What is a Top-Level Domain (TLD)?
The Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the last part of your domain name — like the “.co.uk” in mybusiness.co.uk. But it’s more than a few letters after a dot. That little ending plays an essential part of your website’s identity, working as a signature that ties your online brand together. In this guide, we’ll look at how your choice of TLD can give your website a smart finishing touch. We’ll also share some simple tips on choosing a domain name that’s clear, catchy and won’t break the bank. What is a domain name, anyway? To start with the basics: a domain name is the address typed into a browser to visit a website. Every site has its own unique domain, just like every house has its own postcode. Domain names serve to replace long strings of numbers, called IP addresses, with something that’s much easier for us to remember. So, instead of having to recall numbers like 191.124.184.129, visitors can simply type in (or search for) a web address like www.123-reg.co.uk — quick, easy, and memorable. After the “protocol” at the very start (usually HTTP/HTTPS), a domain name is made up of three primary parts: Subdomain: Most often “www” Second-Level Domain: The words or numbers in the middle, like “123-Reg” Top-Level Domain (TLD): The “.com” or other suffix at the end According to Verisign’s 2024 Domain Name Industry Brief, there are over 362 million registered domain names today. With around a million new domains added each month, the total is expected to hit 550 million by 2026. Why do we need Top-Level Domains (TLDs)? TLDs organise the internet by replacing IP addresses with easy-to-remember names, making websites simpler to find. They’re limited in number, keeping the web structured and manageable. Without them, the internet would feel chaotic. They also give visitors clues about the kind of site they’re visiting, helping to create an identity that matches the brand or business. Whether it’s a .com, .co.uk, or something a little more niche like .ai, .studio, or .life, that suffix at the end plays an important role in shaping first impressions. TLDs work to make websites feel more trustworthy, relevant, and professional. Why choosing the right TLD matters Choosing the best TLD is an important decision when buying a domain. It’s more than just what comes after the dot — it tells the world about the business and what it stands for. Your web address is often the first thing people notice about your brand, so it’s worth getting it right. As we’ll explore, buying a great domain name can have a huge impact. ☒ Crafting a memorable identity The TLD is one of the first things visitors notice. A relevant and unique suffix can help make your website more memorable and set it apart. For creative businesses, niche TLDs like .studio can reflect a brand’s personality and catch the eye. ☒ Telling your brand story A TLD can tell your brand’s story before anyone even visits your homepage. Whether it’s a classic .com or a specific option like .tech or .design, it adds context and sets the tone for what customers can expect. For instance, a green business might choose .eco to highlight its sustainability, while a creative business could pick .studio to show off its artistic side. See also: Names That Click – How to Choose a Great Domain Name A brief history of TLDs TLDs have been around since the early days of the internet. Back in the 1980s, there were just seven extensions to choose from – including .com for commercial business, .org for organisations, and .net for networks. Simple, but not a lot of fun. Altogether, the original seven domain extensions were: ✓ .com – for commercial businesses ✓ .org – for organisations ✓ .net – for all sorts of networks ✓ .edu – for education institutions (only for accredited institutions) ✓ .gov – for government entities (only for official use) ✓ .mil – for the U.S. military (restricted) ✓ .int – international organisations (also restricted, for entities like NATO) You’ll notice that, among the original seven TLDs, only three sorts of domain were even open to the public. It quickly became clear more were needed to support the rapid growth of the internet. The .co.uk was born just a few months after .com in 1985. Managed by Nominet, it fast became the most popular domain for businesses and organisations in Britain. (We can’t believe .co.uk is 40!) The expansion of TLDs is overseen by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Formed in 1998, ICANN is a non-profit organisation responsible for coordinating the global domain name system. Their job is to make sure domains are unique — keeping the internet manageable and secure. As the internet grew, the original TLDs started to fill up quickly. To make more room, new ones needed to be added, released by ICANN in occasional batches. Fast forward to today, and there are hundreds of TLDs to choose from from when buying a domain name. What different types of TLDs are there? Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) More or less by definition, generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) are open to everyone. These domains have no restrictions and can be registered by all. .com was originally intended for commercial businesses, but there’s no limits on who can buy the domain today. There’s no need to meet any strict criteria as you would with, for example, certain country code domains. Similarly, .org was originally created for non-profit organisations, but over time became open to all. Today, the original big gun gTLDs remain some of the internet’s best known. Indeed, .com is easily the most popular suffix online. As of 2023 there are about 160 million .com web addresses registered, making it the web’s favourite domain ending by a wide margin. While .com domains get top marks for brand appeal, they’re heavily saturated. Many of the short and obvious choices (think “search.com” or “music.com”) were snapped
New domain name applications are open now
If you believe the hype, 2012 could be the year of new domain names. That’s because plans for the liberalisation of the domain name market – which were discussed and debated for years – are finally being put into practice. This month saw applications open for the creation of new domain name extensions. Think .london, .microsoft, .coke or .sport – anyone can apply to create a new domain name suffix. New domains, but not for everyone Applications close in April, after which ICANN (the organisation that manages the domain name system) decides who should be able to set up and run new domain names. Of course, it’s not for everyone. The application process is complex and expensive. It costs $185,000 just to put an application forward, and applicants also have to demonstrate that they can effectively set up and run the new domain name extension. For cost reasons alone, expect to see applications limited to big name corporations. Some pundits have suggested Facebook could be among them, simply in order to give every Facebook user their personal web address: http://yourname.facebook. Industry experts Verisign reckon there could be 1,500 applications. Of most interest to smaller businesses and individuals will be any non-branded terms that are opened up for public registration. Perhaps your business would like a .local or a .london address. Are they better than .com? The truth is it’s too early to say what impact these new domain names will have. Some big brands have confirmed that they’re definitely not interested, preferring to stick with their tried, tested and highly-recognisable .com domain names. That’s fine if you already own the .com domain name of your dreams. But with prime domain names becoming rarer, new extensions could be the best way to ensure there are enough good domain names for everyone. Of course, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this over the next few months. It’s too soon to say what new domains will be created or how they’ll be used. But we plan to expand the range of domain names we offer to include any exciting new extensions – so you can still enjoy the wide choice you’ve come to expect from 123-reg.