A domain name is the URL address that other people type or search to be directed to your website on the Internet. All top-level domain names are unique and are made up of the actual domain name followed by an extension such as ".com," ".net" or ".org." There are a number of different types of top-level domain names used on the Internet. Some are open for the public to register while others, such as ".edu" or ".gov" require the domain to be registered for a specific purpose or organization.
Generic Top-Level Domains
The generic top-level domains are available for everyone to purchase and register. These are the most popular and most common domains including ".com," ".net" and ".org." Generic top-level domains are also the most highly desired domain extensions for online website development.
Restricted Generic Top-Level Domains
These domains are considered generic, but are only available for particular individuals or websites with a particular purpose. For example, the ".biz" domain is restricted for businesses while the ".pro" is reserved for individual professionals of a certain field.
Sponsored Top-Level Domains
Domains that are sponsored are reserved for a specific purpose and restricted by private organizations and agencies. Examples of these are ".gov" for government websites, ".edu" for educational organizations and ".mil" for military websites.
Country Code Domains
These are two-letterd domains that represent a particular country in the domain name. For example, ".us" is the United States' code, ".ca" is Canada's code and ".uk" is the United Kingdom's code. The country codes can also be added on to the end of the generic top-level domain such as ".com.uk."
Reserved Top-Level Domains
Some top-level domains have been completely reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority and are not available for general use. These include domains such as ".test," ".example" and ".invalid." Many of these domains are used for testing or documentation purposes.