What is Domai?

Domain and hosting are the two main elements when creating a website. A domain sounds simple, and it's the address of a website. However, despite their simplicity, domains have complexities you need to understand before buying one.
 

A domain is an essential part of your website. Simply put, a domain is a label used to identify a website that allows users to access the content or website they want.

A domain consists of two parts: the extension, which indicates the type of website, and the domain name, which usually contains the name of a brand or website, such as Google.

The extension and domain name form a URL or address on the internet that will direct users to the website they want. In essence, domains are an essential part of a website as they provide a foolproof way for users to reach their destination online.
 

Domains are often associated with subdomains; how are they different?

Simply put, a subdomain is a subset of the domain itself. Subdomains allow you to create new websites with different content and structure within the same domain. Think of subdomains as rooms where the domain is the house. Subdomains will usually appear at the beginning of the URL preceding the domain name.

For example, if your primary domain is [cloudmatika.co.id], you can have subdomains such as 'my.cloudmatika.com' and 'store.cloudmatika.com.' Subdomains can organize websites into categories or for branding purposes, such as creating country-specific versions of websites - for example, 'uk.contohwebsite.com.'

Subdomains are usually used to provide different services from the website; for example, 'support.cloudmatika.com' might be used to store customer support resources for the owner of a particular domain name.

Unlike the domain, which is unique to each website, multiple subdomains can be created from the same parent domain name and will usually point to the same hosting server as the prominent domain name.
 

Now that you understand what a domain is and how it differs from a sub-domain, you better understand what it does for a website.

As explained earlier, a domain is an address that can help users find the website they want.

The system or how this domain works is regulated by the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS is responsible for converting domain addresses into IP addresses, which can then direct users to their destination. Domains also have a function to help search engines because search engines will find your website more easily when your website has a domain name.

Domain names are also used for branding purposes, allowing companies to create unique URLs that are easy to remember and easy for customers to recognize. Finally, businesses can use a domain name to ensure their online presence is secure and protected from malicious attempts or cyberattacks.
 

There are at least three types or components of domains that you should understand: top-level domain, second-level domain, and third-level domain. Here is an explanation of each type of component
 

The top-level domain is at the far right of a domain name. This component helps users identify a website. For example, a business's website URL usually has a .com suffix. Meanwhile, government websites or regionally based companies usually use country domains such as .id, .uk, or .us. There are two common types of top-level domains: country code top-level domain (ccTLD) and generic top-level domain (gTLD). Here is an explanation of each type.
 

A country code top-level domain, as the name suggests, is a domain that serves to identify where a website or the company that owns the website is based. For example, if a website ends in .id, the website or the company that owns it is in Indonesia.
 

As the name suggests, a generic top-level domain is a generic extension that anyone can own. Unlike ccTLDs, where you usually need requirements such as proof of residence to show you are a valid resident of the country where your domain will be registered, gTLD domains generally don't require this.

These domains are more private or corporate. These types of TLDs are also governed by ICAAN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which sets the rules and regulations for their use and allocates them to registrars. While there are hundreds of gTLDs available, the most popular are still the original three (.com, .org, and .net).
 

Simply put, a second-level domain is the domain name of your domain. For example, in the domain structure of www.cloudmatika.co.id, 'cloudmatika' is the second-level domain in the URL. Although simple, this second-level domain selector has its own rules. For example, you will have a character limit and must be unique because you cannot have a website name similar to someone else's.
 

Third-level domains are actually subdomains of your website domain. For example, you have a website called websitesaya.com. The third level domain of your website could be a blog (blog.websitesaya.com), shop (shop.websitesaya.com), and so on.

This third-level domain is usually used to create specialized content, whether a help page, news page, or shopping page.

That's the explanation of what a domain is. A domain is an essential part of your website. This element is the identity of your brand or company website. You can order directly here for those who want to buy a domain name from Cloudmatika.