What Is the .cn Domain? China's Country-Code TLD Explained

The .cn domain is the official country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the People's Republic of China, run by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). It is one of the world's largest national namespaces, and it is also one of the most procedurally distinctive: every registrant, wherever they live, must clear a mandatory real-name verification check before a .cn name goes live. This page covers what .cn is, how CNNIC's identity rules work in practice, the separate ICP-licensing question that trips up newcomers, and who genuinely benefits from registering one.

.cn at a glance

What is .cn?

.cn is the ccTLD assigned to China under ISO 3166-1 (country code CN), delegated through the IANA root-zone database, which lists CNNIC as both the registry operator and sponsoring organization. Unlike a borderless gTLD such as .com, .cn is administered under Chinese domain-name policy rather than a standard ICANN registry agreement — the norm for every ccTLD.

Google does not treat .cn as one of the small set of ccTLDs it re-classifies as generic (that list — .ad, .ai, .as, .bz, .cc, .cd, .co, .dj, .fm, .io, .la, .me, .ms, .nu, .sc, .sr, .su, .tv, .tk, .ws — is published in Google Search Central's guidance on managing multi-regional sites). .cn is absent from it, so it is treated as a country-targeted signal for China — useful when that is exactly your audience, less useful otherwise.

History of .cn

.cn was delegated to China in 1990, making it one of the earlier ccTLDs in the DNS root, and it has since grown into one of the largest national namespaces by registration volume (see our ccTLD market-share breakdown for how it compares to .de, .uk, and other leaders). CNNIC governs the space today, and its rules have tightened over time rather than loosened:

• A 2012 rule change from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) expanded who could register a .cn name — eligibility had previously covered organizations only; the amended rules explicitly extended registration to "any natural person or organization that can independently bear civil liabilities."
• CNNIC's current Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration require identity materials from every applicant, and registrants must attest to the "authenticity, accuracy and integrity" of what they submit.
• Since August 1, 2022, CNNIC has run random real-name-verification audits across the registered base; domains that fail are placed on serverHold until they pass.
• China's Chinese-script IDN ccTLD, .中国, was delegated in 2010, giving Chinese-market registrants a native-script counterpart to the Latin .cn string.

How people use .cn

• China-market businesses and brands that want a locally recognized, government-registered namespace for mainland users.
• Media and information portals — some of China's largest web properties sit on .cn's second-level structure (see below).
• Government and institutional sites — .gov.cn and other restricted second levels are reserved for qualifying bodies.
• Regional and provincial identity — .cn supports geographic second levels such as bj.cn (Beijing) and sh.cn (Shanghai).
• Buyers already navigating China's other market-specific naming conventions — pinyin-friendly, numeric, and "lucky number" strings carry cultural weight in the Chinese domain market generally (see our piece on short, LLLL, and numeric domains in the Chinese market).

Who it's not ideal for: anyone who wants an instant, paperwork-free registration — the real-name check adds a verification step most gTLDs don't require — and anyone building a brand aimed primarily at a non-China, global audience, since Google reads .cn as China-targeted.

Notable sites using .cn

• sina.com.cn — Sina Corporation's flagship Chinese-language news and information portal, in continuous operation since 1996.
• people.com.cn — the online presence of People's Daily, one of China's largest state-run newspapers, run under the com.cn second level.
• gov.cn — the official portal of China's central government, administered under the State Council General Office.

.cn vs other domains

Choose .com for a globally neutral default that avoids any China-specific geo-signal. Choose .cn when the flat top-level string and a China-facing audience matter more than sector labeling. Choose .com.cn when you specifically want to signal a commercial entity operating in China under the native second-level structure many established Chinese brands use.

Why choose .cn?

• Direct China market signal. For businesses genuinely serving mainland Chinese users, .cn is the most literal way to say so.
• Identity-verified namespace. The mandatory real-name check, while it adds friction, also means the .cn zone carries less of the throwaway-registration profile that plagues some unrestricted low-cost gTLDs.
• Native-script option available. The .中国 IDN sibling lets Chinese-market brands run a fully native-script address alongside the Latin .cn name.
• Long-established namespace. Delegated in 1990 and used by major media and government sites, .cn carries decades of institutional legitimacy.

Things to consider

• Real-name verification is not optional. Every registrant must submit and clear identity documentation before the name resolves normally; skipped or failed verification can result in serverHold.
• ICP filing is a separate hurdle if you host in China. Registering .cn does not by itself authorize hosting inside mainland China.
• Geo-targeted, not global. Search engines read .cn as China-specific, which can work against sites that want to rank internationally.
• Extra paperwork for foreign registrants. Registrar guidance from providers such as Gandi notes foreign individuals typically verify with a passport and foreign companies with a certificate of incorporation — plan for that step before you register.

