Subnames
Subnames are nested names under a parent name. Unlike regular names, there is not a cost associated with creating subnames.
The maximum nesting depth is eight levels. The total depth, including the SLD and TLD, means the maximum total depth is 10 levels.
The parent rules control whether you can create nested names or not. The parent rules can also allow a subname to extend the expiration to match the parent's expiration. You can alter the parent rules at any time, but revoking or burning follows the same rules that follow.
Subname types
Subnames can be one of two types:
- Node subnames: Similar to regular names, they have an NFT associated with them that gives access to all extra features (personalization, avatars, and so on).
- Leaf subnames: These are subnames that are created under a node subname. They do not have an NFT associated with them, so the parent controls their configuration. Consequently, the typical use case for leaf subnames is to use them programmatically.
The following table provides more details on the differences between the two types of names:
| Capabilities/Category | Node subnames | Leaf subnames |
|---|---|---|
| Has NFT | ✅ Yes,
| ❌ No, parent's NFT acts as the capability |
| Can create children (node/leaf) | ✅ Yes, provided the name is an SLD* or the parent allows it | ❌ No |
| Expiration | ✅ Yes, SuiNS determines expiration for SLDs*, otherwise the parent determines | ❌ No, the parent's expiration determines the leaf expiration |
| Extend expiration | ✅ Yes, you can extend expiration if parent rules allow it (or you can pay for it for SLD*) | ✅ Yes, leaf names do not expire |
| Target address | ✅ Yes, NFT holder can update the target address; address can be empty | ✅ Yes, active parent's NFT holder can update the target address; address cannot be empty |
| Reverse registry | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Revoke | ❌ No, you can't remove a node name (except when expired) | ✅ Yes, active parent holder can remove a leaf name |
| Burn | ✅ Yes, post-expiration only | ✅ Yes, burn and revoking is the same for leaf names |
| Transfer ownership | ✅ Yes, the NFT determines node name ownership | ❌ No, SuiNS preserves ownership for the active parent name holder |
SLD - Second-level domain (for instance, example in example.sui)
Integration
Similar to regular names, you can look up subnames through JSON-RPC and GraphQL. You can also look up subnames on chain, as described in Integrations.