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A domain is the unique name that identifies a website on the Internet. It is the address you type into your browser to access a website.

Regardless of the website's content, domains are mainly used to translate IP addresses into simple, memorable names. Without Internet domains, you would have to remember IP addresses (http://176.45.89.0) instead of the domain address (https://accentobert.cat).

Domains also allow you to have a personalised email address, such as correu@accentobert.cat.

Technically they all work the same way: they are Internet domains and serve exactly the same function (identifying a website, hosting an email account, etc.). The difference between them is not technical, but a matter of meaning and identity.

The .com is the most widespread commercial domain in the world: it is generic, with no geographic or cultural identity. It works, but it doesn't say anything about you.

The .es is the territorial domain of Spain as a state. It is linked to a specific administrative framework.

The .barcelona is a city domain: it identifies projects geographically linked to Barcelona.

The .cat is different from all of them: it is the world's first cultural and linguistic domain. It does not represent a territory or a state, but a community. It can be held by all individuals, businesses, organisations and projects that live, work or communicate in Catalan, regardless of where they are. Choosing a .cat is not just choosing an address: it is saying that your digital activity lives in Catalan.

If you want to know more about the history of .cat and how it was born, go here.

Yes. The .cat domain is a cultural and linguistic domain that belongs to the entire Catalan-speaking community and to anyone wishing to address it. It works just like any other domain extension, such as a .com or a .org, for example.

You do not need to be Catalan to have a .cat; the only requirement is that the website associated with your domain has meaningful content in Catalan or promotes the Catalan language or culture.

The .cat is a domain open to anyone wishing to be part of the Catalan digital community.

You can review the .cat domain Regulations here.

Yes, any available .cat domain name can be registered. However, there are some exceptions:

Reserved names: ICANN reserves the names of states and certain territories. In addition, given the cultural nature of the .cat domain, we also have reserved the names of some writers and bodies linked to the Catalan language and culture.

Defensive domains: created to protect commercial trademarks or intellectual property. They are not intended for active use and can only be registered by trademark holders.

1 and 2-character domains: considered premium because they are limited edition, they have a higher sale and renewal price. To register one, you must submit an application with the project and intended use, which must be approved.

You can register a .cat domain for a period of between 1 and 10 years. After this period, you must renew it to keep ownership.

No. Having a .cat domain does not require any technical knowledge. Once the domain has been registered through one of our accredited registrars, you can easily create your website with tools such as WordPress, among others, without needing to code. If you need help, you can find some WordPress resources. Contact your registrar too: they can probably offer you useful options.

By searching in the domain search tool on the home page of the domini.cat website or in the search tool of any accredited registrar for .cat. In a matter of seconds you will know if the name you want is available or already registered.

No one can register a .cat domain directly with us. That is why it must always be done through one of our accredited registrars. In the price comparison you will find all the information you need to choose the one that best fits your needs. Remember that all the prices shown in the comparison are VAT excluded.

Once you have chosen a registrar, the process is simple:

• Search for a domain name that is available.
• Follow the registration process shown on the registrar's website, filling in your ownership data.
• Make the payment. Bear in mind that the final price may vary depending on the services you have contracted.

In just a few minutes you will have your .cat domain, ready to use.

If you are an entrepreneur, part of a non-profit or a teacher and you want to work on building websites in the classroom, you can request the special packs.

Under ICANN regulations, generic domains must be registered through accredited registrar companies. Even though we are the Registry, we cannot sell the .cat directly to you: you have to do it through an accredited registrar.

Official registrars must be accredited by ICANN in order to sell domains. On the registrars page, you will find all of our accredited registrars selling .cat, and on the price comparison page you can check the products and services they offer.

From .cat we sell domains to the registrars at wholesale price and they set the final selling price, adding their margin.

If you do not know any registrar, we recommend that you first establish your needs and priorities. For example: do you want email or hosting included with the domain? Do you need 24x7 support? Do you prefer to be served in Catalan?

Once you are clear on this, use the comparison to filter and compare the registrars' offers according to your criteria. In addition, you can now select up to 3 registrars at once to compare them directly and choose the one that best suits your needs.

Your domain is your address on the Internet, so the best option for choosing the name of your domain will depend on the use you want to give it. Here are some recommendations for each case:

To protect your brand: register the commercial name in question.

For a company or a business: choose an attractive name, related to the activity of your business and easy to remember.

For personal use or to protect your name: you can register your name and surname, or your two surnames; this will allow you to create a personalised email address associated with your domain.

For a non-profit organisation: choose the name that best represents you and is easy to identify you with.

For an entrepreneurial project: choose a name that conveys the essence of your project, that is original and easy to remember. Avoid overly generic names and go for what makes you stand out.

For the .cat Grant: choose the name that best represents your classroom project and that is original and creative.

If you are not sure which name to choose or you need inspiration, Mixu with the domain generator will help you find the ideal name.

It all depends on your registrar, but normally your .cat domain will be up and running just a few minutes after registration.

Having a .cat domain is the first step, but to publish your website you need to take four key elements into account:

Content: you need to have your website content ready (text, images, videos). Remember that, in order to comply with the .cat Domain Registration Regulations, the website must have meaningful content in Catalan.

Website builder (CMS): this is the tool that allows you to build and manage your website without having to code. There are many options available, such as WordPress, Wix, Shopify or Squarespace, among others. Choose the one that best fits your project.

