.tk
 |
|
| Introduced | 1997 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Dot TK (run by BV Dot TK) |
| Sponsor | Government of Tokelau and Teletok |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Tokelau
|
| Actual use | Many uses, most not in Tokelau. Free domains available or paid registrations for legal ownership with no activity requirement |
| Structure | Registrations are taken directly at the second level; domains are redirected to actual website addresses within a frame, or point directly to a webserver or nameserver |
| Documents | Policies |
| Dispute policies | Dispute Resolution Policy |
| Website | Dot.TK |
.tk is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand located in the South Pacific.
Tokelau allows any individual to register domain names. Users and small businesses may register any number of domain names free of charge (with some restrictions). In addition to the name itself, users can opt to forward their web traffic using HTML frames and their email traffic, with a maximum of 250 addresses per user log in, or use full DNS, either via their own or third-party servers, or by using Dot TK's servers. There are content restrictions for free domains, banning sites containing sexual content, drug use, hate speech, firearms, and spam or copyright infringement. Dot TK requires free domains to have a regular traffic of visitors, and if a domain's redirect target does not work (even temporarily) the domain is taken offline. If a domain violates any of these terms, it is replaced by a Sedo ad page, and no beforehand warning is given.
Dot TK also provides .tk websites with the option to join a network called TiKinet, a close-knit network that links sites to each other based on key words called TiKilinks. The network is expected to increase traffic to the websites, many of which are personal sites and blogs operated by individuals who otherwise would have no way to advertise their sites.
To be able to get a "special" .tk domain name the user must buy it. This includes trademark domain names for most Fortune 500 companies. Paid domain names cost US$19.90 for the first two years. Potentially valuable names with fewer than 4 characters are similarly unavailable for free registration, and must generally be purchased at a premium price of over $1000.
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