Domain .tk - national domain: Tokelau

.tk domain information

.tk is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific. Registry: Telecommunication Tokelau Corporation (Teletok). Public WHOIS: whois.dot.tk.

.tk domain history–why it's no longer available

New registrations of .tk domains are currently unavailable. This is the result of a chain of events that unfolded over more than two decades — and it's a story worth understanding before you decide what to do next.

From opportunity to cautionary tale

Tokelau is a group of three remote atolls in the South Pacific with a population of around 1,400 people. In the early 2000s, the territory struck a deal with a Dutch entrepreneur who proposed managing its country-code domain — .tk — in exchange for a share of revenues. The model was simple: domains would be offered for free, supported by advertising. Tokelau, which lacked the infrastructure and resources to run its own registry, agreed.

What followed was unexpected. At its peak, .tk became the most registered country-code domain in the world, with around 25 million domains. But virtually none of them belonged to actual organizations from Tokelau. Because registration was free and anonymous, the extension became a magnet for phishing campaigns, spam operations, and malware distribution. Security researchers estimated that .tk domains were involved in a significant share of all phishing attacks globally. The only real Tokelauan website registered under .tk was the page for Teletok, the local telecom authority.

Tokelau itself saw little financial benefit from this arrangement, and the reputational damage was considerable. Residents of the islands — largely unaware of what was happening online in their name — found themselves associated with cybercrime they had no part in.

Why registrations stopped

The operator responsible for managing .tk registrations, Dutch company Freenom, faced mounting legal and regulatory pressure. In 2023, Meta filed a lawsuit over cybersquatting and trademark infringement involving .tk domains. ICANN subsequently terminated Freenom's registrar accreditation. Freenom announced its exit from the domain business in early 2024, leaving the .tk registry without an operator.

Teletok — which represents Tokelau's interests in the domain — is now working to transition .tk to a new, responsible registry operator. The territory has described this as part of a broader effort to rebuild its international reputation and assert its digital identity on its own terms.

Until a new operator is in place, no new registrations or transfers of .tk domains are possible.

Looking for a .tk domain alternative?

While .tk is temporarily unavailable, there are several solid alternatives depending on your project:

For a short, globally recognized address

.io, .co, or .me offer similar brevity and are widely trusted internationally.

For country-specific presence

If your project targets a specific region, a dedicated ccTLD — such as .de, .es, or .pl — may serve you better long-term.

For a creative or niche identity

Extensions like .click, .link, or .online are available, affordable, and unrestricted.

Information about the .tk domain registry

.tk - country code top-level domain name (ccTLD): Tokelau
Available domain TLDs: .tk
Registry: Telecommunication Tokelau Corporation (Teletok)
Website: http://www.dot.tk
Public WHOIS server: whois.dot.tk