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Contested .au Direct Domain Applications & Priority Holds

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If you applied for a .au Direct domain (e.g., yourname.au) during the official launch in 2022 and notice that the domain is not active in your account or is listed as "Priority Hold" / "Reserved by Registry", your application is governed by the official auDA Priority Allocation Process.
 
This guide explains how contested .au Direct applications work under auDA policy, how annual renewals are handled, and what steps you need to take to maintain your claim.
 

1. What is a Contested .au Direct Application?

When .au Direct domain names launched in March 2022, auDA (the .au Domain Administration) created a priority window for existing holders of 3rd-level .au domains (such as .com.au, .net.au, or .id.au) to claim the exact matching .au Direct name.
 
  • Single Applicant: If you held the only matching 3rd-level domain, your .au Direct domain was allocated and registered to your account.
     
  • Multiple Applicants (Contested / Priority Hold): If multiple eligible parties owned different 3rd-level variants of the same name (e.g., Party A owned domain.com.au and Party B owned domain.id.au), both parties had the right to apply.
When multiple parties apply, auDA assigns applicants a Priority Category based on the creation date of their underlying 3rd-level domain:
  • Category 1: Underlying domain created on or before October 16, 2019.
  • Category 2: Underlying domain created between October 16, 2019 and March 24, 2022.
If applicants fall into competing categories or multiple Category 1 applicants exist, auDA places the domain into Priority Hold status. The domain remains locked in a registry-managed state until the applicants negotiate, one party withdraws, or priority rules trigger allocation.
 

2. Maintaining Your Claim (Annual Application Renewals)

To maintain your priority claim to a contested .au Direct domain, your application must remain active with the registry.
  • Linked Domain Requirement: As long as your corresponding 3rd-level domain (e.g., yourdomain.com.au or yourdomain.id.au) remains registered and active with Rebel, your priority application remains valid.
     
  • Annual Application Renewal: Priority applications must be renewed annually with auDA to prevent your claim from expiring.
     
  • Notification: Rebel contacts priority applicants prior to the annual September deadline to confirm renewal. Once confirmed, Rebel updates your application status directly with the registry.
Important: If an applicant fails to renew their priority application or allows their underlying 3rd-level domain registration to lapse, their claim is forfeited, and the domain may be allocated to the remaining applicant.

3. Common Misconceptions

  • .au Direct vs. 3rd-Level Eligibility Audits: Resolving a registry audit or eligibility check on an existing .com.au or .net.au domain does not automatically grant you the contested .au Direct domain. They are legally and technically separate registry actions.
     
  • Domain Portfolio Visibility: Contested .au Direct domains in Priority Hold are managed directly by auDA and are not active domain licenses. Therefore, they will not appear as active domains in your primary Rebel hosting or domain dashboard until auDA officially allocates the license to you.

4. Official auDA Rules & Status Tools

You can review official auDA policy rules or check the real-time status of any contested .au Direct domain using these tools:

Need Assistance?

If you have questions about your active priority application or need assistance confirming your annual renewal, please contact our support team at service@rebel.com during business hours.
 

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