# æternity Naming System (AENS)

The æternity Naming System (AENS) provides human-readable names for blockchain entities like accounts, oracles, and contracts, making the system more user-friendly than working with raw cryptographic addresses. AENS implements an auction-based registration system for shorter, more desirable names, while allowing instant registration for longer names, with all names having the .chain extension in the current implementation.

The [AENS documentation](https://app.gitbook.com/s/yxhRUAwn7tH8JUboTur7/protocol/aens) provides comprehensive coverage of the naming system's technical specifications, including name registration mechanisms, auction procedures, protocol fees, and namespace governance. It details the commitment scheme that prevents front-running, explains name management operations (claiming, updating, transferring, revoking), and outlines important protocol upgrades like Lima and Ceres that introduced key features such as auctions and optional pre-claims. The documentation also discusses potential future extensions like decentralized name exchange and interoperability with other naming systems.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>AENS in SDK Documenation</td><td><a href="https://app.gitbook.com/s/yxhRUAwn7tH8JUboTur7/aepp-sdk-js/docs/guides/aens">AENS (æternity naming system)</a></td><td><a href="https://839505583-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FggVl0Jqy6Dd8f38hGk63%2Fuploads%2FO7MHc7XJYKrtCX2zPCz5%2Fflip-30deg-gradient2.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=9a5fcdda-f853-495e-a65b-ac9c4272af37">flip-30deg-gradient2.svg</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>