What Is a Domain for a Website?

The very word “domain” generally has several meanings. It is applied in many niches, but it has gained immense popularity in website development.

A domain (domain name) is a symbolic human-friendly URL or, in other words, a website name. Such domains make it possible to easily memorize the required website as well as provide fast web address typing, search etc.

To ensure correct linking of a symbolic link to a certain web node (server, cluster etc.), there is a special system known as DNS. Let’s, however, discuss that in detail below.

How Does Domain Work?

To understand how a domain name works, you won’t need to find out the URL itself – the process is quite standard for all the domain names. Have a look at the main stages it involves:

1. Domain name indication

The very first thing you need to do to access your website is to type in its domain name in the browser. The system will start the search, sending the corresponding request to the DNS in the automated mode.

DNS (Domain Name System) is a hierarchical system of the addresses of online resources (email servers, websites etc.), which was created with the only purpose in mind – to simplify user navigation on the web. When you indicate the domain name, the system uses a special TCP/IP protocol, where unique website IP addresses are used. In other words, to get access to the data hosted on the website server, you need to know its IP address. As opposed to the domain with a clear resource name, the structure of the IP address is represented by multiple numbers divided by the dots. The main implication of the DNS is to transform a domain name to the IP address a machine/server/device can read and understand to help a user access the required website in the shortest time possible.

2. Online request redirection

As soon as the DNS receives the request, it redirects it to the particular server. It is required to register the domain name – IP address connection on the Domain Name Server. It’s up to a website owner to register a website in the DNS to make it easily available for each and every user. It is generally recommended to use two DNS servers – primary and secondary. If the primary DNS will be unavailable, the secondary one will process the request to ensure access to the website or any other web resource via the domain name.

3. Domain name data access

Right after the DNS processes the request, it will be forwarded to the place your website is hosted. Name servers use special software to fetch the site content as well as all of its web pages.

Types of Domain Levels

Domain names have a clear hierarchical structure. Each level is responsible for its own function and, accordingly, it is processed by its own DNS servers. This resembles the way we indicate the postal address.

For example: country -> region -> city -> street -> house number -> apartment.

The domains, however, are read backwards – from right to left.

Have a look at a simple example below:

Subdomain.domain.zone.

This is what it indicates:

• A “dot at the end” is a root domain (this dot is rarely indicated, but special root servers are responsible for the logic of its work – there are only 13 domains of this type in the world).
• A “zone” is a domain zone or the top-level domain. We will focus on the types of domain zones further. The main point here is that domain name zone registration is not available to individuals (apart from legal nuances, it is very expensive).
• A “domain” is a second level domain – the one, which refers to certain websites. To get your own domain, you need to contact the registrar or the intermediary company.
• A “subdomain” is a third-level domain. In most cases, a registrar is not required to create it. You just need to add corresponding resource records.

The hierarchy does not end at subdomains. It may have any number of levels: third-, fifth-, sixth-level domains etc. Only a dot always separates domain zone levels.

Each domain, subdomain, 4-, 5-, 6- level domains etc. is actually a separate website. The files of such websites can be located on different servers, while diverse CMS/engines can be used for their management etc.

Website Address: What Is It?

Many newbies are concerned about the need to specify www in the website address, as well as about the notion of HTTP/HTTPS, question marks and other special characters that are displayed in the browser address bar.

Here is a simple example of a web page address:

https://www.en.site.com:8080/page1.php?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ag-perfo_context_search_text_desktop_cpc

Let’s face it: it is difficult to understand something here. This is not to mention the number of dots, which is also misleading. What is exactly a domain here?

