In today’s digital world, running a successful business requires establishing an online presence. To create a successful website, you must first understand its key elements and their purposes. This knowledge ensures better results. Top-level domain names are essential because they indicate both a website’s location and its purpose, making identification easier. A top-level domain is the final segment of a domain name, appearing after the last dot, and serves as its extension. Keep reading to discover more about top level domains and the steps you need to take to register one.
What is a top level domain?
Top level domain names, abbreviated as TLD, is the part of a domain name that comes after the last dot. As the name suggests, it stands at the highest level of the internet’s hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS), making it essential. A quintessential example of a top level domain name and, of course, the most prominent TLD is .com. Also known as the internet domain extension, a TLD helps create a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and ensures website functionality. Here are classified TLDs into three types:
- Generic top-level domains (gTLD)
- Sponsored top-level domains (sTLD)
- Country-code top-level domains (ccTLD)
They serve the same function — To help classify and communicate the purpose of a domain name and indicate the website’s content.
Notably, although .com is the most popular TLD, there are, well, over a thousand top-level domains from which entities creating websites can choose. Some of the common TLDs include:
- .com (commercial)
- .org (organization)
- .net (network)
- .info (information)
- .gov (government)
- .edu (education)
- .mobi (mobile)
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) provides an exhaustive list of top-level domains. Most websites are not popular because they consist of less than 0.1% of all websites.
Registering a top-level domain
If you are looking to start a new website, no matter the purpose it will serve, the first step is to register a web address, which includes picking the main text of the website and the top-level domain it will use. Your website’s main text and top-level domain together create the root domain, forming the foundation of your web address.
So, how do you go about registering a top-level domain? Pre-registering a top-level domain simply shows interest, but it does not guarantee that you will secure it. However, you are more likely to get one when you register.
There are several registrars through whom you can register, but the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the only organization that regulates and manages top-level domains. To register, you will need to submit:
- Your main text
- Your top-level domain extension
- Your contact information and physical address
- Your billing information
Your registrar will submit your information to ICANN. Once your data is confirmed, you can then set up your domain and create a website. If you’re creating a website, consider reputable domain registrars like HostOtter.com , Google Domains, GoDaddy, Domain.com, Bluehost, or Network Solutions. You will likely discover newly released TLDs on the websites of major domain registrars.
Conclusion
A top-level domain is a crucial part of every website’s address. Hopefully, this article clarifies TLDs and guides you in registering one.