Image: What is a .net domain and what does it mean?Rawpixel.comShut­ter­stock

What is a .net domain and what does it mean?

The .net domain is one of the oldest and most widely re­cog­nised top-level domains. If you’re wondering what a .net domain is, the name ori­gin­ally comes from ‘network’, and it serves a purpose very similar to the .com extension. Thanks to its global re­cog­ni­tion, .net addresses are…

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What is ty­po­squat­ting?

Ty­po­squat­ting exploits simple typing mistakes to redirect users to fake or mis­lead­ing websites. What sounds harmless is now often part of pro­fes­sion­al phishing campaigns against busi­nesses and in­di­vidu­als. Learn how ty­po­squat­ting works, what risks it poses, and how to protect…

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What is domain parking?

Not every unused domain has to be abandoned right away. With domain parking, a web address can remain tem­por­ar­ily active, generate ad­vert­ising revenue, and make use of existing traffic. This is ideal for pre­serving a domain’s value, allowing time for new projects, or at­tract­ing…

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Should you buy, register or rent a domain?

Buying or re­gis­ter­ing a domain, what is the dif­fer­ence? There are different ways to acquire a domain. While available domains can be re­gistered through any domain provider, the usage rights for domains that have already been re­gistered must be acquired from the current owner. We…

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What types of domain are there?

When dealing with web addresses, you’ll come across a variety of terms such as top-level domain, second-level domain, subdomain, ccTLD (country-code top-level domain), and gTLD (generic top-level domain). What do these different domain types mean, and how many—or which—domain…

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What is domain man­age­ment and how do you do it ef­fi­ciently?

Domains are often one of the first contact points with your target audience, making them crucial for business websites, online marketing, and e-commerce. Efficient domain man­age­ment helps organise and update key aspects of your domain portfolio. This can be achieved with…

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What are block­chain domains?

The Domain Name System (DNS) lets us navigate the internet using domain names instead of IP addresses. But tra­di­tion­al DNS now has com­pet­i­tion from block­chain-based systems. Block­chain domains operate in a de­cent­ral­ised en­vir­on­ment and aren’t con­trolled by any single…

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Domain mapping: What is it and how does it work?

Domain mapping is a term that’s becoming in­creas­ingly common in modern website de­vel­op­ment. When used correctly, domain name mapping can greatly simplify your online presence. Instead of being found on the internet under just one domain, you can secure several matching URLs —…

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What is .com?

Web addresses with the .com domain extension are the most widely used on the internet – by far. But what is the meaning of .com, and how long has this popular top-level domain been around? Find out what .com stands for, why it’s so popular worldwide, and how you can easily…

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Finding your domain name value – here’s how

The domain business has been booming for years. Some companies are willing to pay a few million dollars for the right web address. But how exactly can the domain value be de­term­ined? We’ll tell you how best to respond to a sales inquiry and how to find out what the value of your…

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Domains

Domain expertise: a closer look at website addresses with IONOS’s Domain Guide

Domains represent the basic name of a website (e.g. ionos.com). They are clear and unique addresses that are extended through sub­do­mains and subpages. They can be purchased from a domain provider as long as you comply with certain criteria. There are many things you should know regarding web addresses; it isn’t as simple as choosing a domain name and then re­gis­ter­ing it. As part of the IONOS Digital Guide, our domain portal provides com­pre­hens­ive in­form­a­tion about internet addresses and their com­pon­ents. Under the ‘Domain’ category you will find both basic articles and more complex ones for more advanced readers.

IONOS’s Domain Guide at a glance

Our Domain Guide is divided into four sub­cat­egor­ies. The heading ‘domain ex­ten­sions’ deals with the various top-level domains, like .org or .com. Besides the (tra­di­tion­al) generic and country-specific top-level domains, we also introduce many new web address ex­ten­sions and examine their potential. Under the heading ‘domain re­gis­tra­tion’ you can obtain advice on domain re­gis­tra­tion, for­ward­ing, and transfers as well as other ad­min­is­trat­ive matters relating to internet addresses. News and back­grounds can be found in our ‘domain news’ section. Finally, we provide you with facts, sug­ges­tions, and re­com­mend­a­tions with regard to naming and re­gis­ter­ing your internet address. All together, these sub­cat­egor­ies form an extensive domain portal where you can expand your knowledge on domains.

Domain expertise for everyone

The target audience is just as varied as the contents of the Domain Guide, as it’s made up of small and medium-sized busi­nesses as well as website operators, domain traders, and in­quis­it­ive readers. As is the case for all cat­egor­ies of IONOS’s Digital Guide, the domain guide also caters to both novices  and ex­per­i­enced users. Posts such as ‘What is a domain?’ Or ‘The most important tips for domain re­gis­tra­tion’, don’t require any previous knowledge before reading. Articles like ‘How to protect your domain from ‘typo squatting’ or ‘Domain parking: earning easy money with unused domains’ appeal more to skilled readers. Our domain guide is an extensive online reference that should come in handy for both private and business contexts.