Editing .al

{{short description|Internet country-code top level domain for Albania}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox Top level domain
|name = .al
|background = #CCF
|image = 
|introduced = 21 April 1992
|type = [[Country code top-level domain]]
|status = Active
|registry = [[Electronic and Postal Communications Authority]] (AKEP)
|sponsor = Electronic and Postal Communications Authority
|intendeduse = Entities connected with {{flag|Albania}}
|actualuse = Very popular in Albania, also used elsewhere. Sometimes used in the US state of [[Alabama]].
|restrictions = Free for anyone, some restrictions apply only on second level domains (ex: .com.al) which are allowed only for Albanian citizens and businesses registered in Albania
|disputepolicy = Disputes must be with registrant alone; NIC disclaims all legal responsibilities
|website = [https://akep.al/e-aplikime-domain/ akep.al]
}}

'''.al''' is the [[Internet]] [[country code]] [[top-level domain]] ([[ccTLD]]) for [[Albania]]. It is administered by the [[Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (Albania)|Electronic and Postal Communications Authority of Albania]] (AKEP).

AKEP recommends that .al domain registrations be performed with one of the AKEP accredited registrars.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.akep.al/en/domains-application-form
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721191922/https://www.akep.al/en/domains-application-form
|archive-date=2018-07-21
|title=Domains Application Form
|website=www.akep.al
|language=Albanian
|accessdate=6 April 2018
}}</ref> There are also international registrars that resell .al domains.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.inima.al/Domains.html
|title=Domain .al Domains
|accessdate=2019-04-19
|archive-date=2019-04-13
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413183539/http://www.inima.al/Domains.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> Domain names should be between 2 and 63 characters. Although the [[Albanian language]] has a number of special characters, the registry has not enabled the use of [[Internationalized domain name|IDN characters]].

==2nd level registrations==

In the past, registrations were not permitted directly at the second level, but a few existing names were "grandfathered"; they were '''uniti.al''', '''tirana.al''', '''soros.al''', '''upt.al''' and '''inima.al'''.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

In 2012 registrars started to resell .al domain names widely making them popular outside [[Albania]] as [[domain hack]]s.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
 
In November 2014 the registry released two character domain names allowing for free [[Landrush period|landrush]].{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==3rd level registrations==

Registrations used to be only beneath the second-levels, i.e., '''.com.al''', '''.net.al''', '''.org.al''', and '''.edu.al''' labeled appropriately for the type of organisation, but many now exist directly below .al.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==Whois servers==
As of November 1, 2019, the Autoriteti i Komunikimeve Elektronike dhe Postare (AKEP) has mandated that all AKEP accredited registrars begin verifying and updating the WHOIS contact information for all new domain registrations and Registrant contact modifications.

==Domain figures==

As of the end of 2022 there were 27,275 registered .al-domains.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Raporti Vjetor AKEP 2022 |url=https://akep.al/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AKEP_RAPORTVJETOR-20223.pdf |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=www.akep.al }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/al.html IANA .al whois information]
* [https://akep.al/ AKEP] Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP)

{{ccTLD}}

{{Albania topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Al}}
[[Category:Country code top-level domains]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in Albania]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1992]]
[[Category:Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries members]]


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