Glossary
TLD (top-level domain)
TLD stands for top-level domain: the last part of a domain name, after the final dot. In "example.com" the TLD is .com. Every TLD is listed in the DNS root zone, which IANA maintains.
Domain names are read right to left. The top-level domain sits at the far right, the second-level domain (the name you register) sits to its left, and anything further left is a subdomain. So in "shop.example.co.uk", .uk is the TLD, "co" is a second-level space the .uk registry created, and "example" is the registered name.
People also call TLDs "domain extensions" or "website extensions" — it's the same thing. They come in a few kinds: generic TLDs like .com and .app, country-code TLDs like .de and .jp, and a handful of special-use names like .local that never resolve on the public internet.
Try it
- WHOIS servers for every TLD ↗ · Whois.com.tr, our sister service
- Look up any domain name ↗ · Whois.com.tr, our sister service
Examples
Quick answers
What does TLD stand for?
Top-level domain — the last label of a domain name, such as .com, .org or .de.
Is a TLD the same as a domain extension?
Yes. "Domain extension", "website extension" and "TLD" are used interchangeably.