.how TLD stats

• Run by Google Registry
• Our model compares it with 13 strings in the 2026 round

Names on the books at the end of each year since general availability, from the registry's monthly reports to ICANN, through May 2026. The marked point is the zone count of 23 Oct 2026, a different count taken on one night.

In its first year, to December 2015, 20 registrars held 10 or more .how names and the largest held 48%; by its eleventh, to December 2025, 30 did and the largest held 23%.

Year 1 starts at general availability and each year is labelled by the month it ends. Registrars with 10 or more names and the largest registrar's share are read at that month. A year with fewer than nine monthly reports is left blank.

Squarespace Domains II LLC held 22.1% of .how names in May 2026; the largest five together held 61.7%.

Shares add to 100%. From the registry's report for May 2026.

When we scored the 2026 round, our model listed .how among the closest 2012-round TLDs for 13 applied-for strings. No applicant made these comparisons; strong and moderate are how close it judged each match.

• Strong (6):.about.howto.use.way.what.why
• Moderate (6):.know.answer.ask.for.not.think
• Loose (1):.query

Cross-checkThe registry reported 3,596 names for Jun 2026; the zone on Oct 23, 2026 held 326 more. The two are counted differently and 4 months apart: a registered name that is not delegated never appears in the zone, and a zone file is read on one night, a report at a month's end.

Counted from the registry’s own zone file on the night of Oct 23, 2026. A zone count is not domains under management: a registered name that is not delegated never appears in the zone, and a name on hold leaves the zone while it stays registered. The two numbers will not agree, and neither is wrong.

Names under management at month end, as the registry reported it. Reported to ICANN monthly. Dashed months are third-party estimates. Sunrise Nov 2014 to Jan 2015; general registration Jan 2015.