What is a "variant string" in the 2026 new gTLD applicant guidebook?

A variant string refers to a situation where a proposed top‑level domain (TLD) has other forms of the same label in different scripts, and those alternative forms are identified as variants under the Root Zone Label Generation Rules (RZ‑LGR).

In other words:

• If someone applies for a gTLD label (for example, in Arabic, Chinese, or another script),
• and that label has other related forms that are considered variants according to the RZ‑LGR,
• then the application is treated as a variant string application.

ICANN’s official 2026 FAQ states:

“If an applicant applies for a string that has other forms in different scripts—such as Arabic or Chinese—and those forms are identified as variant strings under the Root Zone Label Generation Rules (RZ‑LGR), the application is considered a variant string application.” [newgtldpro....icann.org]

🧩 Why variant strings matter

Variant strings are particularly important in internationalized domain names (IDNs). Many scripts (Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Indic scripts, etc.) have characters or sequences that:

• look alike,
• represent the same underlying linguistic label, or
• behave as related forms per language rules.

Allowing all possible variants to coexist could create:

• user confusion,
• security risks (spoofing, phishing), and
• instability in the DNS.

ICANN, therefore, evaluates and restricts some variants from being delegated to ensure the DNS remains safe and predictable. Variant review is part of the technical evaluation panels being assembled for the 2026 round. [cadeproject.org]

📝 Summary (simple definition)
Variant string (2026 Applicant Guidebook)

A variant string is an alternate form of the same TLD label in a different script, recognized under the Root Zone Label Generation Rules (RZ‑LGR). Applying for a string that has such recognized variants makes it a variant string application. [newgtldpro....icann.org]