Do I have to buy the domain name and hosting together? What’s the relationship?

Domain names and web hosting are two abstract terms that many people struggle to understand. Let me explain in detail: Do domain names and web hosting need to be purchased together? What's the relationship between domain names and web hosting?

1. Do domain names and web hosting need to be purchased together?

Although domain names and web hosting are often purchased together, they are not the same thing. You can purchase domain names and web hosting separately from different service providers.

You can purchase a domain name without purchasing hosting. In this case, if you visit your domain name, you won't be able to access any content because it hasn't yet been resolved to the web hosting. Or, if you continue to use the domain registrar's DNS server, you might see the registrar's default advertising page.

You can also purchase just web hosting without a domain name. In this case, your web hosting exists on the server, and your web pages exist within that hosting, but no one can access them in a browser. So, if you want to run a website, you need both a domain name and web hosting; both are essential.

2. What's the relationship between domain names and web hosting?

A domain name itself is simply a property right; it doesn't do anything. For example, if you purchase a domain name with a two-year lease, you own the domain for two years. As long as you don't sell it, no one else can acquire it for two years. Ownership includes the right to sell, so you can sell your domain name.

To build a website, you need web hosting. If you choose shared hosting, it's an account on a shared server (a computer with a high-speed internet connection) that stores web files, email, databases, and other data.

Similarly, if no domain name resolves to this web hosting, the web hosting itself won't do anything. You can store webpage files on a shared hosting account, but without a domain name pointing to it, no user can access that webpage.