What is .com?

You’ll most often come across the generic TLD .com on the web – an abbreviation of the word ‘commercial’. Many companies use a .com domain because it’s internationally recognised, well established, and conveys a serious and professional image.

What does .com stand for?

Everyone’s heard of it, but many don’t actually know what the top-level domain .com really means. RFC 920 defines .com as ‘commercial’. However, internet pioneer Jack Haverty speculated that the three letters might originally have stood for ‘company’. “In the early days of the internet, in the 1980s and 1990s, it wasn’t meant to connect businesses with each other,” explains Haverty, who at the time worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After 35 years, ‘commercial’ has long since become the undisputed meaning of the .com domain.

The success story of .com

The .com suffix is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) managed by the U.S. company Verisign, headquartered in Virginia. Like other TLDs, its administration is overseen by the international organisation ICANN. The .com domain was launched on 1 January, 1985, and just two months later, it was first assigned as a domain suffix to the American company Symbolics. About a year after that, computer giants IBM and Sun Microsystems followed suit. For comparison, the .uk top-level domain was introduced in July 1985.

What are the advantages of a .com domain?

With more than 150 million registered domains, .com remains by far the most popular top-level domain worldwide. Its strong reputation and global recognition make it a top choice not only for international corporations but also for small and medium-sized businesses, fast-growing startups, and freelancers in creative industries.

Many associate the abbreviation—often unconsciously—with certain values such as professionalism and reliability. This is one reason why the .com domain is more popular than other popular domain extensions.

The abbreviation .com is internationally recognised, and anyone — whether an individual or a legal entity — can register such a domain, regardless of residency. Domain names with special characters are also supported. In addition, .com domains can be registered using Latin letters as well as Japanese, Korean, and Hebrew characters. Compared to other TLDs, the registration costs are typically very low.

What are the disadvantages of a .com domain?

A .com domain isn’t always the ideal option. While it offers several benefits, it lacks the clear geographic association provided by country-specific extensions like .de for Germany or .es for Spain. These country-code domains (ccTLDs) tend to inspire greater trust among users within their respective regions than generic top-level domains.

Due to the popularity and early release of the .com domain, many short domain names with .com are already taken. However, short domains are easier to remember. Generic domain extensions established more recently, known as nTLDs, offer a significantly larger selection of available short domain names. For businesses and brand owners, it’s recommended to secure a .com domain alongside other variations that include their most relevant top-level domains.

What does a .com domain cost?

When it comes to domain prices, it’s important to distinguish between domains that are still available and those that have already been registered.

• Available .com domains can often be purchased for less than one pound per month.
• Registered .com domains may be affordable, but some can also be extremely expensive. Short names like cars.com or insurance.com can easily fall into the seven-figure range.

How to register a .com domain

You can register .com domains with most domain providers. The provider handles all registration procedures for a fee. The process usually works as follows:

1. In a search field (domain check), enter the desired domain name with .com. The system automatically checks whether the name is still available. If it is, you can purchase it right away.
2. The provider takes care of the registration and activation of the domain, which typically takes around 24 hours, but may take up to 72 hours.
3. The registration is usually valid for one year and renews automatically unless you cancel the domain.