Domain name glossary
50 domain terms, explained in plain English.
A record
An A record is a DNS record that maps a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address, telling browsers which server hosts the site.
Apex / root domain
The apex or root domain is the bare domain without any subdomain, like example.com rather than www.example.com.
Auto-renew grace period
The auto-renew grace period is the window after a gTLD domain's expiry, up to 45 days, during which renewal is still possible at standard cost.
Backorder
A backorder is a request to try to register a domain the moment it drops, if the current owner lets it expire and it becomes available.
Brandable domain
A brandable domain is a short, unique, pronounceable name, often invented or blended, that can become a distinctive brand, like Spotify or Hulu.
ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain)
A ccTLD is a two-letter top-level domain assigned to a country or territory, such as .uk, .de, .ca or .io, with rules set by its local registry.
CNAME record
A CNAME record makes one hostname an alias of another, such as www.example.com pointing to example.com or to a hosting provider's hostname.
Cybersquatting
Cybersquatting is registering a domain matching someone else's trademark in bad faith, typically to resell it to them or profit from confusion.
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS is the internet's distributed directory that translates domain names into IP addresses and other records so browsers and mail servers can connect.
DNSSEC
DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records so resolvers can verify answers are authentic and have not been forged or tampered with.
Domain aftermarket
The domain aftermarket is where already-registered domains are bought and sold between owners, through marketplaces, brokers and auctions.
Domain age
Domain age is how long a domain has been registered, measured from its creation date; it affects trust signals but is a weak SEO factor by itself.
Domain escrow
Domain escrow is a trusted third-party service that holds a buyer's payment until the domain is transferred, protecting both sides of a sale.
Domain flipping
Domain flipping is buying domain names at low cost and reselling them for a profit, usually through aftermarket marketplaces or direct outreach.
Domain hack
A domain hack combines the name and TLD to spell a word or phrase, like del.icio.us or youtu.be, creating short, memorable addresses.
Domain name
A domain name is a human-readable address, like example.com, that points to resources on the internet such as websites and email servers.
Domain parking
Domain parking means registering a domain without an active website, often showing a placeholder or ad page while it awaits use or sale.
Domain privacy
Domain privacy hides the registrant's personal contact details from public WHOIS/RDAP lookups by substituting proxy or redacted information.
Drop catching
Drop catching is the practice of registering expiring domains the instant the registry deletes them, using automated high-speed systems.
EPP / Auth code
An auth code (EPP code) is a unique password for a domain that the current registrar provides, required to authorize a transfer to a new registrar.
Exact-match domain (EMD)
An exact-match domain uses the exact keyword phrase people search for, like bestpizzachicago.com, to signal relevance and aid recall.
Expired domain
An expired domain is one whose registration period ended without renewal; it passes through grace periods before possibly being deleted and released.
gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)
A gTLD is a generic top-level domain not tied to a country, such as .com, .net, .org, .info, or newer extensions like .app and .store.
Hosting vs domain
A domain is your site's address; hosting is the server space that stores and serves its files. You need both, and they can come from different companies.
IANA
IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) manages the DNS root zone, IP address allocation and protocol parameters, operated under ICANN.
ICANN
ICANN is the nonprofit that coordinates the global domain name system, accredits registrars and sets policy for generic top-level domains.
IDN (Internationalized Domain Name)
An IDN is a domain containing non-ASCII characters, such as accented letters, Cyrillic, Arabic or Chinese, encoded in DNS using punycode.
MX record
An MX record tells the internet which mail servers accept email for your domain, with priority numbers deciding the order they are tried.
Nameserver
A nameserver is a DNS server that holds and answers queries for a domain's records; you set which nameservers are authoritative at your registrar.
New gTLD
New gTLDs are the hundreds of extensions introduced by ICANN since 2013, such as .app, .shop, .xyz, .online and .dev, expanding naming options.
Pending delete
Pending delete is the final 5-day status of a gTLD domain after redemption, when it cannot be restored and is about to be released.
Premium domain
A premium domain is one priced above standard rates, either by the registry for desirable names or by an owner selling it on the aftermarket.
Punycode
Punycode is the encoding that converts Unicode domain names into ASCII-only form starting with "xn--" so they work in the DNS.
RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol)
RDAP is the modern replacement for WHOIS, returning domain registration data as structured JSON over HTTPS with support for access controls.
Redemption grace period (RGP)
The redemption grace period is a 30-day window after deletion when the former owner can still restore a gTLD domain, usually for an extra fee.
Registrar
A registrar is a company accredited to sell and manage domain registrations on behalf of customers, such as Namecheap, Porkbun or Cloudflare.
Registry
A registry is the organization that operates a top-level domain, maintaining its database of names and setting wholesale prices and policies.
Reserved domain
A reserved domain is a name a registry has withheld from public registration, such as two-letter codes, geographic names or names kept for itself.
Second-level domain (SLD)
The second-level domain is the part directly left of the TLD, such as "example" in example.com, and is usually the name you register.
SSL/TLS certificate
An SSL/TLS certificate proves a site's identity and enables HTTPS encryption between visitors and the server; free options include Let's Encrypt.
Subdomain
A subdomain is a label added before your domain, like blog.example.com or shop.example.com, that you create free in your own DNS settings.
TLD (Top-Level Domain)
A top-level domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name, such as .com, .org, .io or .uk, managed by a registry under IANA oversight.
Transfer lock
A transfer lock is a domain status that blocks transfer to another registrar, protecting against hijacking; it must be removed before transferring.
TTL (Time to Live)
TTL is the number of seconds a DNS record may be cached by resolvers before they must look it up again, affecting how fast changes take effect.
TXT record
A TXT record stores text in DNS, widely used for domain ownership verification and email authentication like SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
Typosquatting
Typosquatting is registering misspellings of popular domains, like gooogle.com, to capture mistyped traffic for ads, phishing or malware.
UDRP
The UDRP is ICANN's dispute policy letting trademark owners recover domains registered and used in bad faith, without going to court.
URL forwarding
URL forwarding redirects visitors from one domain to another web address, commonly with a 301 permanent or 302 temporary HTTP redirect.
WHOIS
WHOIS is a protocol and lookup service that shows registration details for a domain, such as registrar, dates, nameservers and (sometimes) owner info.
Wildcard DNS
A wildcard DNS record, written *.example.com, answers for any subdomain that has no specific record of its own.