A domain name is the human-readable address of a website, like google.com or valyou.solutions. It's easier to remember than the numerical IP address (like 142.250.190.78) that computers use to identify each other.
Domain Name Structure
Take: www.example.com
- com: Top-Level Domain (TLD)
- example: Second-Level Domain (your chosen name)
- www: Subdomain (optional)
Top-Level Domains (TLDs)
Generic TLDs
- .com: Commercial (most popular)
- .org: Organizations
- .net: Network
- .io: Tech startups (actually country code for British Indian Ocean Territory)
- .co: Alternative to .com
- .app: Applications
Country Code TLDs
- .uk: United Kingdom
- .de: Germany
- .jp: Japan
- .ca: Canada
New TLDs
- .tech, .design, .agency, .dev, etc.
How Domain Names Work
- You type "example.com" in your browser
- Browser asks DNS servers: "What's the IP for example.com?"
- DNS returns the IP address
- Browser connects to that IP
This DNS lookup happens in milliseconds.
Registering a Domain
Registrars
Companies authorized to sell domain names:
- Namecheap
- Google Domains
- Cloudflare Registrar
- GoDaddy
- Porkbun
Process
- Search for availability
- Choose registration period (usually 1-10 years)
- Provide contact information (or use privacy protection)
- Configure DNS settings
- Renew before expiration
Cost
- .com: $10-15/year typical
- Some TLDs cost more (.io, .app)
- Premium domains (short, common words) cost much more
Domain Settings
DNS Records
- A Record: Points to an IP address
- CNAME: Points to another domain
- MX: Mail server for email
- TXT: Verification and other text data
Nameservers
The DNS servers that know your domain's records. Usually set to your hosting provider.
WHOIS Privacy
Hides your personal contact info from public WHOIS database.
Domain Best Practices
- Choose something memorable and brandable
- Avoid hyphens and numbers if possible
- Prefer .com when available
- Set up auto-renewal to avoid losing your domain
- Use WHOIS privacy protection
- Register important variations to protect your brand