.dev: the developer TLD with HTTPS built in
.dev is aimed at software builders and, like .app, is preloaded for HTTPS. Here is what that means for portfolios, docs sites and side projects.
Facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registry | Charleston Road Registry Inc. (Google), per IANA |
| Delegated to root | 2014-12-18 (IANA) |
| Public availability | Early 2019, after earlier phases |
| Restrictions | None on who may register |
| HTTPS | Whole TLD on the HSTS preload list |
| Zone data | New gTLD, so expected via CZDS with approval |
The IANA record for .dev names Charleston Road Registry as manager and shows the delegation date above. The long gap between delegation and public sale is normal for new gTLDs: there are rights-protection phases, then early-access pricing, then general availability.
Why developers took to it
The extension reads as an instant label: this is a technical project. It tends to show up on personal portfolios, open-source project sites, API documentation, internal engineering tools and preview environments. Google itself uses it for web.dev, its web-platform guidance site, which gave the TLD early visibility in the community it was designed for.
A secondary pattern is the personal brand. A developer whose name is already taken on .com will often pick firstname.dev as the home for a blog and a CV. This works because the audience for such a site is other developers, who recognise the extension immediately.
HSTS preload: what actually happens
Because the registry submitted the whole TLD to the browser preload list, a request for any .dev hostname is upgraded to HTTPS inside the browser. There are three consequences you will feel in daily work.
Local development
Pointing a .dev hostname at 127.0.0.1 in a hosts file will not give you a plain-HTTP dev server. Browsers will demand HTTPS and fail. Many developers historically used .dev as a fake local suffix and hit exactly this wall. Use localhost, .test or another reserved suffix for local work, and keep real .dev names for real sites.
Certificates
Every hostname needs a valid certificate from day one. Free automated certificate authorities make this easy, but a mistake means total unreachability for browser users, not a warning page they can skip.
Subdomains
Wildcard behaviour applies to every subdomain too, so staging and preview hosts need certificates as well.
A lapsed or misconfigured certificate on a .dev site cannot be clicked through. Monitor expiry, not just DNS.
Cost and renewals
The pricing pattern is a mid-range annual fee, normally above the cheapest budget gTLDs and below the premium ccTLD-style extensions. Registrars frequently run introductory offers for year one, so compare renewal prices before moving a name. Premium-tier names exist for short or dictionary terms. Because the TLD is aimed at an audience that registers many names, auto-renew hygiene matters; see protecting a domain from expiring.
SEO view
Google treats .dev as a generic TLD. It has no geographic association, and Google has said that new gTLDs get no special ranking boost or penalty. A .dev docs site ranks on the same factors as a .com one: relevance, links, speed and usefulness. Enforced HTTPS removes a class of configuration mistakes, but it is not a ranking trick. The honest limit is brand recall: users who guess a URL will try .com, so keep the brand name distinctive and link the site clearly from repositories and profiles.
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
- Instant signal to a technical audience.
- HTTPS enforced for every visitor.
- Short, readable names still available in many cases.
- Backed by a large registry operator.
Cons
- Local hosts-file shortcuts break.
- Less meaningful to general consumers.
- Misconfigured TLS is a hard failure.
- Renewal price can differ from the promotional first year.
Reading the zone: what it can and cannot tell you
If you analyse .dev from CZDS zone files, you see which names are delegated on a given day and which have appeared or vanished since the last snapshot. You do not see ownership, traffic or whether a site is actually developer-related. A vanished name may be deleted, but could equally be held or suspended. The .dev vs .app comparison covers when to choose this TLD over its sibling, and the domain lifecycle page explains how deletions reach the zone.
Examples of good and poor fits
Good fits
- A documentation site for an open-source library, hosted on a static platform with automatic certificates.
- A personal engineering blog whose owner wants the extension to say what the site is about.
- An internal developer portal that is already HTTPS-only behind a corporate proxy.
Poor fits
- A consumer service whose customers will remember only the brand word and type
.com. - A legacy system that still serves mixed content or plain HTTP callbacks.
- A project that plans to be mentioned in print, where an unfamiliar extension invites error.
When in doubt about sibling choices, remember that .dev is the narrower signal, while .app speaks to shipped products. Both are run by the same registry and share the HTTPS rule, so the decision comes down to message and name availability. For wider context see choosing a TLD for a startup.
Frequently asked questions
Is .dev only for developers?
No. Anyone can register it. The extension simply signals a software or technical focus, so it suits that kind of site best.
Why does my .dev site show a certificate error with no bypass?
The whole TLD is HSTS preloaded, so browsers require valid HTTPS and remove the click-through option when the certificate fails.
Can I use a .dev name for local testing?
Not over plain HTTP. Use localhost or a reserved test suffix for local work.
Who is the registry for .dev?
Charleston Road Registry Inc., Google's registry subsidiary, as listed in the IANA root zone database.
Does .dev rank differently from .com?
Google treats it as a generic TLD with no built-in advantage or disadvantage. Content and links decide rankings.
Will .dev appear in CZDS data?
As a new gTLD it is expected to be offered through ICANN's CZDS after request approval; verify in your own account.