View source for .ee

{{Short description|Internet country code top-level domain for Estonia}}
{{About|the top-level Internet domain primarily used in Estonia||Ee (disambiguation){{!}}EE}}
{{Copy edit|for=improvement of cohesion as actual prose rather than a list of facts|date=September 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox top level domain
| name = .ee
| image = Estonian Internet Foundation logo.svg
| introduced = 3 June 1992
| type = [[Country code top-level domain]]
| status = Active
| registry = Estonian Internet Foundation
| registereddomains     = 160,059
| dateregistereddomains = 2023-08-11
| refregistereddomains  = <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-11 |title=Statistics |url=https://www.internet.ee/help-and-info/statistics#chart-total |access-date=2023-08-11 |website=Estonian Internet Foundation}}</ref>
| intendeduse = Entities connected with [[Estonia]]
| actualuse = Very popular in Estonia, now available globally.
| structure = Registrations are taken directly at the second level, or at the third level beneath various second-level labels
| document = 
| disputepolicy = Domain Disputes Committee
| website = {{nowrap|[http://www.eestiinternet.ee/en/ Estonian Internet Foundation]}}
}}

'''.ee''' is the [[internet]] [[country code]] [[top-level domain]] ([[ccTLD]]) of [[Estonia]], operated by the Estonian Internet Foundation.

== Second-level domain names ==
* '''.com.ee''' &ndash; companies (incorporated entities) as defined in the Commercial Code.
* '''.pri.ee''' &ndash; individuals.
* '''.fie.ee''' &ndash; self-employed people (sole proprietors) as defined in the Commercial Code.
* '''.med.ee''' &ndash; medical/health care institutions.
* '''.edu.ee''' &ndash; educational institutions and projects.<ref name="edu.ee">[http://www.eenet.ee/EENet/edu.html edu.ee subdomains] (in Estonian) EENet. Retrieved 11 December 2014.</ref>
* '''.lib.ee''' &ndash; libraries.<ref name="lib.ee">[http://www.eenet.ee/EENet/lib.html lib.ee subdomains] (in Estonian) EENet. Retrieved 11 December 2014.</ref>
* '''.org.ee''' &ndash; non-profit organizations and projects.<ref name="org.ee">[http://www.eenet.ee/EENet/org.html org.ee subdomains] (in Estonian) EENet. Retrieved 11 December 2014.</ref>

== History ==
The top-level domain .ee was introduced in 1992 and was operated by [[EENet]] until July 2010. The administrator of the .ee domain was [[Endel Lippmaa]]. 

There was a limit of one domain name per legal entity, and registrations of additional names to protect trademarks were specifically denied because "the domain name has no trademark status". 

As domains under .ee were meant to be an institution's identification on the Internet (like the register code in the commercial register), registration of additional domains in the defense of a trademark or a name form is not possible.<ref name="notrademarkstatus">[http://www.eenet.ee/services/subdomains.html EENet registration page (in FAQ)]</ref> 

Valid registrations were free of charge.

=== Domain reform ===
The new order of registration of .ee TLD became available on 5 July 2010. 

Estonian Internet Foundation took over .ee ccTLD registry functions from EENet. 

With the new domain rules, both private individuals and foreigners can register an unlimited number of domains directly under .ee. 

Domain name registration is done on two levels. .ee domain registrants are serviced by authorized registrars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eesti Interneti SA {{!}} Registripidajad |url=http://internet.ee/et/registripidajad |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402043035/http://internet.ee/et/registripidajad |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=internet.ee |language=et}}</ref> Also, payment of registry administration from the state budget was stopped and a fee was established for domain registration. 

All existing domains registered before the transition had to be re-registered during a 6-month transition period, which ended on 5 January 2011. Registration services can be done through accredited registrars listed on the Estonian Internet Foundation website. 

Domain disputes are handled by the Domain Disputes Committee.

=== After the reform ===
On 13 June 2011,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eesti Internet SA |url=http://www.internet.ee/et/uudised/10898/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101451/http://www.internet.ee/et/uudised/10898/ |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> the registration of domains with the dotted letters õ, ä, ö, ü, š and žš, ž was enabled, which covered the entire Estonian alphabet under the .ee domain.

From 1 March 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eesti Internet SA {{!}} Uudised |url=http://www.internet.ee/et/uudised/?year=2013&month=2#archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007151944/http://www.internet.ee/et/uudised/?year=2013&month=2#archive |archive-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> domains can also be registered for two or up to three years.

On 18 July 2013, the tasks of managing the .ee domain were handed over to EIS internationally. By the decision of the board of directors of [[ICANN]], EIS was entered into the international database of top-level domains as the administrator or sponsoring organization of the .ee domain. With the status of a sponsoring organization, all administrative tasks related to the .ee domain in front of both the domestic and the international Internet community are concentrated in one institution.

