What is Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that maps to an IP address used to access your website on the internet. An IP address is a series of numbers that identifies any device on a network, However, IP addresses are hard to remember as they consist of random series of numbers, so domain names were developed to identify entities on the Internet rather than using IP addresses.
A domain name can be letters, numbers, or a combination of letters and numbers, and it can have various domain name extensions, such as .com, .net, and more
A domain name is represented in a website link referred to as a URL, which is a Universal Resource Locator.
Typically, your contents or information are presented on the internet through the hosting company’s servers and these contents can be accessed or located through your registered domain name. These contents can be accessed with the help of the browser, when the URL is typed on the browser, it tells the web browser to locate your relevant contents.
Every domain name is unique. No two websites can use the same domain name. If a domain name is typed, it will go to the website using that domain name and no one else’s.
This article will cover almost all the necessary information about domain names. We will explain the parts of domain names, groups of domain names, types of the domain extension, their differences, and what the difference is all about. Then, we will guide you on how to register and transfer a domain name.
Parts of Domain name
There are three parts to a domain name: a subdomain, a second-level domain, and a top-level domain. For example, blog.surftware.com, the “blog” section would be a subdomain, the “surftware” section would be the second-level domain (SLD) and the “.com” would be the top-level domain (TLD).
Subdomain
A subdomain is the portion of a URL that comes before the “main” domain name which is the second-level domain and the domain extension which is the top-level domain, subdomain is used to separate a website into sections, examples: blog.surftware.com, products.surftware.com, chat.surftware.com, etc.
Second-level domain (SLD)
A second-level domain (SLD) is the unique part of the domain name, often a business or brand name, it is the part of the domain name that is located right before a Top Level Domain (TLD). For example, in surftware.com the second-level domain SLD is surftware.
Top-level domain (TLD).
A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet after the root domain, a TLD is the final component of a domain name. For example, in surftware.com the top-level domain (TLD) is .com. It is also known as a domain extension.
Domain extension.
Domain extensions or top-level domains (TLDs) are used to categorize websites by type, location, or business model. Out of the pools of domain extensions available on the website, the most common ones are .com .net, and .org To choose which one is right for you, you’ll first need to learn what they stand for and understand their differences.
.com
The domain name .com is a top-level domain (TLD) in the Internet’s Domain Name System. Added in 1985, its name is derived from the word commercial, indicating its original intended purpose for domains registered by commercial organizations. The extension was later opened for general purposes. It is the most popular extension with the highest value for professional websites.
.net
The domain name .net is a generic top-level domain (TLD) used in the Internet’s Domain Name System. The name is derived from the word network, it was originally intended for organizations involved in networking technologies, such as Internet service providers and other infrastructure companies. However, there are no official restrictions and the domain is now a general-purpose namespace. It is still popular with network operators and the advertising sector, and it is often treated as an alternative to .com.
.org
The domain name .org is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) of the Domain Name System (DNS) used on the Internet. The name is derived from the organization. It was one of the original domains established in 1985 and has been operated by the Public Interest Registry since 2003. The domain was originally “intended as the miscellaneous TLD for organizations that didn’t fit anywhere else.” It is commonly used by non-profit organizations, open-source projects, and communities, but it is an open domain that anyone can use.
Groups of top-level domains
Country-code top-level domains (ccTLD)
Two-character domains are established for countries or territories. Example: .us for the United States.
Internationalized country code top-level domains (IDN ccTLD)
ccTLDs in non-Latin character sets (e.g., Arabic or Chinese).
Generic top-level domains (gTLD)
Top-level domains with three or more characters.
Unsponsored top-level domains
Domains that operate directly under policies established by ICANN processes for the global Internet community, for example, “com” and “edu”.
Sponsored top-level domains (sTLD)
These domains are proposed and sponsored by private organizations that decide whether an applicant is eligible to use the TLD, based on community theme concepts.
Infrastructure top-level domain
This group consists of one domain, the Address and Routing Parameter Area (ARPA).
Domain name registration
Domain name registration is the process of finding a web address on the domain name registrar website and signing up to buy one, you will learn more on how to register a domain name in our next post.