• en.site.com is a third-level domain (a subdomain of a website site.com).
• https is a protocol indication – in this very case, this is a protocol for transferring encrypted HTML documents between a browser and a server (http, without «S» at the end is a simple protocol without encryption).
• www is a special prefix, which notifies a visitor and a browser that it is all about visiting a website, but not other types of web services. This prefix is frequently avoided as the search engines generally see domain names with and without www as separate website versions. Instead of www, the address may include: mail (a separate email) or ftp (file storage).
• :8080 is a web server port indication. Normally, this should be the port 80, but other ports may also be assigned for various service tasks like that for a caching server (frontend), for example.
• /page1.php is a web page address. The availability of the .php extension indicates that this is not just an HTML document, but a special script written in the PHP programming language. Other extensions may also be used instead of php. Indication of a certain file can be replaced by a conditional link (without any extensions).
• Other special characters (?, &, = etc.) are used to access dynamic website functions. These are generally direct database queries. They don’t refer to the domain. Such additional requests make it possible to write and track UTM tags and other parameters.

Domain Zones and Types

Logically, the root zone (a dot at the end) should centrally process requests by a single server. However, to avoid the “bottleneck” effect, information on the root servers is instantly duplicated in 13 data centers distributed around the world.

What can we tell about domain zones (top-level domains)? Almost all domain zones are administered by a special international organization – ICANN.

The following types of domain zones are generally distinguished:

• National (ccTLD, Country-Code Top-Level Domain). State structures of respective countries are responsible for their work. For example, the ccTLD of Canada – .ca – is regulated by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).
• Generic (gTLD). This is the largest group of domain zones, which involves top-level domains that are not included in other groups. Despite the “general” niche, these include both regional domains like “.tokio” or “.berlin” and thematic domain zones like “.children”, “.online” etc. Many commercial zones like “.tmall”, “.apple” etc. refer here as well.
• Infrastructural. This is only one one niche zone here – .arpa domain (Address and Routing Parameter Area).
• Sponsored TLDs. Unlike generic or ccTLD domain zones, Sponsored Top Level Domains are commissioned by major ICANN sponsors.
• Reserved. These are domain zones that are used for technical tasks like testing, for example. The main goal is to prevent the errors and overlays when used in working systems. A few samples include “.example” or “.test”.

The division of domain zones from the point of view of website owners is quite conditional, although each zone is administered by certain organizations. For example, if a domain is national, a corresponding national organization will be responsible for its operation. If it is international, then an international organization will bear the responsibility etc.

Each organization can set its own requirements for recipients of second-level and subsequent level domains in its zone. Thus, for example, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) requires all .ca domain registrations to have a local (Canadian) presence. These domains can be currently registered by businesses and individuals based in the country. Additionally, certain information should obligatory be provided to get/update a domain name here (first/last name, email, city, street, state/province, country, postal code etc.).

How to Connect a Domain Name to the Website

Connecting/registering a domain name is not enough. To make a website accessible at a new address, a domain name must be pointed to the hosting server.

There are several ways to do this like using resource records and/or special services (DNS hosting). The simplest and the most popular solution is to register the NS servers of your hosting provider.

If you buy a domain name directly through hosting, then the required NS records are likely to be added automatically.

Here are the NS record samples:

• ns1.bluehost.com
• ns2.bluehost.com

Instead of symbolic NS records, specific IP addresses can be used. There can be more than two records, which depends on the number of backup NS servers a provider has. NS1 is the first and the main server. NS2 is used only in case of problems with the first one. Eding resource records is an alternative solution.

Other Types of Domain Resource Records

A domain name is used for more than just redirecting to servers hosting your website. It can also be used for email exchange or for the construction of complex clusters. Over 40 different types of resource records are used to properly configure the interaction of all services and system components. NS records is one of the samples.

The most widespread types of domain resource records include:

• A-record (points to the IPv4 website address);
• AAAA-record (needed to specify the IPv6 address);
• CNAME (canonical alias name for unilevel redirects);
• MX (responsible for the specification of mail gateway address);
• TXT (free text used for various tasks like DKIM specification).

If the registrar provides management of NS servers for free, then editing other types of resource records may be paid. A special service – DNS hosting is required for advanced management.

Mind that A- and AAAA-records can be used simultaneously. This means that your website can be available in both IPv4 and IPv6 address environments. The main thing is that hosting should work with the right technologies.

