ICANN 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook (agb)

Overview

Two tools cover the ICANN 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook:

• datapulse_agb returns a whole chapter of the Guidebook, split into modules, appendices, glossary and a SubPro topic index, plus a 2012 Round string-status reference.
• datapulse_agb_search finds the passages that answer a question, by meaning, and returns them with a citation (chapter, section number, PDF page).

Source: Applicant Guidebook V2-2026.04.24 (24 April 2026), the authoritative version of the 2026 Round Guidebook, superseding V1-2025.12.16 (16 December 2025) and the Board-adopted V0-2025.10.30 (ICANN Board Resolution 2025.10.30.12). The chapters are generated from ICANN’s PDF; every page boundary is marked with an HTML comment (<!-- p.191 -->) and footnotes appear as [^N] references with the note text at the end of its page.

The round’s application window ran 30 April to 12 August 2026. ICANN may have published later program updates; the Guidebook text is the rules, not a status feed.

datapulse_agb

Chapters

datapulse_agb_search

Every chapter is split into passages of at most 1,000 characters (broken between paragraphs, list items or sentences, footnote definitions left out) under its heading, and embedded with BGE-M3 (1024 dimensions) on the same embedding server that powers datapulse_disputedb_search. The query is embedded the same way; passages are ranked by cosine similarity and returned as JSON:

{
  "version": "V2-2026.04.24",
  "query": "...",
  "min_score": 0.55,
  "returned": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "score": 0.7412,
      "chapter": "module7_string_evaluation",
      "section": "7.2.1",
      "heading": "Module 7 String and Application Evaluation Procedures › 7.2 Blocked and Reserved Names Overview › 7.2.1 Blocked Names",
      "page": 191,
      "citation": "AGB V2-2026.04.24 §7.2.1 Blocked Names (p. 191)",
      "text": "..."
    }
  ]
}

Quote citation verbatim. When a passage needs its surrounding context (a table it references, the rest of a list), read the chapter with datapulse_agb.

Score interpretation (BGE-M3 cosine similarity): 0.72+ strong match, 0.65-0.72 relevant, 0.55-0.65 weak, below 0.55 likely irrelevant. Keep the default min_score (0.55) and read the scores afterwards: the passage that answers a short factual question often scores 0.65-0.70 beside an adjacent exception or waiver that scores a little higher, so a 0.65 floor can drop the answer and keep the exception (observed 2026-09-16 with “what is the application fee”, where the USD 227,000 passages scored 0.70 and 0.69 behind the variant-fee passage at 0.70). A question phrased very differently from the Guidebook’s own wording may need min_score 0.45.

The tool needs the embedding server (EMBED_URL) and the index built into the binary; when either is missing it reports itself unavailable with the reason.

Routing Guidance

Scope Limitations

These tools cover the 2026 Round application process and policy only. They do NOT cover:

• History or outcomes of the 2012 round beyond the string-status reference in round2012_strings (refer to ICANN’s public archives)
• Whether a specific TLD is currently delegated in the DNS root (use datapulse_live_dns)
• Program status, vendor announcements or calendar changes published after 24 April 2026
• Blockchain or alternative namespaces (Unstoppable Domains, ENS, Handshake)

Workflow Examples

Answer a rules question with a citation

datapulse_agb_search(query="can I apply for a string that was applied for in 2012 and is still in process")
# → §7.2.1 Blocked Names (p. 191) and §7.10.3.2 (p. 241): not allowed; then confirm the string's 2012 status:
datapulse_agb(chapter="round2012_strings")

.Brand TLD Eligibility

datapulse_agb_search(query="requirements for .Brand TLD Specification 13 eligibility")
datapulse_agb(chapter="module7_string_evaluation")     # §7.3 in full
datapulse_dns_searchlabels(search_term="brandname")    # Check existing registrations

Objection Research

datapulse_agb(chapter="module4_community_objections")  # Overview of objection grounds
datapulse_agb(chapter="appendix3_objections")          # Detailed procedures and standing
datapulse_disputedb_search(query="string confusion")   # UDRP precedents on confusing similarity

Fees

datapulse_agb_search(query="conditional evaluation fees community priority evaluation", chapter="module3_application_submission")
datapulse_agb(chapter="module3_application_submission")  # Table 3-2 in full

Geographic Names

datapulse_agb(chapter="appendix2_geographic")          # Checklist and country names list
datapulse_agb_search(query="letter of support or non-objection from a government")
datapulse_live_dns(domain="example.city", record_type="SOA")  # Check if a geographic TLD is delegated

Relationship to Other Tools

Related Topics

• datapulse_help(topic="searchlabels") — Domain label search for brand monitoring
• datapulse_help(topic="disputedb") — UDRP legal research
• datapulse_help(topic="typo_squatting") — Typosquatting detection
• datapulse_help(topic="dns") — DNS lookups