With .COM domain namespace shrinking by the hour, new domain extensions gain popularity. Those that have their finger on the pulse of the domain industry, through statistic or search data, may have noticed that among the more popular domain searches is the one for .RG domain extension and domain registration.
While the .RG domain searches are real, so is the fact that such domain extension still does not exist. Because this domain extension does not exist, it is also not possible to register, renew or transfer a domain name.
The .RG domain extension
The .RG domain extension is not on the list of country code top-level domains (ccTLD), and when you search for it using the popular search engines, the only articles that mention it are the Fandom Wiki, an entertainment-oriented Wikipedia-like website were fans can create and share pages aimed at all sorts of fun and fantasy projects.
One such page claims that “the .RG domain extension began in 1985 almost momentarily after .COM become available” and that is “the ccTLD for the Republic of Guy, administered by Network Information Center of the Republic of Guy”. While it may be good enough to play a prank on a friend, I would warn you that anyone who offers you such domain registration or tries to sell a domain name with this domain extension most certainly aims to scam you for personal fun or profit.
To make it even more transparent that it is not a real thing, supposedly you can register a one-letter domain name, and since 2015 even capital letters. This one completely obliterates any idea that it is a real domain name. Single-letter second-level and single-digit second-level domain names are reserved by the authority of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) explicitly.
We can conclude that while .RG domains are positively not available, there still is a number of interesting country code TLD which you can consider as interesting and valuable for different kinds of website projects.
ccTLD – country code domain names
For example, .AI domain is very attractive, as the 11th most popular country code domain in North America with the majority of the websites using it on the English language too. Automation is a trending topic for many modern industries and .AI domains fit there very nicely.
Those a bit more creative among us may consider a domain hack with a ccTLD domain like .RS such as socce.rs, take.rs, slippe.rs … etc. This kind of shortened word and domain extension combos can make a catchy and memorable domain name for any website.
Both of these and many other popular ccTLD can be registered at ISTanCo Domain Registrar with focus on such domains. The domain registration is very straightforward, and the whole process lasts only the time you need to fill out the registration forms.
