The trusted original
.org was one of the original generic TLDs of 1985, meant for organizations that didn't fit anywhere else. It has never been restricted, but it has built a reputation as the home of nonprofits, open-source projects and communities — Wikipedia, Mozilla and countless charities live here.
Who runs it
Since 2003, .org has been operated by Public Interest Registry, a nonprofit set up by the Internet Society. In late 2019 the Internet Society agreed to sell PIR to a private-equity firm, Ethos Capital. The deal drew loud objections from nonprofits worried about price increases and censorship, and in April 2020 ICANN refused to approve it. .org stayed with PIR.
Good for
- Nonprofits, charities and foundations
- Open-source projects and standards bodies
- Communities, clubs and civic groups
Watch out for
- Anyone can register one — .org alone doesn't prove nonprofit status
- Good short names are as scarce as on .com
.org by the numbers
.org stands for "organization". It's a generic top-level domain (gTLD), today used for community, nonprofit & causes. Public Interest Registry runs the registry under a contract with ICANN.
.org is one of the older generic TLDs: ICANN records its delegation as January 1, 1985, long before the 2012 expansion.
Public Interest Registry also runs 10 other TLDs, including .charity, .foundation, .gives, .giving and .ngo.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 6 name servers for .org, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .org haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP and WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.publicinterestregistry.org).
Same registry, other endings
10 other TLDs share this operator.
.org vs other endings
.org FAQ
Do you have to be a nonprofit to register a .org?
No. .org has always been open to anyone, though it's most associated with nonprofits and communities.
Who runs .org?
Public Interest Registry (PIR), a nonprofit created by the Internet Society, has operated .org since 2003.
What does .org stand for?
.org stands for "organization". It's one of the older generic TLDs, delegated in 1985.
What is .org used for?
.org is mostly used for community, nonprofit & causes. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .org?
None. .org is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .org domain extension?
Public Interest Registry operates .org as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .org created?
.org was delegated to the DNS root zone on January 1, 1985.
Is .org a valid domain?
Yes. .org is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 1985, so .org addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .org domain?
.org names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Public Interest Registry's policy if you're unsure.
Is .org DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .org.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 21, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
