What is the difference between a top-level domain name and a second-level domain name?
DomainCn
In the Internet domain name system, the top-level domain (TLD) and the second-level domain (SLD) are the two key components of a complete domain name. Understanding the difference between them will help you better build a website, promote your brand, and market online.
I. Definition and structure
1. Top-level domain (TLD)
The top-level domain is the highest-level domain in the domain name system, located at the rightmost part of the domain name. Common top-level domains include:
Generic top-level domain (gTLD): such as .com, .net, etc.
Country and region top-level domains (ccTLD): such as .cn (China), .uk (United Kingdom), etc.
For example, in the domain name example.com, .com is the top-level domain.
2. Second-level domain (SLD)
The second-level domain is located to the left of the top-level domain, usually a user-defined part used to identify a specific organization, brand, or service. For example, in example.com, example is the second-level domain.
II. Functions and Roles
1. Role of Top-level Domain Names
Top-level domain names are mainly used to indicate the nature, category or country/region of a website. For example: Baidu Smart Cloud
.com: Commercial organization
.cn: China
Choosing a suitable top-level domain name helps users quickly understand the basic attributes of a website.
2. Role of Second-level Domain Names
Second-level domain names are usually selected by registrants according to their own needs to reflect brand names, company names or service content. It is an important identifier for users to identify and access specific websites on the Internet.
III. Registration and Management
1. Management of Top-level Domain Names
Top-level domain names are managed by registration management agencies authorized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). For example, .com is managed by VeriSign and .cn is managed by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
2. Registration of Second-level Domain Names
Users can register their own second-level domain names under specific top-level domain names through domain name registrars. When registering, you need to ensure that the selected second-level domain name has not been registered by others and complies with relevant naming rules.
4. Example Analysis
The following are examples of top-level domain names and second-level domain names:
example.com: example is the second-level domain name, .com is the top-level domain name.
university.edu: university is the second-level domain name, .edu is the top-level domain name.
company.cn: company is the second-level domain name, .cn is the top-level domain name.
Domaincn.com Committed to providing fair and transparent reports. This article aims to provide accurate and timely information, but should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Due to the rapidly changing market conditions, we recommend that you verify the information yourself and consult a professional before making any decisions based on this information.