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ICANN Domain Metrica: A Measurement Platform

Discover the ICANN Domain Metrica Brochure.
Also available in: العربية | Español | Français | Português | Pусский | 中文

ICANN Domain Metrica aims to improve the way domain data is captured, measured, and analyzed. Built to evolve over time to incorporate new data sources, measurement methodologies, and metrics, the platform provides information on many aspects of domains, and groups of domains.

At its core, ICANN Domain Metrica is designed to be modular, extensible, and transparent. This means that as the digital landscape evolves, so too will this platform, with additional modules and features integrating new data sources and research findings to provide the most comprehensive analysis possible.

The first module will include aggregated and non-aggregated data on domains that are listed on a set of Reputation Block Lists (RBLs), similar to the Domain Abuse Activity Reporting (DAAR) system, but this time for both registrars and registries. The RBL selection is done carefully using the metrics explained in OCTO037. Note that the presence of a domain on an RBL is not a DNS abuse "incident" and does not necessarily show DNS abuse, because no RBL is 100% accurate. This is only an indication of where listed domains are located. One still needs to corroborate this data with actual reported incidents to confirm DNS abuse incidents. We hope to have this feature included in the future in ICANN Domain Metrica.

The platform serves as a centralized repository for all domain metadata, allowing users to compare data about different entities with ease. From aggregated data on domain concentrations to dynamic dashboards with relevant statistics and visuals, ICANN Domain Metrica empowers users to make informed decisions and unlock deeper insights into domain trends and patterns.

Whether you are a researcher, a registrar, a registry operator or a member of the wider community, ICANN Domain Metrica is your gateway to a deeper understanding of domain metadata. Visit the ICANN Domain Metrica website, Frequently Asked Questions, community API documentation, and Terms of Use to learn more.

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2025

2024

Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."