What is a domain name? Why do websites use domain names?

What is a domain name? I believe that novices who have just come into contact with it don’t quite understand what a domain name means. Many people are more familiar with URLs. So, what is the difference between a domain name and a URL? Why do websites use domain names?

Let’s first understand what a domain name is?

A domain name (English name is called domain name), also called a network domain, is actually a string of name characters on an Internet computer, and it is unique and is used as a positioning identifier when transmitting data. Domain names are separated by the English symbol ".", and top-level domain names are fixed, such as. com/.cn/.net, etc. When purchasing a domain name, choose the top-level domain name you want, and then enter the second-level domain name you want to register on the left side of the top-level domain name to form a complete domain name (such as xxx.com).

Speaking of this, everyone may have discovered the existence of top-level domain names. A complete domain name must have a top-level domain name + a second-level domain name (some people think that there is a first-level domain name on the left side of the top-level domain name, which is controversial), and then the domain name needs to be applied for and purchased, that is, paid. The payment cycle is calculated on an annual basis, and the minimum fee required is one year. The purchase of a new domain name ranges from a few yuan to dozens of yuan.

From the form of the domain name, you may think that this is already a URL?

Indeed, it can be considered so, and it is indeed a URL, but it is an inaccessible URL. What does it mean?

A website is composed of a domain name + space. Many people ask about the URL of a website, but they actually want to visit the website. From this point of view, the URL is not equivalent to the domain name, and there is a difference between them. The domain name can be inaccessible, and the URL can access the website.

The domain name can exist independently without the existence of server space, while the URL that can access the website content requires the support of the server (space). In other words, the URL that netizens think of is more often a combination of domain name + server (space), which is why websites use domain names.

The domain name can be equivalent to the URL, but the URL cannot be considered as a domain name.

For example, the domain name of XXX is xxx.com, and then this domain name is resolved to the server IP123456 (assumed), and this domain name can be accessed normally, which is what we usually think of as a URL.