A top level domain (TLD) is a part of a website address. Think of .com, .net and .org. Those to “top level” domain addresses and they help to organize a websites purpose and intent.
There are several common types of top-level domains:
Generic TLDs (the most common ones):
- .com (originally for commercial businesses, now used by everyone)
- .org (best for organizations)
- .net (was for network-related sites, now serves as the .com alternative)
- .edu (educational institutions)
- .gov (USA government websites)
- .co (alternative for .com)
Country TLDs (specific to countries):
- .uk (United Kingdom)
- .ca (Canada)
- .jp (Japan)
- .de (Germany)
Newer TLDs (introduced in recent years):
- .tech
- .store
- .blog
- .app
When you type a website address into your browser, the top-level domain helps the internet’s addressing system figure out where to send your request.
It’s managed by organizations that make sure each web address is unique, just like how postal systems ensure no two addresses are exactly the same.
The most important thing to remember is that the TLD is simply the last part of a web address, it helps categorize and organize websites on the internet.
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