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TLDs, WHOIS Registration, and ICANN
Rapyd Team avatar
Written by Rapyd Team
Updated over a week ago

TLDs, WHOIS registration, and ICANN are all critical. Top-level domains (TLDs) provide a way to organize and identify websites, while WHOIS registration is used to track the ownership and management of domain names. ICANN is responsible for managing these systems and ensuring their stability and security. Without these components, there would be no way to identify and locate websites.

TLDs

TLD stands for Top-Level Domain. It refers to the last segment of a domain name that follows the final dot symbol, such as

  • .com

  • .org

  • .net

  • .edu

In addition to these generic TLDs, there are also country-specific TLDs that correspond to a specific country or region, such as

  • .us

  • .ca

These country-code TLDs are also known as ccTLDs.

It's worth noting that new TLDs have been introduced in recent years, providing more options and flexibility in choosing a domain name. New TLDs include

  • .tech

  • .shop

  • .online

Overall, TLDs play an important role in identifying and categorizing domain names on the internet and selecting the right TLD for your website can help communicate your brand, mission, or geographic location to your audience.

WHOIS

WHOIS is a protocol that provides information about a domain name or IP address. It is a database of registration information for internet domains, including;

  • the name,

  • contact information,

  • administrative and technical details of the owner.

This information is typically available publicly and can be accessed using various tools, including web-based WHOIS search engines or command-line WHOIS utilities.

The information contained in a WHOIS record varies depending on the domain registrar and the type of domain. For example, a typical WHOIS record for a domain name might include;

  • the name and contact information of the registrant,

  • the administrative and technical contacts, the date of registration,

  • the expiration date.

In some cases, the record may also include information about the domain's nameservers, as well as the registrar's contact information.

WHOIS is used for a variety of purposes, such as investigating domain ownership disputes, verifying domain name availability, and identifying potential trademark infringement.

ICANN

​​ICANN stands for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is an organization that is responsible for the management of the global Domain Name System (DNS) and the allocation of IP addresses. The DNS is a hierarchical naming system that maps domain names to IP addresses, allowing computers to locate each other on the internet.

ICANN ensures the stable and secure operation of the internet's unique identifier systems. This includes the management of top-level domains (TLDs), such as .com, .org, and .net, as well as the allocation of IP addresses and the management of the root zone file, which is a critical component of the DNS infrastructure.

Some Final Words

TLDs, WHOIS registration, and ICANN are vital components of the internet infrastructure that enable the organization and identification of websites, provide information about domain ownership and management, and ensure the stable and secure operation of the internet's unique identifier systems.

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