A .com.au domain is a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Australian commercial entities. It's managed by auDA (Australian Domain Administration) and is reserved for businesses and organisations with a genuine connection to Australia. Because registration requires a valid ABN, ACN, or registered business name, a .com.au address signals to customers that your business is legitimate and locally based.

Not quite. To register a .com.au domain, you need a valid ABN or ACN, a registered business name in Australia, or an Australian registered trademark. Your domain must also have a close and substantial connection to your registered business, product, or trading name.

Yes, it can. Google treats .com.au as a geo-targeting signal, which can improve your visibility in Australian search results. Compared to a more generic .com, a .com.au domain is more likely to appear prominently when Australians search for local services or products. That said, Google Search Central is clear that quality content and relevance still matter most. A .com.au gives you a local edge, but it works best alongside a solid content strategy.

If your business is focused on the Australian market, go with .com.au. It builds trust with local customers, signals local relevance to search engines, and is what Australians expect to see. If you have global ambitions and want to reach audiences beyond Australia, consider registering both. That way, you protect your brand and give yourself flexibility as you grow. We make it easy to register multiple extensions from the same account.

Not for .com.au, and that's worth knowing upfront. auDA, the governing body for all .au domains, expressly prohibits private or proxy registration services for .com.au and other .au extensions. This means your registrant name and email address will appear in the public WHOIS directory. That said, auDA does limit what's visible: your street address and phone number are not disclosed publicly. Your email address is also protected by CAPTCHA on the auDA WHOIS tool to reduce automated scraping. Read how to update your WHOIS information.

Under auDA policy, .com.au domains can be registered for 1 up to 5 years at a time. We recommend turning on auto-renewal so your domain never accidentally lapses. If you want to lock in your current price and avoid any future rate changes, multi-year registration is the smarter move. Just keep your contact details up to date so renewal notices reach you.

Yes, a .com.au domain works well with WordPress and any other website platform or CMS. Once you register your domain with us, you can point it to any hosting provider. If you're hosting with HostPapa, connecting your .com.au to your WordPress Hosting plan takes just a few clicks. It's a great pairing for Australian bloggers, businesses, and online stores looking to build a local presence they're proud of.

If your domain expires, you'll typically have a grace period of around 30 days to renew it. After that, your domain is released back to the registry and becomes available for anyone to register. To avoid all of that, we strongly recommend turning on auto-renewal and making sure your billing and contact details are up to date.