Startups
.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) is the administrator and self-regulatory policy body for the .au ccTLD.
In December 2000, the Australian Government formally endorsed auDA as the appropriate body to administer the .au domain space. The Government holds reserve powers in relation to domain names under the Telecommunications Act 1997.
In its 2017/2018 review of auDA the Australian Government issued a new, modernised terms of endorsement.
In October 2001, ICANN recognised auDA as the suitable operator for .au under a Sponsorship Agreement.
As part of that sponsorship agreement auDA is responsible for the management of the .au zone file, ensuring it is accurate, up to date and continuously available. auDA achieves this through the technical management of the primary and (multiple) secondary name servers that make up part of the .au Domain Name System infrastructure.
auDA oversees and deploys new technologies and initiatives in the .au name space, which includes:
- Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
- auDA Information Security Standard (ISS) (auDA is ISS compliant)
auDA performs the following functions:
- develop and implement domain name policy
- license 2LD registry operators
- accredit and license registrars
- implement consumer safeguards
- facilitate .au Dispute Resolution Policy
- represent .au at ICANN and other international fora
- technical management of the .au zone file
- manage and maintain a secure and stable Domain Name System
In December 2000, the Australian Government formally endorsed auDA as the appropriate body to administer the .au domain space. The Government holds reserve powers in relation to domain names under the Telecommunications Act 1997.
In its 2017/2018 review of auDA the Australian Government issued a new, modernised terms of endorsement.
In October 2001, ICANN recognised auDA as the suitable operator for .au under a Sponsorship Agreement.
As part of that sponsorship agreement auDA is responsible for the management of the .au zone file, ensuring it is accurate, up to date and continuously available. auDA achieves this through the technical management of the primary and (multiple) secondary name servers that make up part of the .au Domain Name System infrastructure.
auDA oversees and deploys new technologies and initiatives in the .au name space, which includes:
- Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
- auDA Information Security Standard (ISS) (auDA is ISS compliant)
auDA performs the following functions:
- develop and implement domain name policy
- license 2LD registry operators
- accredit and license registrars
- implement consumer safeguards
- facilitate .au Dispute Resolution Policy
- represent .au at ICANN and other international fora
- technical management of the .au zone file
- manage and maintain a secure and stable Domain Name System
Overview
Location
Australia, Victoria, Melbourne
Employees
11-50
Founded date
1999
Mentions in press and media 31
| Date | Title | Description |
| Sign up to see | Sign up to see | Sign up to see |
| Apr 2, 2025 | Crazy Domains Launches the 'It's AUstralian for BIG Ideas' .au Direct Campaign - Creating Awareness of the Power of a Local Online Presence with a .au Domain Name | SYDNEY, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crazy Domains, an Australian leader in domain registration and online solutions, is launching a campaign supported by the .au Domain Administration (auDA), the organisation responsible for administering... |
| Nov 25, 2024 | New auDA website launched for .au domain name insights | auDA has launched a new website designed to enhance user experience and simplify access to information about .au domain names. Developing the new auDA website involved consultation with stakeholders to cater to the diverse needs of its user... |
| Feb 7, 2024 | “It was ridiculous”: How Jessica Ruhfus turned a $10,000 domain name battle into a $7 victory | Collabosaurus and No.2 Co founder Jessica Ruhfus. Source: Supplied article-article-body What does it take defeat a domain name squatter seeking $10,000 for a URL? According to entrepreneur Jessica Ruhfus, founder of Collabosaurus and No.2 C... |
| Nov 21, 2023 | IP lawyer’s top tips to protect your e-commerce business from copycat scams | Stephen Annicchiarico, practice leader of the intellectual property and technology practice at WRP Legal and Advisory. Source: Supplied article-article-body When running an e-commerce business, profitability, security, and customer satisfac... |
| Oct 3, 2022 | I stole our CEO’s .au domain because it’s really that easy to lose | Source: Unsplash/Kaitlyn Baker Priority registration for .au domains closes on October 5 — after that date anyone from the general public can buy the shortened website addresses. So with the deadline looming, I stole the .au domain of our C... |
| Sep 12, 2022 | Small business to get a $120 tax deduction for $100 spent on digital uptake and upskilling staff | The Albanese Government has committed to delivering tax breaks to help small business grow, writes Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson. Plus, there’s also only one week left for small and family business... |
| Aug 24, 2022 | SMEs have just four weeks to pre-register for .au URLs as business groups fear for those left behind | Source: Unsplash/Windows. Small businesses have four weeks to register a new .au domain name before those URLs become available to the general public, Australia’s domain name authority has warned, days after industry groups criticised the s... |
| Aug 23, 2022 | The countdown is on – is your business .au ready? | Australian domain names are getting a shake-up with the launch of the new, shorter .au domain name extension, writes Tamara Oppen, Managing Director at GoDaddy Australia. Local businesses are being urged to make sure they are .au ready. For... |
| Aug 11, 2022 | Take action now to secure your .au and protect your online identity | There’s limited time left to secure priority access to the new .au domain names and Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson, is urging small business to act now to protect your internet identity. If you own ... |
Show more
Reviews 0
FAQ about auDA
When was auDA founded?
auDA was founded in 1999.
What has the press written about auDA?
Parsers VC has collected 31 articles mentioning auDA, among them “Crazy Domains Launches the 'It's AUstralian for BIG Ideas' .au Direct Campaign - Creating Awareness of the Power of a Local Online Presence with a .au Domain...” (Apr 2, 2025) and “New auDA website launched for .au domain name insights” (Nov 25, 2024).
Is auDA still active?
Yes, auDA is active; its latest activity on Parsers VC dates from Oct 13, 2026.