.dev Domain Guide 2026: Google's HTTPS-Only TLD for Developers

What is a .dev Domain?

.dev is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) operated by Google Registry, launched to the public in February 2019. It was designed from day one for developers, development tools, programming communities, and engineering teams.

The defining feature: .dev is included on Chrome's HSTS preload list. Every .dev domain in the world is required to serve HTTPS — there is no http:// option. This is a deliberate design decision by Google to demonstrate "HTTPS by default" at the TLD level.

A Short History

2014 – .dev is delegated to Google in the new gTLD program. Google initially keeps it for internal use (*.dev was used inside Google's own infrastructure).
2017–2018 – Tension grows in the developer community: many developers used *.dev as local development hostnames (myapp.dev pointing to 127.0.0.1). When Chrome began enforcing HSTS, those local setups broke.
February 2019 – Public launch. Developers were told to migrate local dev hostnames to .localhost, .test or .local.
2020–2026 – Steady adoption. Notable users include Google itself (web.dev, chromestatus.dev), GitHub (raw.githubusercontent.dev), and thousands of dev tools and personal portfolios.

Pricing: Registration, Renewal, Premium

.dev is moderately priced, similar to other Google Registry TLDs (.app, .page).

| Tier | Typical Price (USD, 2026) | |------|---------------------------| | New registration (1 yr) | $12–$20 | | Renewal (1 yr) | $14–$22 | | Transfer | $12–$18 | | Premium aftermarket (avg) | $1,000–$5,000 | | Top-tier single-word | $50k – $1M+ |

Google keeps a tier of premium one-word .dev names. Public premium sales include chat.dev, agent.dev and build.dev in the high four to low five figures.

Notable Sites Using .dev

web.dev — Google's web platform documentation hub
chromestatus.dev — Chrome feature status
GitHub — github.dev opens VS Code in the browser for any repo
fly.dev — paired with fly.io
vercel.dev — alongside vercel.com
Stack Overflow, MDN, npm and many other developer brands — .dev as a secondary or marketing domain
Thousands of personal developer portfolios (firstname.dev)

Who Should Use .dev?

.dev is ideal for:

Developer-facing products — APIs, SDKs, dev portals, documentation sites.
Open-source projects and their dedicated marketing pages.
Personal developer portfolios — strong signal of profession.
Internal company developer hubs — engineering.yourcompany.dev.
Hackathon and demo sites where HTTPS-only is a feature, not a constraint.

Less ideal for:

Non-developer consumer products.
Static legacy sites that depend on HTTP for some reason (rare in 2026, but still possible for IoT).

SEO and AIO Considerations

Google treats .dev as a standard generic TLD. Key points:

HTTPS-only = automatic baseline ranking signal. Sites can't accidentally launch on HTTP.
Brand trust is strong: the TLD itself signals "made for developers," which raises conversion rates on developer products.
AI engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT Search cite .dev documentation prolifically — partly because dev docs are well-structured by convention.
No geo-targeting.

For a deeper look at how technical signals affect search, see SEO-Friendly Domain Names.

Risks and Things to Watch

1. HSTS preload is permanent

Once a domain is in the preload list, you cannot accept HTTP traffic. This is rarely a problem but means all subdomains must also serve valid certs. Misconfigured staging environments will fail to load entirely.

2. Local development conflicts (historical)

If you have very old tooling that resolves *.dev locally, it will break. Migrate to .localhost, .test or .local. This is a one-time fix.

3. Premium pricing on dictionary words

Google Registry uses tiered premium pricing with recurring premium renewals on short words. Always check the price tier.

4. Google as both browser and registry

Some buyers are uncomfortable that the registry operator (Google) is also the world's dominant browser maker. In practice, the relationship has been neutral — .dev is governed by ICANN contract — but it's a philosophical objection worth noting.

Alternatives to .dev

.io — broader "tech" branding, no HTTPS-only enforcement (see .io guide).
.app — sibling Google TLD for apps, also HTTPS-only.
.tech — descriptive and developer-adjacent.
.com — universal default.
.codes / .software — niche descriptive alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is .dev HTTPS-only?

Google added the entire .dev namespace to Chrome's HSTS preload list to enforce HTTPS by default. This protects every visitor from downgrade attacks.

Can I still use .dev for local development?

No — use .localhost, .test or .local for that. .dev resolved to public DNS will not accept HTTP.

Is .dev good for SEO?

Yes. HTTPS is a ranking signal, and .dev makes it impossible to misconfigure that. Beyond HTTPS, performance depends on content and links.

Are .dev domains restricted to companies?

No. Anyone — individuals, students, non-profits — can register a .dev domain.

Can my .dev domain expire and be parked?

Yes, but it must still serve HTTPS. Standard parking pages and aftermarket listings work fine — they all use HTTPS in 2026.

Building developer tools? Use our AI domain generator to find available .dev, .io and .app candidates side by side. Also see our guide to Subdomain vs Subdirectory when structuring developer portals.