In the context of LACTLD‘s Technical, Legal, and Commercial Workshop and the celebration of its 25th anniversary, a significant step towards digital integration and transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean has been taken. LACTLD has officially launched the Unified Domain Search Engine, an innovative tool that allows users to easily and uniformly check the availability of domain name registration in the region’s ccTLDs (country codes top-level domains).

After approximately two years of collaborative work, primarily driven by the Search Engine Committee, LACTLD has presented the public with the beta version of this centralized information service. The Unified Domain Search Engine represents a significant milestone in the region as it addresses challenges related to inclusion, digital transformation, and online presence while also meeting the need to systematize currently dispersed information.

The advantages of the engine

LACTLD’s Unified Domain Search Engine serves as an additional channel for domain promotion, meeting the needs of users, entrepreneurs, and companies seeking to expand their activities regionally. Its goal is to facilitate inquiries about domain name registration in the region, providing registrants with a convenient channel to verify domain name availability. Furthermore, it broadens the range of options under a model based on registrants’ autonomy and freedom on the web.

The  website is a unified consultation space available in three languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese. This ensures an accessible and friendly experience for users. With the initial launch, LACTLD’s Unified Domain Search has integrated 14 ccTLDs, representing nearly 50% of the associated members. These include various countries such as Argentina  (.AR), Brasil (.BR), Chile (.CL), Colombia (.CO), Ecuador (.EC), Honduras (.HN), Perú (.PE), Puerto Rico (.PR), Paraguay (.PY), El Salvador (.SV), Uruguay (.UY) and Guatemala (.GT).

This tool allows all ccTLDs to integrate into the service on equal terms. Moreover, it elevates the region to a different level of visibility and empowers domain name registration as a starting point for the development of various digital activities, services, and products.

A collective project

José Urzúa, Head of Systems Development at NIC Chile and leader of the Search Engine Committee emphasized the importance of collaboration in the project’s development and expressed satisfaction in seeing the result of joint work. Urzúa expressed his hope that this will be the first of many collaborative developments in the region.

Luis Arancibia, President of LACTLD’s Board of Directors, expressed his joy in achieving this milestone during such a symbolic moment as the Association’s 25th anniversary. He extended special thanks to the Search  Engine Committee for their fundamental contribution to the project’s success and highlighted the region’s ability to generate a pioneering and relevant service for both ccTLDs and users in the region.

The Unified Domain Search will be integrated into the .gt Domain Registry service in the coming months, reaffirming the commitment to digitalization throughout the entire region. Read more about the role of Guatemala at LACTLD here.