A domain registry (or registry operator) is the organization responsible for a top-level domain. It maintains the authoritative database of every name registered in that TLD and publishes the TLD’s zone file to the DNS. For example, Verisign operates .com and .net, and Public Interest Registry operates .org.
Registries generally do not sell directly to the public. Instead, they sell at wholesale to registrars, which then sell to customers. Registries set eligibility rules, reserve or price premium names, and define technical policies for their TLD.
For gTLDs, registries operate under agreements with ICANN; ccTLD registries operate under local policies and governance.
Find your domain
Related terms
- ICANN
- ICANN is the nonprofit that coordinates the global domain name system, accredits registrars and sets policy for generic top-level domains.
- WHOIS
- WHOIS is a protocol and lookup service that shows registration details for a domain, such as registrar, dates, nameservers and (sometimes) owner info.
- 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.
- 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.