A domain name is a distinctive identifier for a website on the internet. It serves as the website’s address, allowing users to access it. For instance, in the domain ‘exa.com,’ ‘exa’ is the domain name, and ‘.com’ is the domain extension. Domains are crucial for navigating the internet and locating specific websites, services, or content.
Domain extensions, or top-level domains (TLDs), are categorized based on their purpose, usage, and intended audience. Here’s a brief overview:
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs): Widely used extensions not tied to any specific country or region, like .com (business), .org (organization), .net (network), .info (information), and .biz (business).
Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs): Associated with specific countries or regions, commonly used by entities operating within those areas, such as .us (United States), .uk (United Kingdom), .de (Germany), .jp (Japan), and .cn (China).
Sponsored Top-Level Domains (sTLDs): Sponsored by specific organizations or communities, serving particular purposes or industries, like .gov (government agencies), .edu (educational institutions), .mil (military), .muze (museums), and .aero (aerospace industry).
Infrastructure Top-Level Domains (iTLDs): Used for infrastructure-related purposes, typically not open for public registration, such as .arpa (Address and Route Parameter Area), utilized in technical infrastructure.