How to choose a .com.au domain name
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
Your domain is the one piece of your brand you rent from someone else, and it is hard to change once customers and Google know it. This guide covers the rules for .com.au and the checks to run first.
General information, checked against auDA's published guidance on 11 October 2026. The rules are updated from time to time, so confirm on auDA's site before you register.
Who can hold a .com.au
auDA says com.au is for businesses with a connection to Australia: commercial entities registered to trade here, or holders of an Australian trade mark. The usual way to qualify is an active ABN or ACN.
The name has to connect to you
The domain also needs a connection to your business, such as your legal or business name, an acronym, a trade mark match or a product or service name. A name you simply like is not enough on its own.
If you rely on a trade mark
If a trade mark is your only basis, auDA's rules require the domain to be an exact match of the words in the trade mark application or registration. Punctuation and small words are ignored when matching.
Checks before you buy
- Settle the business name first, and check it on the ASIC register and with IP Australia's TM Checker.
- Look for the same name as a .com.au, and note anything close that could confuse customers.
- Check the matching Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn handles.
- Keep it short, easy to say aloud and easy to spell from hearing it once.
- Register it in your own name or your business's name, not an agency's, so you control it.
Keeping it
You need to meet the eligibility rules when you register and for as long as you hold the domain. Turn on auto-renew and keep the contact email current, because a missed renewal can take your website and your email down together.
Where Urban Launch fits
Domains are quick to register and slow to fix. Urban Launch checks the name, sets up the domain in your name and builds the brand and website on top, by one Melbourne team.
Official sources
This guide was checked against these official pages on 11 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.
More guides for new businesses
- Logo or website first for a new business
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Business name vs company name in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- Website checklist before you launch a small business site
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- Do I need an ABN to register a .com.au?
- The usual way to qualify is an active ABN or ACN. An Australian trade mark can also establish the connection. Check auDA's current rules for your situation.
- Do I need a physical address in Australia for a .com.au?
- auDA's guidance says a physical Australian address is not required for com.au, provided you meet the Australian presence requirement, for example through an ABN or an Australian trade mark.
- Should I register the domain in my own name?
- Yes. Register it in your name or your business's name so you control it, rather than leaving it in a supplier's account.
- Is a domain the same as a trade mark?
- No. A domain is an address. A trade mark registered with IP Australia is what gives you legal rights to the brand name.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.