{"id":11052,"date":"2016-06-16T07:51:53","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T12:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=11052"},"modified":"2019-07-02T11:38:35","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T16:38:35","slug":"top-level-domain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/top-level-domain\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Top Level Domain?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you\u2019ve already secured your web hosting<\/a> and purchased your domain<\/a>, then chances are you already have a top-level domain. Still, you might be wondering what a top-level domain actually is?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Top Level Domain?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A top-level domain is the final segment of the domain name. They\u2019re also known as domain suffixes. It\u2019s the section that follows the final 'dot'\u009d in your web address. Top-level domains are broken down into two different categories, country-specific top-level domains, and generic top-level domains.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top-level domains help to identify certain website elements, such as, the type of business, the country of origin, whether it\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Domain Name System<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s needed for the network protocols to function correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Top Level Domain Extensions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a variety of extensions you\u2019ll be able to choose from depending on your style of business or organization, while others can purely be for fun. It\u2019s important to choose a domain extension that\u2019s in alignment with your business. We highlight the most common below:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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General List of TLDs<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n