Recognised for its reliability and its proximity, the .fr TLD is a common good that now totals more than 4 million domain names. Simple and accessible, it allows businesses and private individuals alike to develop an effective and controlled digital territory.
Sustained growth driven by the digital transformation of VSEs/SMEs
With a market share in France of almost 40% and gaining ground over the last few years, .fr is carving out a place as the benchmark TLD supporting the online presence of businesses, private individuals, associations and public organisations. Between 12,000 and 16,000 new domain names are created every week with a current total of over 4 million Internet addresses. This momentum is mainly driven by the digital transformation of French VSEs/SMEs, increasing numbers of which are taking the leap with the addition of a website and a .fr address to raise their profile. The result is that more than 50% of small companies with a website opt for a .fr address, a trusted TLD that is not only easy to register but also inexpensive.
The proximity and support that come with it are also factors in its success. 400 registrars across France distribute the .fr TLD to respond to the needs of businesses and private individuals. In addition, Afnic supports several thousand small businesses looking to develop an online presence for their activity every year through the ‘Réussir en .fr’ (‘Succeed with .fr’) programme.
Reliable, secure and trusted
Trusted by 87% of French people (source: .fr perception survey conducted by MV2 in 2021), the .fr TLD is recognised for its reliability. Afnic, the non-profit association responsible for the .fr TLD, makes every effort to guarantee the security of this common good, notably thanks to an ISO 27001-certified structure and an Information Security Management System. Security also extends to personal data, and especially the default protection of private individual holders in the Whois directory of .fr names.
Lastly, maintaining a trustworthy Internet for users is a key commitment of the .fr TLD. Which is why Afnic provides a set of reporting and abuse management services accessible to all via its website. The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures in place for .fr domain names are also fundamental tools available to rights holders to combat online abuse and infringements on a daily basis.
A made in France and inclusive digital success
Managed and hosted in France, the .fr domain is a digital common good that embodies a certain vision of the Internet. That of an open, efficient and secure Internet that benefits the widest audience possible. Since its creation, the Afnic Foundation for Digital Solidarity, funded by the .fr TLD, has donated more than €8 million and supported more than 400 projects to develop digital solidarity and inclusion.
Afnic would like to thank all of the .fr domain name holders for their trust. We would also like to thank our registrars for their daily efforts to promote this domain name and all the other stakeholders (Afnic members, public and private partners, etc.) who sustain and develop the .fr TLD in a spirit of cooperation.
About Afnic
Afnic is the acronym for Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, the French Network Information Centre. The registry has been appointed by the French government to manage domain names under the .fr Top Level Domain. Afnic also manages the .re (Reunion Island), .pm (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), .tf (French Southern and Antarctic Territories), .wf (Wallis and Futuna) and .yt (Mayotte) French Overseas TLDs.
In addition to managing French TLDs, Afnic’s role is part of a wider public interest mission, which is to contribute on a daily basis, thanks to the efforts of its teams and its members, to a secure and stable internet, open to innovation and in which the French internet community plays a leading role. As part of that mission, Afnic, a non-profit organization, has committed to devoting 11% of its Revenues from managing .fr Top Level Domain to actions of general interest, in particular by transferring €1.3 million each year to the Afnic Foundation for Digital Solidarity.
Afnic is also the back-end registry for the companies as well as local and regional authorities that have chosen to have their own TLD, such as .paris, .bzh, .alsace, .corsica, .mma, .ovh, .leclerc and .sncf.
Established in 1997 and based in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Afnic currently has nearly 90 employees.
On the same topic
The .fr Observatory
Afnic consolidates and makes available data related to .fr: ...
Why choose .fr?
.fr is more than just a TLD. Simple, secure and accessible, it ...
.fr: more than a simple TLD
Over 4 million .fr domain names are used every day by businesses, ...
Featured
04/15/24
Afnic, the Registry for .fr Internet domain names , announced ...
Learn more
There are some lively debates in store on Internet governance ...
Learn more