ICANN new gTLDs: What are the Clarifying Questions?

In the ICANN New gTLD Program, Clarifying Questions (CQs) are formal requests for more information sent by ICANN’s evaluation panels to applicants.

Receiving a CQ does not mean your application has failed. Instead, it means the evaluators found your initial answers insufficient to award a passing score and are giving you a specific opportunity to fix the gaps.

Why You Might Receive a CQ

During the Initial Evaluation (IE) phase, different expert panels review your application. A CQ is triggered if a panel—such as Financial, Technical, or Geographic Names—determines that:
  • An answer is incomplete or unclear.
  • The provided financial data doesn't align with the proposed scale of the registry.
  • Technical documentation lacks specific details on DNS stability or security.
  • The applicant's entity structure requires further legal proof.

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