What Is a Domain Name?
It is a text string that is mapped to a numerical IP address, used to access a website from a client application. In plain English, a domain name is the text that a user types into a browser window to reach a particular website. For example, the domain name for Google is “google.com”.
Also:
The actual address of a website is a complex numerical IP address (for example, 103.21.244.0), but thanks to DNS, users can enter human-friendly domain names and be directed to the websites they are looking for. This process is known as a DNS lookup.
So, Who Manages Domain Names?
All domain names are managed by domain registries, which delegate domain name reservations to registrars. Anyone who wants to create a website can register their domain name with a registrar, and there are currently over 300 million registered domain names.
What Is the Difference Between a Domain Name and a URL?
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL), sometimes called a web address, contains the domain name of a site as well as other information, including the transfer protocol and the path. For example, in the URL “https://www.ezznology.com/learning/”, “mwyc.net” represents the domain name, “ https ” represents the protocol, and “learning/” is the path to a specific page on the site.
What Are the Parts of a Domain Name?
Domain names are typically divided into two or three parts, each separated by a dot. When read from right to left, the identifiers in domain names go from most general to most specific. The section to the right of the final dot in a domain name is the top-level domain (TLD). These include “generic” TLDs such as “.com”, “.net”, and “.org”, as well as country-specific TLDs like “.uk” and “.jp”.
Therefore:
To the left of the TLD is the second-level domain (2LD), and if there is anything to the left of the 2LD, it is called the third-level domain (3LD). Let’s look at some examples:
For Google’s domain name in the United States, “google.com”:
- “.com” is the TLD (most general)
- “google” is the 2LD (most specific)
But for Google UK’s domain name, “google.co.uk”:
- “.com” is the TLD (most general)
- “.co” * is the 2LD
- “google” is the 3LD (most specific)
* In this case, the 2LD indicates the type of organization that registered the domain (.co in the UK for sites registered by companies).
How to Keep Your Domain Name Secure
Once you register your domain name with a registrar, that registrar is responsible for notifying the registrant when their domain is about to expire and giving them the opportunity to renew it, ensuring they do not lose the name. In some cases, registrars prey on their users’ expiring domain names by purchasing those domains the second time they expire and then selling them back to the original registrant at an inflated price. It is important to choose an honest and trustworthy registrar to avoid these types of predatory practices.
