What .COM Means in a URL GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Internet, Networking, & Security > Home Networking 129 129 people found this article helpful
What .COM Means in a URL
.Com is one of hundreds of top-level domains
By Paul Gil Paul Gil Writer Paul Gil, a former Lifewire writer who is also known for his dynamic internet and database courses and has been active in technology fields for over two decades. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Home Networking The Wireless Connection Routers & Firewalls Network Hubs ISP Broadband Ethernet Installing & Upgrading Wi-Fi & Wireless The .com at the end of many web addresses (such as Lifewire.com) is called a top-level domain (TLD). The .com ending is the most common generic top-level domain. The .com TLD represents a commercial domain, which conveys the type of content that's published. It differs from other top-level domains that are meant for content that is more specific, such as .mil for U.S. military websites and .edu for educational websites. Using a .com URL doesn't offer any special significance other than perception. A .com address is seen as a serious website because it's the most common TLD. However, it doesn't have any technical differences over .org, .biz, .info, .gov, and other generic top-level domains. Register a Com Website
Tumisu/Pixabay Six top-level domains categorized the few hundred websites that were around at the inception of the World Wide Web. Addresses ending in .com were meant for publishers who made a profit through their services. The six TLDs that existed then and are used today: .com.net.org.edu.gov.mil Now there are hundreds of top-level domains and millions of websites. A .com domain name does not mean a website is a licensed business. The internet registration authorities have expanded their criteria to allow anyone to have a .com address, regardless of whether the registrant has commercial intent. Buy a Com Website
Domain registrars reserve domain names. They serve as middlemen between buyers and the quasi-governmental agencies that attend to the internet's complex structure. General registrars allow buyers to choose any available TLD when they register a domain name. In most cases, domain names can be purchased relatively inexpensively, but some highly desirable domain names are for sale only at top-dollar prices. Domain-name registrars that sell top-level .com names include: Google Domains Namecheap GoDaddy Ionos Name.com Other Top-Level Domains
Hundreds of top-level domain names are available to the general public, including .org and .net, which were originally used to denote nonprofit organizations and network and computer topics, respectively. Those TLDs, just like .com, aren't limited to certain organizations or individuals; they're open for anyone to purchase. Most TLDs use three letters, but there are also two-letter TLDs called country code top-level domains, or ccTLDs. Some examples include .fr for France, .ru for Russia, .us for the United States, and .br for Brazil. Other TLDs that are similar to .com may be sponsored or have certain restrictions on registration or use. The Root Zone Database page on the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority website serves as a primary index of all the TLDs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is a Top-Level Domain? (TLD Definition) How to Restrict Your Google Search to Specific Domains DNS Servers: What Are They and Why Are They Used? Everything You Need to Know About Email Addresses Definition of FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) How to Troubleshoot an Error in a URL How to Limit a Google Search to a Specific Domain How to Find a Website How to Use the Ctrl+Enter Shortcut 9 Driver Download Websites Reviewed What Is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)? Home Pages: What Are They? How to Use Google to Search Within a Single Website How to Look up an IP Address Owner What Is a Hostname? (Host Name Definition) Parts of an Email Address and the Characters You Can Use in Them Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies