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Domain Extensions

You accessed our website by typing the following url in the address box of your web browser – http://www.ctsindia.com. Essentially you typed the address of our website whose main component is our domain name, viz. ctsindia.com. As you can see, the domain name ctsindia.com consists of 2 components, a choice name, viz. ctsindia, and the domain extension, viz. .com. The domain extension is also referred to as TLD (Top Level Domain).

The domain name is essentially a meaningful and easy to remember virtual web address which enables internet users to reach you , i.e. your website and email accounts. So, if you need to setup your own website and/or email accounts, the first thing you would require is a web address, i.e. a domain name. Thus your first step would be to register and own a domain name of your choice.

In this section, we aim to give you an overview of domain extensions. It is worth taking time to read and understand about the various domain extensions that are available for you to register for your own business or personal purposes. It would equip you to take better decision in choosing a domain name.

What is a Domain Name Extension?

As explained above, the domain extension is the last part of the domain name, viz. .com in our example domain name ctsindia.com. In this example, the extension is a single word, preceded with a dot (.). Such domain extensions are called top-level domain extensions. Other examples of top-level domain extensions are - .in, .us, .org, .net, .eu, .gov, etc.

There are also domain extensions with two or more words separated by dot(s). For example, .co.in has two words separated by dots and is called a second-level domain. An example domain name registered under second-level domain extension would be ctsindia.co.in.

By now you would have figured out that domain extensions are named meaningfully. For instance, an extension .com is normally used for commercial purposes; a .gov extension is used by government organizations; an .info extension is used for informational websites; and so on. Extensions such as - .com, .org, .net, .info, etc. are referred to as generic tlds. On the other hand, extensions such as .us, .in, .uk, .nz, are referred to as country specific tlds.

Generic tlds are not restricted to entities from any specific country or region and hence are also known as international tlds and can be registered by any one residing in any part of the world. On the other hand, country specific tlds are usually restricted to individuals and organizations having a relevant presence in the country.

To summarize, while finalizing a domain name for your business, you need to know:

1. Which extension you should go for, and
   
2. Whether you comply with all the requirements for the chosen extension, as laid out by the concerned registry.

To address and answer these questions, we have included this section, and also another section pertaining to Domain Registration Rules & Requirements.