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The domain is crucial for every website, serving as the starting point for online presence and navigation according to a popular hosting company’s slogan.
The structure of a website’s domain, like site.com.br, has distinct parts with specific names such as TLDs, gTLDs, and ccTLDs.
If you’re unsure about the information in this chart, don’t fret. We will explain everything about the topic and finally grasp the significance of these abbreviations.
What does TLD stand for?
TLD stands for Top-Level Domain, which is the highest level of domain in a domain name. To locate the TLD of a domain, one must understand the structure of a domain.
A domain consists of two components: the domain name and the top-level domain. The domain name can be any available name for registration, while the top-level domain must be chosen from a list of existing TLDs.
The domain name in a website, such as “.com,” represents the top domain. This allows us to register any available domain name within the “.com” top domain, like “myamazingwebsite.com” or “Joanasstore.com.” Top domains are categorized, with a full list of available TLDs found on the ICANN website, the entity responsible for managing new domain extensions.
What is a generic top-level domain (gTLD)?
gTLD stands for Generic Top-Level Domain, which refers to generic TLDs not associated with a specific country or region, created in the early days of the internet.
The most famous and commonly used gTLD globally is .com. Initially intended for commercial purposes, this generic TLD is now utilized for websites of all kinds.
Other common domain extensions like .org are for any type of organization, while .gov is used for government purposes, among others. These generic extensions have been expanded for various uses, such as .net originally being for network infrastructure but now serving multiple purposes. You can find a full list of gTLDs in this Wikipedia link.
What does ccTLD refer to?
.br is one of the domain extensions that indicates the country of the domain, like .ar for Argentina, .us for the United States, and .uk for the United Kingdom.
This domain extension is known as the Country Code Top-Level Domain, abbreviated as ccTLD, which can be translated as country code top domain.
The use of ccTLD for a domain is optional, but commonly used to indicate a website’s association with a specific country. Businesses with a global presence often use it to distinguish their websites in different countries. For instance, Amazon has separate sites like amazon.com for global access and amazon.com.br for customers in Brazil.
Some country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are frequently repurposed beyond their original country association, such as the case with ccTLD .tv, intended for Tuvalu but commonly utilized by television networks and online multimedia content providers.
The full compilation of country codes for top domains is available on this Wikipedia page.
New domain extensions are also known as new gTLDs.
Previously, the range of available TLDs was limited to certain categories, but in 2014, ICANN introduced a program to greatly expand the options in order to encourage innovation, competition, and consumer selection.
The ICANN program for expanding general TLDs led to the introduction of numerous new domain extensions, proposed by companies and the public. These new TLDs have added significance to internet addresses, as users can infer the content of a website based on its domain extension, such as .hotel.
Domains can now be registered with a variety of new TLDs such as .site, .dev, .design, and .blog, as well as city-specific extensions like .rio, .nyc, and .paris. The Registry.br has also introduced extensions for Brazilian cities and technology sectors, including .dev.br and .app.br.
ICANN permitted companies to propose new TLDs associated with their brands, known as branded extensions. Various well-known companies, such as Bradesco and Google, have launched their own branded TLDs, such as .bradesco and .google, respectively.
Non-Latin scripts were considered during the development of new TLDs, allowing for TLD options in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
Which top-level domain is the best option for your website?
There are no strict guidelines for selecting TLDs, but it is important to choose the extension carefully. Traditional TLDs like .com may seem outdated to some users, but they are still necessary in many cases. On the other hand, generic extensions like .xyz might deter users from clicking on search results. Nonetheless, it is still important to consider new TLDs.
When registering a new domain, it is advisable to consider your business goals and aspects. For branding purposes, it is often suggested to register multiple domains with the same name or variations across different domain extensions. This helps protect your brand identity, even if you may not actively use all the registered domains.
Using a TLD associated with your business can be a beneficial strategy. For instance, if you are a designer, opting for TLDs like .design or .des.br can be a smart marketing decision. Take, for example, KingHost, a hosting company that transitioned from kinghost.com.br to king.host.
KingHost developed a free tool that recommends the best domain names for your business based on your brand name and industry. You can use the tool without having to sign up with KingHost, but they do offer registration services if you choose to do so. It’s advised to secure .com and .com.br domains to avoid them being taken by others, regardless of your website’s purpose.
Conclusion
Knowing the regulations is crucial when selecting a domain for your project or business. The extension of a domain is significant in distinguishing a site and can associate it with a specific country or field. The choice of top-level domain (TLD) can establish connections and spark users’ curiosity even before they visit the site.
It is now possible to come up with unique and appealing website addresses for your online project using a wide variety of generic top-level domains and a bit of creativity.
Now that you understand the concept of TLDs and have decided which one to use for your website, check out our top picks for domain registration to secure your web address. 😉
Publication: 07/01/2019 (latest update: 23/10/2023)
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