Choosing the name and extension of your domain is a fundamental task to lay the foundations of your brand, but it can also be a headache. Today we explain everything about domain extensions.
What are domain extensions
A domain extension, or top-level domain (TLD), is the termination of alphabetic characters found after the period and at the end of a website address.
For example, in , the domain extension is .net.
Often, but not always, this termination allows identification of the country of origin and website activity and may result in a important factor in generating confidence and security in the user.
Brief history of domain extensions
In the early days of the Internet, to visit a website you had to type its IP address. This was a very inefficient method, as it was very difficult to remember the long strings of numbers for each website.
Everything changed with the arrival of Domain Name System (DNS), which uses domain names, which are much easier to remember, and translates them into IP addresses so that the browser loads the website we want to visit. This is how instead of writing 216.58.201.227 in the browser bar, just type google.es to access the website.
Along with the DNS, were born the first domain extensions (.gov, .mil, .edu, .com, .org and .net)the use of which was very limited at the time.
In the following decades new domain extensions continued to be added until in June 2011, the (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), opened the extension system so that, with enough moneyanyone can apply for their own TLD.
This led to nearly 2,000 apps and the , dramatically increasing the number of options available.
What types of domain extensions are there?
The (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) established in 2015 the following classification:
Generic (gTLDs)
They are the most common extensions and use three letters or more. These include traditional extensions .com, .org, .net and .info and new extensions like .blog, .site or .online to name a few.
generestricted erics (grTLD)
They are similar to the previous ones but its use is restricted. For example: .biz (for business), .yam (for individuals) or .pro (for accredited professionals).
Country code (ccTLD)
They use two alphabetic characters associated with a country or territory indicated in ISO 3166. For example: , .us (USA.), .cn (China), .of (Germany), .uk () either .br ().
Sponsored (sTLDs)
Is it so managed by public and private organizations that set their own requirements for registration. Some examples are .gov, .edu and .milreserved for the US government, educational institutions, and the military.
Infrastructure (ARPA)
Includes only the domain extension .harpwhich was the first TLD introduced in 1985 to carry forwarding from the ARPANET to the Domain Name System (DNS).
Test (tTLDs)
They are domain extensions of Test and that are not available for registration.
How many domain extensions are there?
The IANA listed last June 1,584 domain extensions. These include 55 unallocated (revoked), 8 withdrawn, and 11 trial, none of which are listed by ICANN. You can consult it in the IANA root base.
Can I use any extension for my domain?
Just because a domain extension is available doesn’t mean you can buy it. We can differentiate between unrestricted and restricted domain extensions.
The former can be purchased and registered by any person or organization, while the latter are restricted to certain types of companies, organizations and groups, which must meet specific requirements.
Usage restrictions depend on the organization that manages the TLD. For example, .aero is managed by SITA, which restricts its use to companies related to the aeronautical sector.
This does not only apply to generic TLDs, but restrictions also apply to countries. For example, to use the .us or .eu extension, you must be able to prove your presence in the US or the European Union. Nevertheless, to use the extension .es, .mx or .nl there is no type of restriction. That’s why you should and know the requirements of your TLD before trying to register it.
Which are the most used?
According to him , there are 370.1 million registered domains worldwide, of which 160 million correspond to extensions by country code (ccTLD) and 31.6 million correspond to new extensions.
The most used extension in the world is .com (148.7 million) followed far behind by .tk (27.5 million), .cn (24.1 million), .de (16.5 million) and .net (13.4 million).
Almost half of registered domains (40%) use the .com extension and the high number of domains with the extension .tk (7.4%), which corresponds to Tokelau, a small New Zealand archipelago of 1,500 inhabitants. This is because the managing entity offers a free mode in exchange for advertisements, which has turned the .tk extension is preferred by cybercriminals.
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