What is .direct?
.direct entered the DNS root zone on July 2, 2014, 12 years ago. It came out of ICANN's New gTLD Program, the 2012 application round that grew the root from 22 generic TLDs to well over a thousand.
Binky Moon, LLC operates a large portfolio of 196 TLDs, including .academy, .accountants, .agency, .apartments and .associates.
On the technical side, .direct is served by 6 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .direct, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over RDAP.
Same registry, other endings
195 other TLDs share this operator.
.direct FAQ
What does .direct mean?
.direct is a generic top-level domain named for the word "direct". It doesn't belong to any country.
What country is .direct?
None. .direct is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .direct domain extension?
Binky Moon, LLC operates .direct as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .direct created?
.direct was delegated to the DNS root zone on July 2, 2014.
Is .direct a valid domain?
Yes. .direct is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2014, so .direct addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .direct domain?
.direct names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Binky Moon, LLC's policy if you're unsure.
Is .direct DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .direct.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 7, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
