.de domain extension

.de is the country code top level domain (ccTLD) for Germany. It is managed by DENIC eG, a cooperative based in Frankfurt am Main. Registration is open to any individual or organization, with no specific residency requirements. .de is one of the most popular ccTLDs globally, ranking behind only .cn and .tk in registered domains. The registry requires a German administrative contact for each domain, which is a common practical requirement for dispute resolution. DENIC operates a strict first come, first served registration policy with no trademark pre screening. The domain was registered in the IANA root zone on November 5, 1986, making it one of the earliest country code TLDs. Its WHOIS server is whois.denic.de, and registration services are available through numerous accredited providers listed on DENIC's website.

When .de was first delegated in 1986, domain registration was handled manually by a small group of volunteers at the University of Dortmund. DENIC was formally founded in 1996 as a cooperative to take over administration as the domain grew rapidly. By the early 2000s, .de had become the most popular ccTLD in Europe by domain count.