Domain is the name of the site. By typing a certain combination in the browser line, we will get to the site. Domain (domain name, domain address) is, in simple words, the “name” of the site. The concepts of “domain” and “website” are often confused, but they are not the same thing.
A site is a web page that is displayed on the Internet, i.e. content. A website domain is its unique “address”. If your site doesn’t have a domain, users simply won’t find their way to it and won’t see the content.
What does a domain name consist of?
All domains are arranged hierarchically: they consist of parts (levels). Third-level domains are created on the basis of second-level domains, and second-level domains are created on the basis of first-level domains. Let’s take a closer look at the types of domains:
Domain of the second (third, fourth, etc.) level or subdomain – the left part of the domain up to the dot. In practice, this is any combination of characters that we come up with for the name of our future site (youtube.com, shop.reg.). As the ship is called, as they say, but that’s a completely different SEO story.
The first-level domain or domain zone is the right side of the domain after the dot. This part cannot be set by anyone other than ICANN. By registering a “domain”, we come up with a second-level domain and choose a zone. They are geographic (.EU – EU countries, .AC – Ascension Island, etc.) or thematic (from old-timers like .COM. – commercial sphere, .BIZ – business sphere to new gTLD: .FLOWERS, .HEALTH, .CHILDREN, etc.).
Zero-level domain is a dot after the domain zone (reg.ru.), which is not displayed in the address bar and is omitted when entering the domain in the browser line.
Domains in DNS
The hierarchy of domains can be represented as a doll: a third-level domain (for example, music.youtube.com) is included in a second-level domain (music.youtube.com), and a second-level domain is included in the domain zone (music.youtube.com). All of them are included in the zero-level domain (dot).
Thanks to the matryoshka device, the existence of the DNS system is possible. Curious welcome to the article about what the domain name system is for.
The Domain Name Service is powered by DNS servers. It is these vital “programs” that store the correspondence tables of the form “domain name” – “IP address”. In addition, DNS servers serve to store the resource records of domains. There are a huge number of DNS servers on the Internet, and each performs its function in the overall system. The Domain Name System service is necessary so that we can easily find our favorite sites without memorizing strings of numbers.
To get to the site, you need to know the IP address of the device on which this site is located. Now imagine how many websites you visit per day and how many numbers you would have to remember. Of course, this is unrealistic. Therefore, for the convenience of browsing the Internet, the Domain Name System (DNS) was created in the 80s.
Its meaning is that each digital IP address is assigned a clear alphabetic name (domain). When you enter a domain name in your browser, DNS servers will automatically convert it into an IP address. The domain is translated into an IP address by the DNS system in a fraction of a second, and you get to the desired site.
Thus, DNS is a system that allows the browser to find the site requested by the user by the domain name.
Domains in everyday life
Many people want to have a clean and cool-sounding domain, but from a computer science point of view, how it looks doesn’t affect how the DNS “relates” to it. It only affects the effect you have on the audience. If the domain is catchy, contains keywords (in the name of SEO) and correlates with the content of the site / business / project, the chance that it will reach customers is high.
After choosing a sonorous name, proceed to domain registration. Common misconception: registration is called a purchase. Friend, remember: a domain cannot be bought once and for all, but it can be rented from a registrar for a certain period. After this time has passed, it can be extended (re-registered and used further).