ICANN’s Applicant Guidebook page explains how changes to the guidebook during the ongoing New gTLD Program are classified. The categories distinguish editorial updates from operational changes and changes to policy.
- Typographical changes cover grammatical, linguistic, terminology-consistency, or formatting edits.
- Minor operational changes can be implemented in line with existing Board-approved policy recommendations and do not materially affect applicants.
- Non-minor operational changes also align with existing Board-approved policy recommendations, but have a material impact on applicants.
- Policy changes cannot be implemented in line with the existing Board-approved policy recommendations. For an ongoing round, they would occur only in extraordinary circumstances where continuing the program is at risk without the change.
This distinction helps applicants understand whether a guidebook revision is editorial, operational, or a matter of policy—and whether it may materially affect them.