Who can register a .cn domain?

Registration restrictions: real-name verification required. .cn is open to registrants worldwide — there is no nationality bar — but CNNIC's Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration require every applicant to submit identity materials before the name is fully activated. In practice, registrars commonly ask foreign individuals for a passport and foreign companies for a certificate of incorporation. Since August 2022, CNNIC also runs random verification audits on already-registered names, and any domain that fails is set to serverHold until it passes.

This is distinct from ICP filing (Internet Content Provider registration with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), required only when a site is hosted on a server physically located in mainland China — a .cn domain hosted outside mainland China does not need an ICP number to resolve.

DNSSEC is supported at the registry level, and WHOIS data is tied to the verified registrant identity rather than offered anonymously.

.cn pricing and value

.cn pricing follows the same general dynamics as most ccTLDs rather than any fixed figure: first-year and renewal pricing typically differ, so budget for the standing renewal rate, and premium, short, numeric, or culturally significant strings can carry materially higher costs given the strong Chinese-market preference for lucky-number and pinyin-friendly names (see our Chinese-market domain pricing piece). This page intentionally quotes no specific numbers — check current rates at the point of registration.

Reputation and email deliverability

.cn does not carry the documented spam-abuse reputation associated with some unrestricted, ultra-cheap new gTLDs — real-name verification raises the cost of bulk, anonymous registration. That said, mail and security systems outside China sometimes apply extra scrutiny to .cn-originating traffic because it is a less familiar namespace to non-Chinese recipients. As with any domain, proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration matters more to deliverability than the extension itself.

Branding and naming tips

• Consider Chinese-market naming conventions. Short, pinyin-friendly strings and numerically "lucky" combinations carry real cultural and pricing weight — see our short and numeric domains guide.
• Decide between .cn and .中国 early. If your audience is primarily Chinese-script literate, the IDN sibling may be worth securing alongside the Latin string.
• Plan for verification in your launch timeline. Real-name checks are not instant; build the documentation and review window into your project plan.
• Confirm your hosting plan before you register. Whether you need ICP filing depends entirely on where the site is hosted, not on registering the domain.

How to register a .cn domain at Namefi

1. Search for your desired .cn name and confirm availability.
2. Prepare identity documents — a passport for individuals or incorporation certificate for organizations — ahead of time to keep real-name verification moving quickly.
3. Register and complete CNNIC's identity verification.
4. Configure DNS and, if hosting inside mainland China, pursue ICP filing separately.

Namefi is an ICANN-accredited registrar that bridges Web2 and Web3, with transparent pricing and the option to hold eligible domains as tokenized assets for provable ownership and easier transfers.

Frequently asked questions

Can anyone register a .cn domain?

Yes, individuals and organizations worldwide can register .cn, but every registrant must pass CNNIC real-name verification by submitting identity documents (a passport for foreign individuals, a certificate of incorporation for foreign companies). There is no nationality restriction, but there is a mandatory identity-check requirement.

Does a .cn domain affect SEO?

Google treats .cn as a country-targeted ccTLD for China, not a generic extension, so it signals to search engines that a site is meant for the Chinese market. That helps China-focused sites rank locally but works against sites chasing a global, non-China audience.

Do I need an ICP license to use a .cn domain?

Only if you host the site on a server physically located in mainland China. ICP filing is a separate Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requirement tied to server location, not domain registration; a .cn domain hosted outside mainland China does not need an ICP number.

Who runs the .cn domain?

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) is the registry operator for .cn, listed as both registry operator and sponsoring organization in the IANA root-zone database, and it sets the real-name verification and registration rules.

Related resources

• ccTLD market share by registration volume
• Short, LLLL, and numeric domains: the Chinese-market premium
• What is a TLD?
• Domain terminology guide
• Glossary: ccTLD, IDN, registrar, ICANN, DNSSEC
• Compare TLDs: .com, .jp, .kr, .in

Sources and further reading

• IANA — China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC)
• IANA — .中国
• Google Search Central — Google Search Central's guidance on managing multi-regional sites
• cnnic.com.cn — Implementing Rules of Domain Name Registration
• sina.com.cn — sina.com.cn
• en.wikipedia.org — people.com.cn
• gov.cn — gov.cn
• news.gandi.net — Gandi