What is .shell?
Brand TLDs operate under Specification 13 of ICANN's registry agreement. It lets a trademark owner keep every second-level name for itself, so you won't find .shell names for sale at any registrar.
ICANN's records put the delegation of .shell on December 15, 2015. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on July 30, 2015.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 8 name servers for .shell, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .shell haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP.
.shell FAQ
What country is .shell?
None. .shell is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .shell domain extension?
Shell Information Technology International Inc operates .shell as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .shell created?
.shell was delegated to the DNS root zone on December 15, 2015.
Is .shell a valid domain?
Yes. .shell is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2015, so .shell addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .shell domain?
No. .shell is a brand TLD under ICANN Specification 13, so names are reserved for Shell Information Technology International Inc.
Is .shell DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .shell.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed February 2, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
