Quick answer
Is a .blog domain a good idea for a blog?
Yes, for blogs, newsletters and writers who want an address that names the format. Automattic opens .blog to everyone, with no WordPress requirement; a site that sells products needs a broader ending. At DotAlmanac, a domain extension guide and registrar, a .blog costs $25.99/year the first year and $27.99/year to renew (29 October 2026), paid in crypto with no KYC.
Search a .blog domain
Popular extensions
- .blog $25.99
The .blog search reads Automattic's registry record through RDAP at the time you type the name.
.blog at a glance
| Registry | Automattic (Knock Knock WHOIS There, LLC) |
|---|---|
| Kind of extension | New generic TLD run by Automattic |
| Best for | Blogs, newsletters, writers and company news pages |
| Who can register | Anyone; no blog or WordPress site required |
| Public WHOIS / RDAP | Privacy allowed; free on every .blog we sell |
| Registration period | 1 to 10 years (not confirmed with the registry) |
| Watch out for | Narrow label; maximum term not verified in our data |
.blog price per year
| Extension | 1st year | Renewal | Transfer | WHOIS privacy | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .blog | $25.99 | $27.99 | $27.99 | Free | None |
The renewal of a .blog is slightly higher than the first year, which matters more for a long-running blog than for a short campaign.
Is .blog right for your publication?
A .blog is right for a publication that will stay a publication. That covers a personal blog, a newsletter archive, a travel journal and a company's engineering posts. The address does the introduction, which helps in social posts and podcast mentions. A brand can also use it next to its .com, as in yourbrand.blog for long articles. It is the wrong ending for a project heading towards a shop, an app or an agency. The name would then describe only part of the work. According to DotAlmanac's table of 225 extensions, 135 allow WHOIS privacy, .blog among them. A personal writer can keep a home address off the record.
Writing projects and the .blog verdict
| Project | Verdict for .blog |
|---|---|
| Personal blog or journal | Strong fit: the address says what readers will find. |
| Newsletter with a web archive | Good fit: short and easy to mention in a podcast. |
| Company engineering or news blog | Good fit: keeps articles apart from the product site. |
| Online course or paid community | Weak fit: the ending undersells a product. |
| E-commerce store | Poor fit: .shop or .com says “buy here” instead. |
Choosing between .blog, .me and .com
A .blog names the format; a .me names the person; a .com names nothing in particular and fits everything. For a writer whose blog is the main output, .blog is the most descriptive. For a writer who also sells services, .me or .com covers more ground. Some companies split the roles. The product lives on the .com, and the articles live on a .blog of the same brand. The best domain extension for personal websites ranks these options on price and signal.
Automattic's ending, open to all
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, runs .blog through a subsidiary called Knock Knock WHOIS There, LLC. It was one of the 2012-round endings and opened to the public in 2016. No condition applies to the buyer: neither a running blog nor a WordPress site is required. It allows WHOIS privacy and supports DNSSEC, but it does not offer internationalised names. Our data lists terms of 1 to 10 years. That range is a default value, not yet confirmed with the registry or a registrar's published rules.
What can go wrong with a .blog
The main risk is outgrowing the name. A blog that becomes a business needs a new address, and moving content costs traffic and links. Choose a brand word you can reuse on .com later. Next, the renewal is slightly higher than year one, so check the second-year line. Third, the maximum registration term for .blog is not verified in our data, so treat a 10-year prepayment as unconfirmed. Finally, set up email forwarding so readers can write to you at your own address.
.blog questions
Does a .blog have to run on WordPress?
No. Automattic runs the registry, but it sets no platform rule. A .blog can point to Ghost, Substack, a static site on GitHub Pages or any other host. The client area lets you add the DNS records your platform gives you, or forward the domain to an existing page.
Can a company use a .blog?
Yes. A company can run its news, engineering notes or case studies on a .blog of its brand and keep sales on the .com. The two addresses stay separate in DNS, and each can have its own hosting and email setup.
How long can I register a .blog for?
Our dataset shows 1 to 10 years, as a default value. We have not checked that range against the registry's own rules or a registrar's published list. Renewing each year with auto-renew switched on avoids the question. More on long terms: should you register a domain for 10 years.
How do I get email at my .blog address?
Switch on free email forwarding in the client area, so messages to [email protected] arrive in the inbox you already use. Replies still leave from your old address unless you add a mail provider. The email forwarding guide walks through each step.
Sources (3)
- Root Zone Database: .blog — IANA (checked 2026-10-08)
- The .blog domain extension is now open to registrars — WP Tavern (checked 2026-10-08)
- .blog domain registration eurodns.com/domain-extensions/blog-domain-registration — EuroDNS (checked 2026-10-08)