.website domain — meaning, price and how to register

What does .website mean?

The .website extension is the most literal domain ending in existence — it is simply the word website. There is no decoding required: yourname.website tells any visitor, in plain English, exactly what they are looking at. It was delegated in 2014 during ICANN's major expansion of the domain namespace, the round that added hundreds of new generic endings.

It is operated by Radix, the same registry behind .site, .online, .space, .store and .tech. Where its sibling .site is the short form, .website is the long, fully-spelled-out form of the same idea. Radix deliberately chose plain dictionary words for its portfolio, and .website is the clearest example of that strategy — a generic, theme-free extension that suits any kind of web presence.

Who uses .website?

.website appeals to anyone who wants the meaning of their domain to be unmistakable. That includes small businesses, freelancers, local services, personal pages and project sites — people who would rather have an obvious, affordable name than chase an expensive .com. Website builders and hosting companies often promote .website domains because the word lines up perfectly with the "build your website" pitch.

It is a natural pick when the matching .com is unavailable. acme.website reads as "Acme's website" and gets the point across instantly, for a few dollars a year. The typical user values plain clarity and low cost more than the legacy prestige of older extensions, and is comfortable using a modern new gTLD.

.website registration rules and requirements

There are none. .website is a fully open generic TLD: anyone in any country can register one, with no business licence, no local presence, no identity check and no documents. Registration is first-come, first-served — whoever registers an available name first keeps it for as long as they renew. The only universal requirement is the standard ICANN contact-information policy that applies to every gTLD. The registry reserves a tier of premium names at higher prices, but ordinary names register at the regular rate.

How much does a .website cost?

.website is among the cheapest extensions available. The standard price is roughly $3 per year, and registrars regularly discount the first year to $1–2. As with all budget new gTLDs, the renewal price is higher than the introductory offer, so a domain advertised at $1 will renew nearer its standard rate. Check the renewal figure before committing, especially for a name you plan to keep long-term.

Is .website good for SEO?

For ranking, .website is neutral. Google and Bing do not give generic TLDs any boost or penalty — a .website page can rank exactly as well as a .com or .xyz page with equivalent content and links. The extension carries no algorithmic weight. Its only edge is human clarity: a name that literally says "website" is easy to understand and remember, which can nudge click-through, but your search results depend on content quality and backlinks. See our guide on how to compare and choose a TLD for the full picture.

.website vs alternatives

The closest comparison is its own sibling .site — same registry, same meaning, with .site as the shorter form and .website as the explicit one; pick whichever reads better for your name. Against the legacy generics, .com still leads on trust and recognition, while .online is another Radix word-domain in the same family. .xyz is the broadest cheap catch-all. The honest take: choose .website when you want maximum clarity at minimum cost and the .com is taken.