Why Is Domain Unavailable Right After the Registration?

Primary referrals to the DNS system access the equipment of local hosting providers due to the hierarchical structure. In order for the DNS server data to be updated, it must be synchronized in the descending order, from the root servers down the structure.

This process may take up to 2-3 days. In practice, a new domain or changes in the resource records of existing websites are updated within 1 day in many cases.

How to Choose a Domain Name

“As you call a boat, so it will float”… This phrase reflects the entire essence of the approach. There is no right or wrong decision. As the owner, you know better how the domain should look like. The main thing is that it should not violate registrar rules.

The major criteria include:

• Simple Writing. A domain name should not necessarily be short. Moreover, all two- and even three-character domains have been taken long ago. The “cool-site.de” domain is easier to write and memorize than “rqp.com”, for example.
• Compliance with the Topic and Geographical Aspect. It makes sense to use the words “roofing” and “_city_name_” in the domain if you plan to sell roofing materials in your town only. However, if a SEO forum will work on the “kindergarten-berlin” domain, this will hardly be the best solution.
• Direct Association with the Brand, Trademark or Company Name (if any). It is sometimes even reasonable to compete for the ownership of such domains, if they are already taken.

Domain Restrictions

To start with, you cannot register reserved addresses or domains that are already in the DNS.

Secondly, you must comply with the requirements of the owner of the selected domain zone. For example, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has the following domain registration restrictions:

• Since November 8, 2000, the following entities and individuals are allowed to apply to CIRA domains: Canadian citizens, permanents residents, legal representatives, trusts, Canada-based corporations, partnership organizations, associations, political parties, trade unions;
• Educational institutions (universities, colleges, schools, pre-schools, post-secondary schools etc.), who need .ca domains, should also be located in Canada and recognized as institutions under an Act of legislature of a corresponding province of Canada;
• Libraries, museums and archives based in Canada, which is not conducted for profit and maintains a collection of documents/materials open to researchers and the public;
• Hospitals licensed to act as health organizations and are located in Canada;
• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and her successors can apply for a domain anytime;
• Aboriginal peoples indigenous to Canada and Indian bands as defined in the Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-5 can get .ca domains;
• Governmental organizations, official marks and trademarks registered in Canada can have Canadian domains as well.

CIRA domain technical restrictions are as follows:

• Canadian domains should include from 2 to 63 characters;
• Use can use letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens except for the first and last characters of your domain name;
• The use of special characters (like &, I, # etc.) should be avoided;
• The term of registration should be 1-10 years;
• The prolongation period may extend for 1-10 years.
• CIRA automatically prolongs .ca domains upon the end of the registration term.

Mind that requirements of other registrars/domain name zone owners may vary.

Can You Transfer a Domain to Another Registrar?

The domain owner has the right to change the registrar to any other alternative granted that all the obligatory rules of the selected variant are completed. When it comes to CIRA domains, for example, these include:

• It is impossible to transfer a domain during 65 days after its initial registration;
• Domain transfer should be initiated for each .ca variation (IDN). Otherwise, the transfer process would be inactive;
• The transfer period generally takes around 5-7 days from the moment of registration. You just need to provide the authorization code to initiate the procedure;
• CIRA automatically applies confidentiality parameters to new .ca domains. It also restricts private information displayed in the Whois database, when it comes to the following legal entities: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, legal entities, local dwellers.

Users frequently register domains via resellers and not via official registrars just because they can offer more cost-effective solutions. This is due to the availability of bulk sales and special terms of cooperation with a registrar.

In this case, you may initially need to transfer the domain from the reseller’s account to your registrar’s account. Mind that you will require to sign up first. Right after that, you can proceed to the transfer process.

Bottom Line

On the one hand, a website name is just a symbolic link that makes it easier to type a website address. On the other hand, though, this is a copyright object and a technically complex system that requires niche knowledge for quality set up.

It is easy to register a domain. To do this, you need to contact accredited registrars or their intermediaries. The main problem is redirection to the hosting, because a domain is not a website itself, but its address only.