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Getting started on Squarespace doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Our Squarespace pros are here to guide you through the steps to choose a domain name for your website and brainstorm domain name ideas. Watch the video above or read the transcript below to learn what a domain name is and how to register one for your site.
Transcript
Narrator: Domains. We see them, type them, share them, and click on them every day. But what are they? Put simply, your domain is your web address or name and the entry point to your website. So for example, our domain is www.squarespace.com.
It can be anywhere from 3 to 63 characters long, but that doesn't mean you should use 63 characters. The shorter, the better. Think about it like this. How often do you call a hippo a hippopotamus? Rarely. Why? Because it's long, hard to spell, and hippo communicates the same thing in half the time.
Brandon White: When choosing your domain name, you want to consider something that is both short and memorable. That way, it sticks in people's minds and they're more able to recall it when they're trying to go to your website.
There are two parts of a domain name, there's the left side, and then there's the right side. The right side of the domain is called the extension or top-level domain—TLD for short. The most common one is .com, so it may be more difficult to find an available top-level domain. So you may want to consider others like .net, .org. The left side is really for you to be creative and connect to either your business, your blog, your personal site. The combination of those two is what makes up your domain.
Learn how to choose a domain name
Narrator: So once you decide what domain name and format best suit your website, it's time to register. There are various platforms where you can buy or register a domain, but we at Squarespace figured we'd make your life easier by making it so you can buy your domain and build your site all in one place. And if you happen to find that, oh, so perfect domain is already taken, take a step back and see how you can adjust to make it work. Try a different abbreviation or name. Try a different TLD, or start from scratch.
Just because you've registered your domain does not mean you have a website. In order to bring your website to life, you'll need to choose a web host like Squarespace.
Learn how to register a domain
BW: A domain is the name of your website, whereas a web host is where the files for your website live. So at Squarespace building a website is really simple. You can drag and drop and there are other features to make it simple for you to build your site, whereas at other companies it may be a bit more complex and you may have to actually write some code.
Narrator: Without a name or a place to live, your website can't exist. Make sure you give them the thought they deserve.
Read our guide to domain name basics
This post was updated on November 8, 2023.