What is a TLD (top-level domain)?

The top-level domain is the last part of a web address, which appears to the right of the last dot. TLDs provide information about the nature of a website or where it comes from. For example, .com is used for commercial sites and .ca is used for sites connected to Canada.

What’s the difference between TLDs and other domain types?

Web addresses mark the location of resources online. The top-level domain is the part of the address at the end and provides important information about the nature of the site or its geographic origin. Other domain types like subdomains serve to expand on the main address. Subdomains, for example, appear before the TLD and mark specific areas of a website. So the subdomain blog.example.com would lead to a website’s blog. The TLD .com, on the other hand, indicates that the site is commercial.

What kinds of TLDs are out there?

There are various kinds of top-level domains and each type has its own purpose. Choosing the right TLD for your website can be decisive for engaging your target group and ensuring success.

Generic top-level domains (gTLDs)

Generic TLDs are the most frequently used TLDs. The most well-known ones are:

• .com: The TLD .com stands for “commercial” and was originally intended for commercial websites. These days it’s the most common TLD for websites with a variety of different content.
• .org: .org is short for “organization” and is the TLD used for non-profits, charities and other non-commercial groups.
• .net: This TLD was originally meant for networks and technological infrastructure. Today it’s a popular top-level domains used for various kinds of websites.

New TLDs

In recent years, a number of new TLDs have cropped up in response to the changing needs of the internet. Two examples are:

• .app: This top-level domain is intended for mobile apps. Websites with this domain extension might offer platforms for developing apps or feature download links for the mobile apps themselves.
• .blog: As its name indicates, this is a special TLD for blogs.

Sponsored TLDs

Some TLDs are reserved for certain groups:

• .edu: The TLD .edu is reserved for educational institutions like colleges and universities.
• .gov: This top-level domain is reserved for official government websites.

Country code TLDs

Country code TLDs (ccTLDs) are connected to a specific country or region and indicate where a website is based. For example, .us is the ccTLD for the US and .ca is Canada’s. There is of course a wide variety of ccTLDs.

What role do TLDs play in name resolution?

Name resolution is the process by which a web address is converted into an IP address using the Domain Name System (DNS). TLDs are used in the first layer of name resolution to address the correct servers. The basis for this is that different TLDs have different authoritative name servers that take care of managing top-level domains.

Which TLD is right for me?

Which TLD is right for you will depend on your goals, your target group and the purpose of your website. If you want to create a personal website, a gTLD like .me or .name might fit. For companies, .com or more specific gTLDs like .store or .tech can be good choices. Websites for specific regions or markets might benefit from a ccTLD, for example .ca for Canada or .eu for the European Union.

Note that your choice of top-level domain will influence how people perceive your website. A business looking to be taken seriously can build trust with .com, whereas tech-oriented sites might use .tech to appear more modern.