# Time to change all those .dev local environments

Type: post
URL: https://www.jonathant.com/blog/time-to-change-all-those-dev-local-environments/
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2026-08-09
Author: Jonathan Tarud

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Web developers typically use the .*dev* extension as a [TDL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-level_domain) for local development environments. Thus when developing a web app, instead of needing to use "localhost" with a specific port, they'd set up the host files to recognize *example.dev* as the domain for easier testing.

That has worked fine until now since [Google just released the .*dev* TDL](https://get.dev/).

It might be time to switch that to a different local TDL; otherwise, your local setting could potentially override an actual functioning app or website with your local configuration.

Granted, it is unlikely to happen unless your website uses the .*dev* extension, yet, conventions are an important part of a healthy development environment.

With an [increasing list of TDLs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_top-level_domains), the best option might be to start using *.development* or *.local* until those get snapped up.