We will be honest, when we started registering domain names, we wondered what common top level domain meant. In fact, it got confusing when industry leaders were on Twitter discussing gTLD, sTLD, and ccTLD. Before we break down the types of top level domains, you should know the following about TLD’s. In short, Top Level Domains will refer to the last segment of a domain name, or it will be the the part that follows the “dot” symbol.
So what are all of these common top level domains, and what do they mean?
Types of Top Level Domains
Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD): Generic top level domains are internet domain extensions that have three or more characters. Actually, generic top level domains have been around since the start of the internet. What is more, they will have a major role in the domain allocation for years to come, despite what others are currently saying on social media channels. The .com will always be king, but as the internet continues to grow, gTLD domains will continue to rise. However, the value will always play second fiddle to the traditional .com domain name. Below are some of the more popular gTLDS.
- .top
- .loan
- .xyz
- .club
Sponsored Top Level Domains (sTLD): The sponsored top level domains are mainly for niche audiences. What’s more, there are strict rules on who can register them and the type of website it will be used for. Some of the more popular sTLD are:
- .AERO – These are reserved for members of the air-transport industry
- .ASIA – These are restricted and can only be used to the Pan-Asia and Asia Pacific community
- .COOP – Reserved for the cooperative associations
Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLD): As you might have thought, country code top level domains are reserves for country, sovereign state, and a dependent territory. The most popular ccTLDs are:
- .us
- .uk
- .il
- .au
- .de
With all of that being said, if you are looking to register domains or add your current .com domain to a gTLD, or a ccTLD, we have a solution. Just head on over to Namecheap.com and take a look at the available domain extensions they have available. If you want to look through other registrars to register your domain, we broke down the best ones in this recent article.
In conclusion, we would like to know, what common level domain name have you recently registered?