Hosting: this is the service that allows your website to be accessible on the Internet. If you don't have one yet, you can contract it through your registrar, which often offers packs that include domain and hosting together. Some platforms (such as Wix or Shopify) already include hosting in their service.

DNS configuration: once you have hosting, you must link your domain to the server where the website is hosted. This is done by modifying your domain's DNS through the registrar's control panel, following the instructions of your hosting provider or the chosen platform.

If you don't know where to start, check the WordPress resources that can help you build your website.

Yes, completely. A .cat domain works exactly the same as any other domain with all the usual website-building platforms: WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow, Google Sites, Framer and many more.

To connect your .cat with the platform you choose, you only need to configure the DNS so that they point to that platform. Each service has its own step-by-step tutorials, and your registrar can also help you with the configuration.

If you use WordPress, you have specific resources ready to help you set up and manage your .cat website.

It's possible that your domain's DNS does not match those provided by your hosting provider. To check this, follow these steps:

• Check your current DNS by accessing whois.nic.cat and entering your domain name.
• Check that the DNS shown correspond to those provided by your hosting provider.
• If they do not match, log into your registrar's control panel and modify them.

If the website still does not work, get in touch with your registrar so they can review the case.

Remember that your hosting provider may be the same as your domain registrar.

All domains are compatible with each other. The same website can be accessible simultaneously from different extensions, for example from a .com domain and from a .cat at the same time.

Adding a .cat does not affect or remove any of the other domains you already have.

The same applies to email: if the name you use is available with .cat, you can register the same address with this extension and keep both active at the same time.

.cat domain names support:

• The letters of the Catalan alphabet, including the specific characters: à, ç, è, é, í, ï, l·l, ò, ó, ú, ü.
• Digits from 0 to 9.
• Hyphens, with some exceptions: they cannot go at the beginning or the end of the domain, nor can two consecutive hyphens be used.

In addition, you should bear in mind that:

• The name can have a maximum of 63 characters.
• Domains are not case-sensitive, so they work the same in any case. Even so, it is recommended to always write them in lowercase.

Yes, since its launch, the .cat domain accepts the eleven specific characters of the Catalan language (à, ç, è, é, í, ï, l·l, ò, ó, ú, ü). These types of domains are said to support IDN (Internationalized Domain Name or internationalised domain name), since they accept characters beyond the standard Latin alphabet, characters that are not ASCII.

In addition, if you register a domain with any of these characters, we automatically and free of charge provide you with the same domain without these characters. For example, if you register fundació.cat (with accent), you also get fundacio.cat automatically, so that anyone can visit your website even from keyboards without these characters.

Yes, it works. All current browsers support domains with IDN (Internationalized Domain Names), that is, domains with characters outside the standard Latin alphabet (ASCII). However, not all domains support characters other than those of the Latin alphabet.

As for email, most email clients also support IDN, although their use is still minor.

At .cat we are actively working to expand the universal acceptance of the Catalan-language characters on the Internet. If you want to know more, check this section.

A defensive domain is a special registration modality that allows you to block a domain name to prevent third parties from registering it. It is intended to protect commercial trademarks or intellectual property and is not meant to be actively used as a website or email.

Only registered trademarks can register them. If you have one and you want to protect the name in the .cat domain, you can check the conditions here. If you decide to start this process, contact us via the form provided and we will accompany you during the process.

Please note that defensive domains behave differently from conventional domains in case of non-renewal: they do not enter the recovery period and pass directly to being deleted and released.

The 1 and 2-character domains are very short, designed to identify a brand or project in a very concise and memorable way. They are considered premium domains because they are limited edition.

Being so short and exclusive, they have a higher sale and renewal price than a conventional domain. In addition, not just anyone can register them: you have to submit an application justifying the project and intended use, which must be approved.

If you are interested in registering a short domain, check the conditions and submit your application.

The .cat domain offers special packs for specific groups. Here is a summary of the available options:

Pack for non-profits: for associations, foundations and non-profits. Check the conditions and updated prices here.

The price is maintained both for new registrations and for future renewals. To apply for the discount code, you must fill in the form on the non-profit page.

Pack for entrepreneurs: for self-employed individuals who are starting a new project. Check the conditions and updated prices here.

Bear in mind that the two offers for entrepreneurs are mutually exclusive: if you start with the €0 offer, you cannot join the entrepreneur pack the following year.

No. The .cat is not a geographic or territorial domain, nor is it linked to any government or administrative body. It is a cultural and linguistic domain, managed by Accent Obert, a private non-profit foundation with no political affiliation.

Accent Obert is the Registry of the .cat domain. It is a private organisation, with no profit motive or political affiliation, born from a civil society initiative.

As the Registry of the .cat domain, our purpose is to promote all kinds of activities related to the creation, management and control of the .cat domain name registration and, in general, the promotion of the Catalan-speaking Information Society.

We are self-financed through the sale of .cat domains and we reinvest the profits to ensure the continuity and viability of this domain, taking action to normalise the use of the domain, as well as to promote the Catalan identity, the normalisation of the use of Catalan in the field of Internet and ICT, and to enhance the social and digital transformation through the Internet.

Here you can find more information about our history or about us.

The number of .cat domains registered is updated every day. On the statistics page you will find the data in real time, including the number of registered domains and the renewal rate.

In addition, if you are interested in learning about the evolution of the domain over its 20 years of history, you will find graphs on the growth of the number of domains and the renewal rate year by year.

If you want to know more, you can consult the .cat Observatory, with detailed data on the evolution of the domain.