In the 2012 new gTLD round, applicants had more room to resolve string contention privately after strings were revealed. In the 2026 round, that option appears much more limited. But if applicants can discover possible string conflicts before Reveal Day, they may still change strategy early, by choosing another string, finding partners, or stepping back before the conflict becomes public. As a registrar, this matters because today's approved strings may become tomorrow's domain extensions that resellers, investors, and end users actually register and use. So is pre-Reveal Day conflict discovery just responsible planning, or does it create an unfair information advantage?
I’m not saying marketers need to follow every ICANN policy detail. But if you manage brands, client sites, lead-gen projects, or domain portfolios, the outcome of these contention decisions can shape what domain options are available in the next few years.