- Manages the .au country-code top-level domain (ccTLD)
- Licensed by Australian Government, endorsed by ICANN
Overview and role
.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) is a not-for-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. It develops and administers rules for all .au domain names, including com.au, net.au, org.au, and direct .au registrations. The organisation was established in 1999 by the Australian internet community. It functions under endorsement by the Commonwealth Government to ensure the .au ccTLD remains secure, reliable and trusted as part of Australia’s critical digital infrastructure. auDA’s responsibilities include accrediting registrars, licensing second-level domain registry operators, handling domain name policy, and managing the .au zone file. It also operates a licensing regime for .au domain names that is transparent, efficient and accountable. The organisation works with stakeholders including government, industry, civil society and the technical community. It also participates in international internet governance forums and represents Australia’s interests. auDA publishes policies and strategies, reports on performance, and maintains governance and compliance frameworks.
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Services, infrastructure and governance
auDA provides services related to domain name registration and administration. It accredits registrars who then interface with end-users applying for domain names. It ensures domain name rules are enforced via compliance audits and dispute resolution. The organisation introduced “.au direct” namespace in 2022, allowing registrations directly under .au without traditional second-level indicators such as com.au. It handles eligibility requirements for domain registrants to ensure integrity of the namespace. Technical infrastructure under auDA includes managing the .au domain name system (DNS), ensuring uptime, DNS security (DNSSEC), and regulatory oversight of the registry operator. auDA is governed by a Board of Directors under a constitution. It operates with membership from the public and industry, allowing members to vote and elect representatives. Its terms of endorsement with government are periodically reviewed. The organisation annually reports on activity, domain registrations, compliance implementation and domain registration growth.
