The basics
TLD (top-level domain)
A top-level domain, or TLD, is the last part of a domain name, such as .com, .org or .uk. It is the extension that follows the final dot.
What TLD means in practice
TLDs come in two main kinds. Generic TLDs (gTLDs) such as .com, .org and .app are open to the world or to a defined community. Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) such as .uk, .de and .io belong to countries or territories, and some have their own rules about who may register.
.com is the largest generic TLD by far. The State of .com page shows how many names it holds today.
Why it matters
The TLD changes the price (especially the renewal price), who can register, and how people read the address. A name that is taken in .com may be free in another extension, with trade-offs.
Try it
- Domain Cost Calculator What an extension really costs over several years, including the renewal jump.
- Domain Hacks Turn a word into a hack like short.ly or brand.ai, and check one name across many extensions.
Related terms
- Domain name A domain name is the human-readable address of a website or email service, such as example.com, that points to servers through the DNS.
- Domain hack A domain hack is a name where the extension completes the word, so the whole address reads as one word or phrase, such as short.ly or brand.ai.
- Registry A registry is the organisation that runs one top-level domain and keeps the master database of its names. Verisign is the registry for .com.