On 6 January 2014,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eesti Internet SA |url=http://www.internet.ee/et/dnssec/kuidas-rakendada-dnssec-i/kuidas-rakendada-dnssec-i-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101500/http://www.internet.ee/et/dnssec/kuidas-rakendada-dnssec-i/kuidas-rakendada-dnssec-i-2/ |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> EIS, in cooperation with accredited registrars, launched the [[Domain Name System Security Extensions|DNSSEC]] service - a system of security keys that ensures that the user is directed to the web page whose address is entered in the web browser. For example, DNSSEC ensures that entering the web address of your online bank in the address bar of a web browser does not redirect the user to a similar-looking page set up by fraudsters to steal data and passwords.

=== Registration fee ===
.ee domains can be registered for one, two or three years. 

From 1 January 2017, the domain registration fee charged to registrars is 6, 12 or 18 euros depending on the length of the registration period.<ref name="eis2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.internet.ee/news/price-for-ee-domain-lowered-to-6-euros|website=Estonian Internet Foundation|date=4 January 2017|title=Price for .ee Domain Lowered to 6 Euros|access-date=2 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030623/https://www.internet.ee/news/price-for-ee-domain-lowered-to-6-euros|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

In 2016, the registration fee was 7, 14 and 21 euros depending on the length of the registration period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heaks kiidetud Eesti Interneti Sihtasutuse nõukogu 28. oktoober 2015. a otsusega |url=http://media.voog.com/0000/0037/4533/files/Registrilepingu%20Lisa%202%20EST.pdf |website=media.voog.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331115707/http://media.voog.com/0000/0037/4533/files/Registrilepingu%20Lisa%202%20EST.pdf |language=estonian |archive-date=31 March 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Value-added tax|VAT]] is added to the fee. 

The fee for the domain registrant is determined by the registrars. The final cost is also influenced by competition on the market.

== Domain hacks ==
* [[Linktree]], a social media [[landing page]] service, uses the .ee domain (linktr.ee).
* [[Adventist World Radio]], a refugee info and charity service, also uses the .ee domain (refug.ee).
* [[Shopee]], an online retail site, uses the .ee domain for its link shortener service (shp.ee).
* [[Jakarta EE]], a set of specifications for the [[Java (software platform)|Java]] software platform, uses jakarta.ee as its website address.

== Criticism ==
The new order of domain registering in 2010 was met with great controversy. 

The relaunch of the registry was at one point delayed to be reassessed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.zone.ee/2010/04/13/laheb-kaima-ei-lahe-kaima-laheb-kaima/ |title=Läheb käima, ei lähe käima |publisher=ZONE.ee |language=et |access-date=13 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417235516/http://blog.zone.ee/2010/04/13/laheb-kaima-ei-lahe-kaima-laheb-kaima/ |archive-date=17 April 2010 |url-status=live |date=2010-04-13 }}</ref> When the relaunch was finalized, the annual fee for a .ee domain was announced to be 285 [[Estonian kroon|Estonian kroons]] (18.20 euros) plus [[tax]], which was met with significant backlash.<ref name="epl-expensive">{{cite web |url=http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/580038 |title=Infoturbe spetsialist: domeenireform on läbikukkunud |publisher=Eesti Päevaleht |language=et |access-date=13 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714173328/http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/580038 |archive-date=14 July 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

A list of shortcomings was presented in a public notice to Estonian Internet Foundation by [[Tõnu Samuel]] and Jaan Jänesmäe, mentioning that the .ee domain had become the most expensive TLD in [[Europe]].<ref name="epl-expensive" /> Their cause gained over 800 supporters on Facebook.<ref name="eic-goals">{{cite web |url=http://kogukond.org/in-english/ |title=List of EIC's goals |publisher=Estonian Internet Community |access-date=11 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030081910/http://kogukond.org/in-english/ |archive-date=30 October 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]] Estonian Internet Community was founded partly as a reaction to the controversial domain reform with 22 founding members.<ref name="eic-goals" /> Its board is made up of [[Tõnu Samuel]], Elver Loho and Heiti Kender. 

In 2010 it noted on its blog that several of its members had lost faith in the possibility of any sort of compromise and had independently written e-mails to [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority|IANA]] asking them to step in to resolve the controversy.<ref name="eic-iana">{{cite web|url=http://kogukond.org/2010/12/kui-kodus-ei-saa-asju-aetud/|title=Kui kodus ei saa asju aetud...|publisher=Estonian Internet Community|language=et|access-date=11 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227171524/http://kogukond.org/2010/12/kui-kodus-ei-saa-asju-aetud/|archive-date=27 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Over the following years the annual fee has gradually dropped,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.internet.ee/news/price-for-ee-domains-to-be-slashed-by-11-8-in-2013|website=Estonian Internet Foundation|date=30 November 2012|title=Price for .ee domains to be slashed by 11.8% in 2013|access-date=2 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030942/https://www.internet.ee/news/price-for-ee-domains-to-be-slashed-by-11-8-in-2013|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> reaching 6 euros on 1 January 2017.<ref name="eis2017" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/ee.html IANA .ee whois information]

{{ccTLD}}
{{Estonia topics |autocollapse}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:ee}}
[[Category:Country code top-level domains]]
[[Category:Mass media in Estonia]]
[[Category:Internet in Estonia]]
[[Category:Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries members]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Estonia]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1992]]