All web addresses have dot something at the end, but why?
Officially, these are called top-level domains (TLD) — the last few characters of a domain name, located after the last dot. Also known as domain extensions, TLDs identify elements of a website, such as its purpose, owner or geographical area.
These extensions are classified into five categories:
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Generic Top-level Domains (gTLD)
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Sponsored Top-level Domains (sTLD)
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Country Code Top-level Domains (ccTLD)
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Infrastructure Top-Level Domain (ARPA)
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Test Top-Level Domains (tTLD)
The most common usages of generic top-level domains include:
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.com - for commercial sites
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.org - for organizations
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.net - for networks
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.info - for information platforms
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.biz - for businesses
But did you know there are literally hundreds of TLDs to choose from when purchasing a domain name? Even though the choices are abundant, they may not be the right choice for you (or may even be restricted). Below is an extensive list of domain extensions and their meanings.
Use this list, courtesy of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, to help narrow down the perfect TLDs for your brand or business.
