.org

.org is one of the original generic top-level domains and has been part of the Domain Name System since 1985. The name comes from “organization”, and over time the extension became strongly associated with nonprofits, charities, associations, community groups, educational initiatives and other mission-driven projects.

That association is cultural rather than an eligibility rule. .org is an open and unrestricted domain, so individuals, businesses and other organizations can register it as well. Even so, visitors often expect a .org website to represent a group, cause, community or public-interest activity, which makes the extension a particularly natural fit for organizations that want that kind of identity.

For a nonprofit or community project, .org can communicate purpose without tying the website to a particular country. For a commercial business, it may still be usable, but the expectations attached to the extension are worth considering before choosing it as the main brand domain.

Registration itself is generally unrestricted, although individual names may be unavailable, reserved or affected by trademark and other legal considerations.