Checklist before launching a website publicly
Short answer. A site you can already open does not need a domain of your own before other people see it. Say what the site is, who runs it, what data it touches, and how to reach you. A name of your own is for when you want an address you control. Rules for Google AI Studio and the app stores are further down. Sources read on 19 October 2026.
Any website
- The address the builder already gave the site can stay. A custom domain is not required to call the site public.
- Before you send the link around, a visitor should be able to see what the site does, who operates it, what personal data it touches, and how to contact you. Those can be sections of the same page.
- If you buy a name, add the DNS records your host shows.
Google AI Studio and the stores
Only for an app built in Google AI Studio, or for a listing on Google Play or the App Store.
On your own phone
From 13 October 2026 you can build and run a custom Android app on your own device with Google AI Studio, with no developer account. The rollout started that day in select markets, including the United States, for users 18 and over. Sharing with friends and family was described as coming in the following months. That install is not a public store listing (Google Play blog, 13 October 2026).
Google Play, for other people
| They ask for | Does it have to be a domain you own? |
|---|---|
| A developer account, with a one-time registration fee of US$25 (signup) | No |
| A Data safety form, including a link to a privacy policy. Apps that collect no user data still complete the form and provide that link. Apps only on an internal testing track are exempt from the Data safety section (Data safety) | No. The link does not have to be a domain you buy for this app |
| For a personal developer account created after 13 November 2023, a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for 14 days, before you apply for production (testing requirements) | No |
App Store
A Privacy Policy URL is required for iOS and macOS apps. It is a URL to your privacy policy. The help page does not say that URL must be a domain you bought for this app (App information).
Google sign-in, when a verified domain is required
Brand verification applies when the app is in production for any Google Account user and you want a logo or display name on the consent screen (authentication verification). Sensitive or restricted scopes need review unless an exception applies. Google’s examples include calendar entries and files in Drive (sensitive-scope verification).
The homepage must be on a verified domain you own. The privacy policy must be on that same domain and linked from the consent screen. Do not host them on a platform where you cannot verify your subdomain. Google’s examples are Google Sites, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (App homepage).
You do not need that review for personal use by you and a few people you know, for an app still in development or testing, or for an internal app of a Google Workspace or Cloud Identity organization. A domain you already own and can verify is enough.
If you still want a domain
Get it before you turn on the sign-in that needs verification, so you verify the name once.
Any registrar works. To see whether a name is free, with the renewal price next to the first year, and open it at Namecheap, use Add Domain. You pay the registrar in your own account.