A remote island in your terminal
Saint Helena is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world — famous as Napoleon's final place of exile. To programmers, though, ".sh" is the file extension for shell scripts, which makes it a natural ending for install scripts and command-line tools.
.sh is run by the same registry as .io and .ac, all three tied to British territories.
Good for
- CLI tools and install scripts ("get.example.sh")
- Developer-focused side projects
Watch out for
- Priced above most generic TLDs
.sh by the numbers
.sh is the internet country code for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It's one of Western Africa's ccTLDs, the two-letter domains reserved for countries and territories.
.sh has a second life online. Because of what the letters suggest, it's popular for shell scripts and developer tools, far beyond Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha's borders. Legally it remains Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha's ccTLD.
A little context on Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha: the capital is Jamestown, the main language is English, the currency is the Pound sterling (GBP) and the international dialing code is +2.
IANA lists Government of St. Helena as the manager of .sh, with an address in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The registry's website is http://www.nic.sh. ccTLD managers set their own policies — who can register, which second-level names exist, pricing to registrars — so those rules differ from country to country.
On the technical side, .sh is served by 4 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .sh, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.sh).
.sh FAQ
What country is .sh?
Saint Helena, part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.
What does .sh mean?
Officially, .sh is simply the ISO 3166-1 code for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Online, it's popular for shell scripts and developer tools — a "domain hack" that uses the letters for what they spell.
What does .sh mean in an email address?
Only that the sender's domain is registered under .sh. Because .sh is used worldwide for shell scripts and developer tools, it doesn't mean the person is in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
Who owns the .sh domain?
IANA lists Government of St. Helena as the manager of .sh: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha's ccTLD. Individual .sh names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .sh domain from the US?
It depends on Government of St. Helena's policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (http://www.nic.sh) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .sh DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .sh, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How do I look up who owns a .sh domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.nic.sh. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 21, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
