Domänenname

Question 1

What is: Domain Name?

Accepted Answer

A domain name is like a website’s address. It’s the name you enter into a web browser’s address bar to navigate to a website.

In simple terms, if you think of your website as a house, then your domain name would be the physical address identifying it. An example of a domain name is wpbeginner.com.

Question 2

What Is the Difference Between a Domain Name and Web Hosting?

Accepted Answer

A domain name is a web address that leads internet users to a website. Meanwhile, hosting is a web server space where a site’s content, files, and data, are located.

To create your website, you need both a domain name and a hosting service. Without web hosting, you cannot publish your website, even if you already have a domain. Without a domain name, users can’t easily access your site.

You can learn more in our guide on the difference between a domain name and web hosting.

Question 3

What Is the Difference Between a Domain Name and an IP Address?

Accepted Answer

IP (Internet Protocol) address is a long string of numbers that identify a website on the World Wide Web. Since numbers are hard to remember, domain names are created to correspond to IP addresses and make it easier for people to access websites.

The internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) is like a phone book. When you type in a domain name, it automatically looks up the number and the IP address and connects you to the website.

Every website has a unique, associated IP address to identify it on the internet. A typical IP address looks like this:

66.249.66.1

You can learn how domain names work in detail in our beginner’s guide on what domain names are and how domains work.

Question 4

What Is the Difference Between a Domain Name and a URL?

Accepted Answer

A domain name is the main part of a web address, like wpbeginner.com. Meanwhile, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the complete web address that includes the domain name plus additional information, like the specific web page or file you want to access.

A URL is like giving directions to a room inside a house. For example, in the URL https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-seo/ the domain name is wpbeginner.com and the rest of the URL (/wordpress-seo) tells your browser to go to our ultimate WordPress SEO guide.

You can learn more about URLs and parts of a URL in our beginner’s guide to what is a website URL.

Question 5

What Is a Subdomain?

Accepted Answer

A subdomain is a type of domain that you create as a branch of your main website. It’s like making a separate section within your site, such as blog.example.com or shop.example.com.

In the examples above, the ‘blog’ and ‘shop’ parts of the address are called the third-level domain.

To set up a subdomain, you typically need to configure your nameservers to ensure the internet traffic goes to the right place. You can learn more about this topic in our ultimate guide to DNS configuration.

Question 6

What Is a Top-Level Domain (TLD)?

Accepted Answer

A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of a website’s address that comes after the domain name and the dot, like .com in wpbeginner.com or .org in wikipedia.org. It’s also called the domain name extension.

Meanwhile, the website address that comes before the TLD is called the second-level domain (SLD). So, in example.com, the SLD is ‘example.’

One popular type of TLD is a generic top-level domain (gTLD). gTLDs are domain extensions that have an intended purpose based on their names.

For example, .com stands for ‘commercial,’ but many non-commercial sites use it because most internet users are familiar with it. .org, .gov, and .edu are also examples of gTLDs.

There are also country-code top-level domains (CCTLDs), which can identify websites that operate in or target users in a specific location.

For instance, if a domain name ends with .co.uk, that means the business operates in the United Kingdom.

Question 7

Which Domain Name Extension Should I Use?

Accepted Answer

In general, the best practice is to go with a .com domain name. Most internet users are familiar with it and expect most domain names to end with .com, so using it will make your website more memorable.

However, some people consider .com too expensive for new users. That’s why many choose to use new, more affordable domain extensions like .xyz or .online. Some also use niche TLDs like .pizza or .photography to make their brand stand out.

Do approach these newer extensions with caution as they can make your website look spammy to users. You can read about the pros and cons in our guide on whether you should choose a new domain extension for your website.

If your online business is focused on a particular country, using a ccTLD like .de for Germany or .fr for France could be a good idea.

It can make local customers feel more comfortable buying from you because they see you as connected to their country. Do note that some of these domains can only be registered if you are located in that country or have a representative there.

Was ist: Domänenname

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Domänennamen und Webhosting?

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Domänennamen und einer IP-Adresse?

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Domänennamen und einer URL?

Was ist eine Subdomain?

Was ist eine Top-Level-Domain (TLD)?

Welche Domain-Namenserweiterung sollte ich verwenden?

Wie man den perfekten Domänennamen wählt

Wie man einen Domänennamen registriert

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