If you’ve already secured your web hosting and purchased your domain, then chances are you already have a top-level domain. Still, you might be wondering what a top-level domain actually is?
Below we dive into the purpose of top-level domains, the hierarchy of domain names, and go into a few of the most common top-level domain extensions.
A top-level domain is the final segment of the domain name. They’re also known as domain suffixes. It’s the section that follows the final “dot” in your web address. Top-level domains are broken down into two different categories, country-specific top-level domains, and generic top-level domains.
Top-level domains help to identify certain website elements, such as, the type of business, the country of origin, whether it’s a government site, school website, and more. The guidelines for a domain TLD used to be very strict, however, in 2010 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) relaxed their guidelines when it comes to generic top-level domains and company trademarks.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the naming system for online services, computers, or any resources that are connected to the Internet. It works to associate domain names to each company, website, or service. It also translates the domain name into the numerical IP address that’s needed for the network protocols to function correctly.
There are a variety of extensions you’ll be able to choose from depending on your style of business or organization, while others can purely be for fun. It’s important to choose a domain extension that’s in alignment with your business. We highlight the most common below:
There are also more region specific domains, called Country-Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD), such as, co.zw (Zimbabwe) co.za (South Africa), .co.uk (United Kingdom), .au (Australia), .de (Denmark), .fr (France), and more. For a full list take a look at this article from Wikipedia.
The top-level domain that you choose will also communicate a lot about your business. By far the most common top level domain is .com, but you’re free to choose the extension that’s most in alignment with your website.
Any common top-level domains we missed? Share your favorites in the comments below.