gTLDs: what you should know about generic top-level domains

An internet address (domain) consists of several parts, one of which is the domain extension, also referred to as a top-level domain (TLD). There are different types of TLDs, for example, .us is a country-specific domain. A gTLD, on the other hand, is an international extension. An example of this is, .com, which stands for, commercial, and is the most common gTLD. All TLDs are part of the Domain Name System, which is like an internet address book. But what differentiates gTLDs from other top-level domains and how are they classified?

Domain extensions are divided into two categories: gTLDs and ccTLDs. Known examples of generic TLDs besides .com are .net, .org, and .info. The ccTLDs (cc = ‘country code’), however, are used as country-specific top-level domains (e.g. .us for the USA and .uk for the UK). A generic top-level domain covers a thematic field rather than a geographical field: for example, .org stands for ‘organization’ and generally refers to nonprofit organizations. The .info gTLD lets you know that the website is of an informative nature. Unlike ccTLDs,  gTLDs always consist of at least three letters.

In the early days of the internet, there was only a handful of generic top-level domains. In January 1985 .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .int and .mil as well as .arpa were introduced as the first gTLDs with the first ccTLDs following in the same year. There are now hundreds of generic domain extensions due to the gradual introduction of new gTLDs.

Generic TLDs can be divided into two categories: sponsored and non-sponsored top-level domains. To obtain an internet address with a sponsored TLD, certain requirements must be fulfilled. These conditions are determined by the sponsors (companies or organizations) that are also responsible for monitoring guidelines and general management of their TLD. Some examples of sponsored domain extensions are .gov (for US government institutions), .int (for international organizations), and .jobs (for company job offers).

The non-sponsored TLDs, on the other hand, are monitored and managed centrally. ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is primarily responsible for these and works together with various partners. When the first non-sponsored TLDs were introduced, it was originally planned for them only to be purchased under certain conditions. Like sponsored gTLDs, they should denote a clear frame of reference for websites: .com was initially only available for companies, .net was intended for internet service providers, and .pro for professional use in various occupations. These plans, however, were gradually dropped and now almost every non-sponsored gTLD is available for individuals, businesses, organizations, etc. to use.

Non-sponsored generic top-level domains

Sponsored generic top-level domains

Click here to download the infographic on the history of the .com domain.

Thanks to these new gTLDs, the most sought-after domains are now available with an alternative ending. For many website operators, this allows them to get one step closer to their perfect domain.