.dev

.dev is a generic top-level domain focused on developers and technology. IANA records show that the extension was added to the DNS root in 2014, with Charleston Road Registry Inc. as the sponsoring organization. Google Registry opened .dev for general registration on February 28, 2019.

The meaning of .dev is straightforward: dev is a widely recognized abbreviation for developer or development. That makes the extension particularly natural for software developers, engineering teams, open-source projects, developer tools, programming libraries, APIs, technical documentation, portfolios and other projects where development is central to the identity.

A .dev domain can be especially useful when the website is intended for a technical audience. Instead of using the domain ending only as an address, the extension can become part of the message itself. A personal portfolio can identify its owner as a developer, while a software project can use .dev for documentation, examples, developer resources or a dedicated technical site.

One important technical characteristic of .dev is that HTTPS is required. The entire .dev top-level domain is included in the HSTS preload list, so modern browsers expect connections to .dev websites to use HTTPS. Anyone planning to launch a .dev website should therefore make sure that the hosting environment supports HTTPS and that a valid TLS certificate is configured.

This requirement protects the connection between the browser and the website, but it does not mean that every website using .dev is trustworthy or that its software is safe. HTTPS protects data in transit; users still need to evaluate the website, organization and software behind a domain.

.dev is open for general registration. Anyone can register an available name through a participating registrar, subject to registry and ICANN policies. Some names may be unavailable or reserved, and trademark or other legal rights can still affect whether a particular domain is appropriate to register and use.

The descriptive nature of .dev can also be a limitation. It is an excellent fit when developers, software development or technical resources are central to the website, but it may be unnecessarily narrow for a company that wants one primary domain for a much broader consumer or corporate identity. Some organizations therefore use .dev for their developer-facing resources while keeping another extension for the main brand.