What Is the .abb Domain? ABB's Brand TLD Explained

The .abb domain is a closed brand top-level domain operated by ABB Ltd, the Swiss-based electrification and automation group. It is not a public extension: unlike .com or .io, you cannot register a .abb name for your own project, because the entire namespace belongs to one company.

If you searched for the ".abb domain" hoping to buy one, the short answer is that you can't — but this page explains exactly what .abb is, who controls it, why a company runs its own TLD, and what you can register instead.

.abb at a glance

What is .abb?

.abb is a generic top-level domain that ICANN delegated to ABB Ltd during the 2012 round of its New gTLD Program. The three letters are the company's own name: ABB stands for ASEA Brown Boveri, and the group is one of the world's largest engineering firms, active in electrification, robotics, industrial automation, and motion.

But .abb is a brand TLD — often called a "dot-brand" — not an open extension anyone can buy into. The company applied for the string specifically so that it, and only it, would control every domain ending in .abb. You can confirm the delegation and operator on the authoritative IANA root-zone record for .abb.

History of .abb

ABB as a company dates to 1988, when Sweden's ASEA merged with Switzerland's BBC Brown Boveri to form ASEA Brown Boveri, headquartered in Zurich. Decades later, when ICANN opened applications for hundreds of new suffixes, ABB was among the many large corporations that applied for their own name as a TLD.

The .abb string was delegated to the DNS root zone in 2015, with Identity Digital (the registry services provider formerly known as Afilias/Donuts) handling the technical operation on ABB's behalf. Its registry agreement with ICANN includes Specification 13, the contract clause that formally designates a TLD as a brand and lets the operator keep it closed. The record has remained active since delegation, unlike several brand TLDs that were later handed back and removed from the root.

Is .abb available to register?

No. .abb is a closed brand TLD, so there is no open registration and no registrar — including Namefi — can sell you a .abb name. Registrations are limited to ABB Ltd and organizations it authorizes, such as subsidiaries or partners. This is by design: a dot-brand exists precisely so the trademark holder controls the whole namespace and no one else can register a confusing or malicious lookalike.

If you have a genuine business relationship with ABB and a legitimate need for a .abb address, that request would go through ABB's own corporate channels, not a commercial registrar.

How ABB uses .abb

Brand TLDs give a company a private space to organize its web presence. Typical uses for a dot-brand like .abb include:

• Product and division sites on clean, memorable addresses tied directly to the brand.
• Campaign and event pages that are obviously official because only the company can create them.
• Internal tools and portals where a branded suffix signals a trusted, first-party destination.

Who it's not for: anyone outside ABB. Because the namespace is closed, there is no scenario in which an independent developer, investor, or business can build on .abb.

Notable sites using .abb

There are no third-party sites on .abb, and there never will be while it stays a closed brand TLD — every .abb address is controlled by ABB Ltd. ABB continues to run most of its public presence from its long-established .com domain, and uses the brand TLD selectively rather than as a wholesale replacement. Rather than point to a specific address that may change, the honest description is simple: .abb is ABB's private namespace, used only for the company's own properties.

What is a dot-brand TLD?

A dot-brand (or brand TLD) is a top-level domain that a single company owns and operates for its exclusive use, secured through ICANN's New gTLD Program. Hundreds were delegated — examples in this same alphabetical band include .abbott, .accenture, and .airbus — and they share a few defining traits:

• Closed registration. Only the brand and its affiliates can hold names.
• Specification 13. A registry-agreement addendum that formally recognizes the TLD as a brand and relaxes some rules that apply to open generics.
• Security and control. The brand eliminates the risk of anyone else registering a .abb lookalike, which strengthens resistance to phishing and impersonation.

Some brands invest heavily in their TLD; others register it defensively and barely use it. A number of companies have even terminated their dot-brands after deciding the upkeep was not worth it.

.abb vs open domain alternatives

If your goal was a short, brandable name rather than the .abb string specifically, an open extension is the right tool. Here is how a closed brand TLD compares with domains you can actually register:

For your own venture, a matching .com remains the safest default; .io suits technical products; and .xyz is a flexible, low-cost modern option.

Reputation and trust

Ironically, the closed nature of .abb is exactly what makes it trustworthy: because only ABB can create these addresses, a .abb link is verifiably official, which is why brand TLDs are considered strong against impersonation and email spoofing. That trust, however, benefits ABB alone — it does not transfer to any name you might register, since you cannot register one. For your own project, deliverability and reputation will come from a well-configured domain on an open extension, not from a brand TLD you don't control.

Looking for an "abb" name? Register an alternative at Namefi

You can't buy a .abb domain, but if you want a short name — maybe an "abb" acronym of your own — you can secure it on an open extension in minutes:

1. Search your desired name across open TLDs like .com, .io, or .xyz.
2. Choose the extension that fits your brand and budget.
3. Register and configure DNS.

Namefi is an ICANN-accredited registrar that bridges Web2 and Web3, with transparent pricing, fast DNS, and the option to hold your name as a tokenized domain for provable ownership and easier transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Can anyone register a .abb domain?

No. .abb is a closed brand TLD delegated to ABB Ltd. Only ABB and parties it authorizes can hold a .abb name, so it is not available to the general public through any registrar.

Who operates the .abb registry?

ABB Ltd is the registry operator, with Identity Digital providing the technical back-end. The TLD was delegated to the DNS root zone in 2015 under ICANN's New gTLD Program.

What does ABB stand for?

ABB stands for ASEA Brown Boveri. The company was formed in 1988 through the merger of Sweden's ASEA and Switzerland's BBC Brown Boveri, and is now a global electrification and automation group based in Zurich.

What can I register instead of .abb?

Because .abb is closed, choose an open extension for your own project. A matching .com, or a modern alternative like .io or .xyz, can be registered by anyone through an accredited registrar such as Namefi.

Related resources

• What is a TLD? — the fundamentals behind top-level domains.
• How a TLD affects domain value — why the extension matters.
• .com TLD guide — the open default to compare against.
• .io TLD guide and .xyz TLD guide — modern open alternatives.
• Glossary: new gTLD, registry, ICANN.