What is a Domain?

Domain Name is a human-readable address used to access websites on the internet.
Instead of using numerical IP addresses (like 192.168.0.1), domains allow people to remember and navigate to websites easily — it's like a nickname for a website’s IP address.

Structure of a Domain Name

Example: www.example.com

• com: Top-Level Domain (TLD) – represents the domain's category or country
• example: Second-Level Domain (SLD) – typically the name chosen by the registrant
• www: Subdomain – optional part that can point to specific services or servers

Domains are read from right to left, with the TLD at the end.

Types of Domains

1. Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)

• Common domain suffixes like .com, .net, .org, etc.
• No geographic limitation
• Example: example.com

2. Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs)

• Represent countries or regions
• Example: .kr (South Korea), .jp (Japan), .uk (United Kingdom)

Subdomain vs Main Domain

Type	Description	Example
Main Domain	The core domain name	example.com
Subdomain	A subdivision of the main domain, used to separate services	blog.example.com, shop.example.com

Subdomains can point to different servers or services under the same domain.

Custom Domain vs Free Domain

Type	Description
Custom Domain	Purchased and owned by an individual or organization
Free Domain	Provided for free, often includes platform branding (e.g., yourname.wordpress.com)

Custom domains provide more professionalism and control, while free domains are often limited in features.

What are Domain Names Used For?

• Hosting websites and blogs
• Email addresses (e.g., yourname@example.com)
• Branding and online identity
• Redirecting users to specific servers (via DNS)
• Supporting SEO and digital marketing

How Do Domains Work?

• When you enter a domain into your browser, it queries the DNS (Domain Name System) to translate the domain into an IP address.
• The browser then connects to the corresponding server using that IP address to load the website.