When should you choose a .RED domain?
A .RED domain is the perfect choice when colour, emotion, or messaging is at the heart of your project. It is especially popular with brands, campaigns, creative projects, and initiatives that aim to deliver a powerful, dynamic, or symbolic message.
Branding, marketing, and visual identity
Perfect for bold brands, marketing campaigns, product launches, and projects built around strong visual identity and emotional impact.
Causes, events, and engaged initiatives
Ideal for social causes, awareness campaigns, events, community projects, and symbolic initiatives that rely on emotion and visibility to drive action.
Creative projects and artistic expression
.RED is also well-suited for artists, creators, designers, portfolios, and visual projects that want to stand out and be remembered.
The information below outlines the main technical characteristics of the .RED domain, based on registry rules and international DNS standards.
Technical characteristics of the .RED domain
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| TLD name | .RED |
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain (gTLD) |
| Registry | Identity Digital |
| Registration period | 1 to 10 years |
| Grace period | 35 days |
| Redemption period | 30 days |
| Allowed name servers | 1 to 13 |
| IDN support | Yes (Internationalized Domain Names) |
| Domain transfer | Authorization code required; 5-day transfer period |
| Root server updates | Real-time |
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Rules and conditions for registering a .RED domain
The .RED domain is operated by the registry Identity Digital (formerly Donuts). As such, its registration is subject to certain international compliance rules, including enhanced validations related to government sanctions and the management of reserved domain names.
Extended validation based on the OFAC list (U.S. sanctions)
The registry applies enhanced validation based on the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions list issued by the United States government.
How does this validation work? During registration (or contact creation), the system checks:
- the country
- the state / province (when this field is provided)
If the country + state/province combination matches a region listed under OFAC sanctions, the operation is automatically rejected.
The registry is not permitted to provide services to individuals or entities located in territories subject to U.S. government sanctions.
Reserved domains and the Allocation Token system
Some .RED domain names may be temporarily reserved by the registry (e.g., pioneer programs, direct sales, strategic partnerships).
In these cases:
- the domain remains in a reserved status
- the final registrant cannot register it immediately through a standard registrar
Solution: Allocation Token
The registry has implemented a feature called an Allocation Token:
- Donuts / Identity Digital generates a unique allocation token
- this token is provided to the future registrant
- during registration, the token allows the user to:
- bypass the reserved status
- complete the domain registration with the registrar of their choice
Without this token, registering a reserved domain is not possible—even if the domain name appears to exist technically.
General eligibility
Subject to the rules outlined above:
- the .RED domain is open to everyone
- there are no requirements regarding:
- residency
- official academic status
- institutional accreditation
It can be registered by:
- individuals
- businesses
- training centres
- organizations
- educational platforms
- anywhere in the world, excluding sanctioned regions.
Registry refusal or deletion rights
The registry reserves the right to:
- refuse a registration
- block the creation of a contact
- or delete an existing domain
if the information provided:
- violates OFAC rules
- circumvents geographic restrictions
- or breaches registry policies
These actions may be taken without a grace period, in accordance with international legal obligations.
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