Verisign closed the third quarter of 2026 with 182.5 million .com and .net registrations, a 6.1 percent jump from the same period a year earlier. The registry added a net 3.36 million names during the quarter and processed 13.1 million new registrations, a figure the company calls a record and one that sits 23.2 percent above the 10.6 million it logged in last year’s third quarter.
Growth has picked up speed for four consecutive quarters. A year ago, the base expanded just 1.4 percent annually, and net additions per quarter have since more than doubled. Verisign’s filing credits registrars for going after customers aggressively and leaning on its marketing programs. It also points to AI tools making it easier to build content and websites as a contributing force. On the earnings call, chief executive Jim Bidzos described an “AI tailwind,” noting that some registrars report AI has made it simpler to find a domain, spin up a site, and keep it running.
Renewals tell a calmer story. The preliminary third-quarter rate is 74.3 percent, down from 75.4 percent a year earlier. Chief financial officer John Calys blamed the dip mainly on a bigger share of names renewing for the first time after last year’s strong sign-ups, since first-time renewals run lower than later ones. Final rates arrive a quarter later.
That momentum pushed Verisign to raise its outlook. The company now expects the 2026 domain base to grow between 6.5 and 7.0 percent, up from the 5.2 to 6.0 percent it projected three months ago, and it nudged its revenue range up to $1.755 billion to $1.760 billion. The quarter brought in $443.0 million in revenue, with operating income climbing to $296.5 million. Net income held nearly flat at $212.6 million after a $7.5 million write-down of assets the company had flagged for sale.
Registrars and hosts that bundle domains will feel the cost pressure. The .com wholesale fee jumps from $10.26 to $10.97 on November 1, and the .net fee moves from $10.91 to $12.00 on March 1, 2027. Both changes push up the wholesale cost of every new registration and renewal.
Next on the agenda is .web. Verisign plans a 30-day trademark sunrise starting mid-December, followed by a limited registration period from mid-January 2027 where most .com registrants can claim the matching .web name. General availability comes after that, with pricing still in the works and set to reach registrars over the coming weeks.
