Choosing a domain name is one of the first decisions a new business makes online, and one of the hardest to change later. For Australian businesses, the choice usually comes down to three options: .com.au, .au or .com. Each has different eligibility rules and sends a slightly different signal to customers.
This guide explains the differences and how to choose. For the practical steps of registering, see our guide to registering a domain name.
.com.au: the familiar Australian choice
For many Australian customers, .com.au signals a local business. It is widely recognised and trusted, and it is the default choice for most Australian small businesses.
To register a .com.au domain, you need an Australian presence, such as an ABN or ACN. The domain name also has to be connected to you. Typically it needs to match, abbreviate or be an acronym of your business, company or trade mark name, although the current rules also allow some names closely connected to the services you provide.
Those rules are changing. In September 2026 the auDA Board adopted a recommendation to remove the pathway that lets registrants qualify for descriptive domain names based on the services or goods they provide. No implementation date has been set yet, and draft rules will go to public consultation first. If you hold descriptive .com.au domains, it is worth checking how your eligibility is recorded and keeping an eye on auDA’s updates.
.au: shorter, with simpler rules
Since 2022, Australians have been able to register names directly under .au, such as yourbusiness.au. These are shorter and still clearly Australian. You still need an Australian presence, but you don’t have to show a connection between the name and your business.
Some businesses register the .au version of their .com.au name to protect it, and redirect it to their main website.
.com: global, but not always available
A .com domain has no Australian presence requirement and is recognised worldwide. It can suit businesses that sell internationally or plan to. The main drawbacks are that good .com names are often already taken, and a .com doesn’t immediately signal that you are a local business.
How to choose
- Local service business? A .com.au is usually the safest, most familiar choice.
- Want something shorter? Consider .au, either as your main domain or alongside .com.au.
- Selling overseas? A .com may make more sense, possibly with the .com.au redirecting to it.
- Protecting your brand? Registering more than one version and redirecting them to your main site stops others from using them.
Tips for choosing the name itself
- Keep it short, easy to spell and easy to say out loud.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers that people will get wrong.
- Match your business name where possible.
- Check it doesn’t infringe someone else’s trade mark. Our guide to business names vs trade marks explains why.
- Think about your email address too. It will appear on every email you send. See our guide to professional business email.
Protect the domain once you have it
- Register it in your business’s name, not a staff member’s or a developer’s.
- Make sure you have the login details for the registrar account.
- Turn on auto-renew and keep payment details current.
- Keep your contact email up to date so renewal reminders reach you.
A lapsed domain can take your website and email offline, and sometimes the name can be registered by someone else.
Need help choosing or moving a domain?
Madexify helps small businesses across Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Clyde and Bunyip choose, register and manage domains, and move websites and email between them without losing search traffic. See our web design and development services, or contact us to talk about your domain.
Sources: auDA: Australian presence requirement; Mills IP: auDA changes to .com.au eligibility. Accessed 26 September 2026.
This article is part of our Domains and Business Email Guide. Browse all our guides on the guides page.
