What is a domain name?
A plain-English explanation of what a domain name is, how it works, and why you need one for your business.
Every website on the internet has an address. That address is its domain name — the text people type into a browser to visit your site. This guide explains what a domain name actually is and how it fits into the bigger picture.
Quick summary
A domain name (like yourbusiness.com) is your unique address on the internet. You rent it from a registrar on a yearly basis. It's separate from your website hosting and your email — though all three work together.
What a domain name looks like
A domain name has two parts separated by a dot:
| Part | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| The name | yourbusiness | The unique name you chose |
| The extension (TLD) | .com | The top-level domain |
Together, yourbusiness.com is your domain name.
Common extensions include .com, .net, .org, .co, .io, and country-specific ones like .co.uk or .com.au.
How a domain name works
When someone types your domain into a browser, their device asks the DNS (Domain Name System) where your website lives. DNS is like a giant phone book for the internet — it translates your human-readable domain into a numeric IP address (like 185.199.108.153) that computers use to find your server.
You don't need to understand all the technical details. The important thing is: your domain is the name, and DNS is the system that connects that name to your actual website.
See What is DNS? for a deeper explanation.
The difference between a domain, hosting, and email
These three things are often confused:
- Domain name — your address (e.g.,
yourbusiness.com) - Hosting — the server where your website files live
- Email — the service that handles messages to
you@yourbusiness.com
They all use your domain name, but they are separate services, often provided by different companies. See Domain vs hosting vs email for the full breakdown.
Who "owns" a domain name?
Nobody owns a domain name forever. You register (rent) it for a period — usually one to ten years — and renew it to keep it. If you stop renewing, the domain becomes available for anyone else to buy.
This makes keeping your contact details up to date and turning on auto-renew very important. See Who owns your domain and Turning on auto-renew.
Register in your own name
Always make sure your domain is registered to your business, not to your web developer or agency. If you part ways, you need to be able to access and move your domain yourself.
Where do you register a domain?
You register a domain through a domain registrar — a company authorized to sell and manage domain registrations. Common registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains), Hover, and many others.
See How to register a domain name for step-by-step guidance.
Common questions
Related guides
- What is DNS?
- Domain vs hosting vs email
- How to register a domain name
- Who owns your domain (and why it matters)
- Turning on auto-renew
Need a hand?
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Everything you need to know about domain names and DNS — from the basics to email records, transfers, and troubleshooting.
What is DNS?
A plain-English explanation of the Domain Name System — how it works, why it matters, and what it has to do with your website and email.