> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.noxity.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# .io domains

> Country-code TLD originally assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory. Adopted globally as the default tech-startup namespace.

`.io` is a ccTLD that started life as the country code for the British Indian Ocean Territory. The technical community latched onto it because `io` reads as "input/output", and it's now the default namespace for developer tooling, SaaS startups, and protocol projects. Identity Digital operates the registry on the territory's behalf.

## Registry policy

| Field                | Value                                                |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Registry             | Identity Digital (formerly Internet Computer Bureau) |
| Registration period  | 1 to 10 years                                        |
| Renewal grace period | 30 days after expiry                                 |
| Redemption period    | 30 days after grace, recovery fee applies            |
| Transfer lock        | 60 days after registration or transfer               |

## Eligibility

Open. No residency requirement.

## Features

* **WHOIS privacy.** Free, applied by default.
* **DNSSEC.** Supported.
* **IDN.** Supported.
* **Auth (EPP) code.** Issued instantly from the [domain panel](/domains/management/panel).
* **Multi-year registration.** Up to 10 years up-front.

## Need a hand?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open a ticket" icon="life-ring" href="https://members.noxity.io/submitticket.php">
    Best for anything that needs an account check or a config change on our end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Live chat" icon="messages" href="https://noxity.io/contact">
    Faster for quick questions during business hours.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<div className="mt-8">
  <Accordion title="Sources" icon="book-bookmark">
    * [TLD overview](/domains/registrations/tlds/overview)
    * [Identity Digital .io ↗](https://www.identity.digital/products/io)
    * [IANA .io delegation record ↗](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/io.html)
  </Accordion>
</div>