What Is A Domain Name?

One of the core steps for getting your website and online presence up and running is setting up your domain name. Think of a domain as your website's home address on the internet. The domain name is a unique address that helps people find your website. 

The two main pieces of a domain are the domain name or second-level domain (like “squarespace” in squarespace.com) and the extension or top-level domain (TLD), like .com, .org, or .net. Web pages on your site live under subdomains, like “domains” in domains.squarespace.com.

Read on for everything you need to know about what makes up a domain name, how to secure yours, and how to manage yours once you have it.

Picking a domain name

Picking the right domain name might feel like a big task, but it’s simple if you stick to a few best practices.

• Make it easy to remember.

• Keep it related to your website’s purpose.

• Try to keep it short and simple. 

• Avoid using hyphens or hard-to-spell words.

• Avoid names that are trendy or humorous that you might not want long-term.

For example, if you're making a site about your pet dog, Cappy, cappycrush.xyz could work. A name that’s related to you or your site’s purpose also makes your website easier to find in search engines.

See our tips for choosing the right domain name

How does domain registration work?

Once you’ve picked your domain name, check to make sure it’s available using a domain search tool. If a domain name is like an address, think of registering your domain like leasing a home at that address. You don’t actually own the domain, you’re claiming it for a set period.

Domain name registration usually costs around $12-20 per year. Domains that are in higher demand can be more expensive, and costs might vary between domain providers. 

If someone has the domain you want, you can reach out to buy it from them, but that can get expensive. Some people hold on to desirable domain names with the intention of selling them for a high price, known as domain squatting or domain flipping.

Learn more about how domains work

Registering a domain name

The process of registering a domain name is straightforward.

1. Choose an independent domain registrar, like Squarespace. Domain registrars are businesses that help you reserve a domain name, like a leasing company.

2. Search for your domain name through the registrar. If it’s not available, you can choose a different second-level domain or TLD, like .net, or explore new domain name ideas with AI name generator tools.

3. Register your domain. To register a domain, you pay a small fee to reserve the domain name for a set period. Usually, you renew your registration annually. If you don’t renew and it expires, someone else can use the name.

4. Provide your contact information. This step is required by ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the organization that manages domain names in the U.S. 

Read our step-by-step guide to claiming a domain

What to do after getting a domain name

After you've paid for and registered your domain, the next step is to connect or transfer it to a website. You can link the domain to a site you already have or start a new website to attach your domain to. Your website builder will have instructions on how to transfer or connect the domain to your site.

Sometimes, it can make sense to reserve more than one domain name. Larger businesses sometimes do this to capture common misspellings of their name, or to claim more than one TLD, like .com and .shop. Each version of that main domain name would point back to the main website. 

You could get an alternate domain name for an upcoming project, for example. You could use domain forwarding to point that URL to your main website once the project is over. With Squarespace Domains and a Squarespace website, you can forward the URL to a specific web page on your site, also known as a subdomain (like domains.squarespace.com).

Can you edit a domain name?

You can’t edit a domain name in the traditional sense, the same way you’d edit a message or document. To edit your domain name, whether to correct a typo or change it, you need to register that domain, assuming no one else has claimed it yet. 

Go back to the analogy of leasing property. If you’re leasing 1234 Example Street, but actually want to be leasing 1234 Placeholder Avenue, you need to secure and register yourself at your new address before moving your things over. 

If you realize you want a different domain name shortly after getting your domain, you may be able to cancel your registration without a charge. Then you can register under the domain name you want. How long you have to make a change is up to your domain provider.

How to protect your domain name

There are a few basic things you can do to keep your domain name secure. To keep someone from claiming a domain you still want for your own web page URL, make sure to renew it before it expires. Many domain providers will let you set up auto-renewal.

When it comes to your contact information, there are two things to keep in mind.

1. Keep your contact details updated with your domain registrar. This keeps you compliant with ICANN rules.

2. Get WHOIS privacy protection. WHOIS protection makes the contact information connected to your domain private. You can typically get this for free with your domain registration. 

Ready to get your own domain name?