independent Policy Advisory Panel recommended removing the current clause 2.4.4(2)(f), which allows a registrant to satisfy the allocation rules through the name of a service, goods, event, activity or premises.
The Panel concluded that the current criteria creates different pathways for registrants to demonstrate a connection to a domain name, which can create inconsistency in how the rules are applied, is seen as unfair to small businesses, and in some instances may result in consumer harm.
The Panel notes its recommendation is intended to strengthen the connection between a domain name and a registrant's official business identity, while supporting clearer and more transparent allocation rules for com.au and net.au.
Opportunity for feedback
The auDA Board has directed management to develop an implementation plan that considers the impact of the recommendations on registrants. The implementation plan will consider the number and types of registrations that may be affected and any appropriate transition arrangements.
Any proposed changes to the .au Licensing Rules will be released for public consultation before they are considered by the Board and finalised.
This will provide registrants, industry participants and the broader community an opportunity to have their say on how the rules give effect to the Panel’s recommendations.
A domain name does not need to match an identical business name
There is no current or proposed requirement under either the .au Licensing Rules or the recommendation made by the Policy Advisory Pane that will require businesses to hold an identical business name in order to retain a domain name.
Under the .au Licensing Rules, a domain name may be a "match" for one, some or all of the words or numbers used in a person's legal name, business name or Australian trade mark.
As a result, many registrants will already satisfy the proposed allocation requirements through an existing company name, business name or trade mark, without needing to hold an identical business name.
Businesses trading under a name other than their company name, or for sole traders their personal name, are already required under Australian law to register a business name.
Supporting registrants through any future implementation
auDA recognises that domain names are important digital assets for Australian businesses.
Any future implementation will be supported by guidance and appropriate transition arrangements to help domain name holders understand and meet any new requirements that may come into effect.
Further information
Further information, including the independent Policy Advisory Panel's Final Report, summary of recommendations and FAQs, is available on the Licensing Rules Review page.