In the real world, many people share the same name, but in the online world, known as the internet, "URL" or the term "domain" in mainland China is unique and cannot have duplicates.
If a website secures a domain name related to its company nature or industry early on, it can easily be recognized as a representative of that industry among the countless websites. For example, if a bank registers the domain name bank.com first, when consumers search for banking information online, this bank will likely be the first to come to mind, enhancing its visibility and click-through rates.
A good URL is often equivalent to a good location that attracts foot traffic. If we imagine a website as real estate or a storefront, the URL serves as the website's address or number. A storefront located on a famous main road, with a short and memorable address, is likely to be noticed without much advertising. Conversely, a store tucked away in an alley with a long address is harder for customers to remember and discover, leading to poor business.
Have you ever noticed that some URLs are particularly easy to remember? Some websites can be easily recalled after just one visit. This is often due to the creativity or significance of the URL.
Therefore, choosing a memorable URL is crucial! Especially for newly established websites that may not yet be searchable on Google or Yahoo, it's vital to have a URL that visitors can easily remember to ensure they can return without forgetting your location.
If you want to change a poorly chosen URL, the accumulated website ranking, clientele, and followers may gradually dwindle, akin to moving a store without announcing the move at the old location. This can be a significant loss for website operators. Hence, it is wise to choose a good URL from the start! I've had several experiences with poorly chosen URLs and realized the issue only when it was time to create promotional materials, making it awkward to communicate a poorly named URL. Changing the URL is incredibly cumbersome, and I advise everyone not to make the same mistake I did!
The URL (Domain Name) is crucial for developing e-commerce for businesses or personal brands. It serves as a clear identifier, significantly increasing online visibility and being an indispensable digital asset. URLs are like virtual land, while websites are like virtual homes. A good home must be built in a prime location to achieve effective results. Therefore, the earlier a domain name is registered, the better, as there are countless websites globally, and you may find yourself competing for the same domain name with companies from other countries. For instance, if McDonald's URL is registered by someone else, they might have to pay a hefty sum to reclaim their desired URL. In Taiwan, some convenience store domain names were also registered by speculators known as "internet cockroaches." Therefore, treat your URL as an important asset, and prioritize early ownership.
The English term for a top-level domain is "top-level domain name."
Typically, when we ask for a website, we say "give me your URL." However, when registering a URL, we often see terms like "domain registration center." Do you clearly understand what a website, URL, domain, or domain name is? Let's clarify these concepts before naming our URL. For example, let's look at our website:
Mainland China's website URL: cn.blueeyes.com.tw
Taiwan's website URL: www.blueeyes.com.tw
Our online class platform URL: lol.blueeyes.com.tw
Taiwan's Knowledge Academy URL: academy.blueeyes.com.tw
In these examples, we see that each webpage has an address, just as every house has an address. Each webpage's address contains a common part "blueeyes.com.tw"; upon seeing this part, we know the webpage belongs to us. This is where we need to focus on naming and registering.
Let's take the Taiwan Knowledge Academy URL academy.blueeyes.com.tw as an example. "tw" is the top-level domain, "com" is the second-level domain, "blueeyes" is the third-level domain, and "academy" is the fourth-level domain. Additionally, cn, lol, and academy are subdomains. Is this clearer? Let's elaborate further.
Domain: Everything before "com.tw" is referred to as the domain in Taiwan, and as a domain name in mainland China.
URL: The complete address of a webpage consists of the domain before "com.tw" and any letters, symbols, or numbers after it. For example, https://academy.blueeyes.com.tw/online_course_LA1.php
Therefore, the part we need to name and register is actually registering the domain, not the URL.
In the past, top-level domains had strict rules for different types of organizations. For example, ".com" is for commercial entities, ".edu" for educational institutions, ".gov" for government units, ".net" for internet-related organizations, ".org" for non-profit organizations, and ".mil" for military-exclusive domains. ".tw" is exclusive to companies registered in Taiwan, ".us" for those in the USA, ".au" for those in Australia, ".ca" for Canada, ".ge" for Germany, ".fr" for France, ".it" for Italy, ".jp" for Japan, and ".uk" for the UK.
However, with advancements in times and more relaxed regulations, these strict limitations have diminished, and URLs are now more creative and popular. There are numerous top-level domains available worldwide, so unleash your creativity when choosing a good URL!
There are four rules for naming URLs in English:
- Use the 26 letters A, B, C, D, ..., X, Y, Z
- Use the 10 Arabic numbers 0-9
- Use the "-" symbol
- Case sensitivity is not necessary (uppercase or lowercase is treated as lowercase)
The three key principles for naming URLs are "simple, memorable, and easy to input."
Following these principles allows you to assess the quality of a URL directly. A short and catchy URL is easier to remember, making it more likely for users to recall it after just a glance. A URL that is easy to input also minimizes typing errors. If you have such a URL, you have an inherent advantage in online marketing.
In today's mobile marketing era with smartphones and tablets, users can quickly access your website by typing just a few letters on their devices without even needing to bookmark it. This highlights the absolute importance of being simple, memorable, and easy to input.
In 1956, cognitive psychologist George A. Miller published a paper titled "The Magical Number: 7 ± 2," discovering that young people's memory span is about 7 units (which can be numbers, letters, words, etc.), referred to as memory chunks. Later studies indicated that memory span is related to the types of chunks, e.g., 7 for numbers, 6 for letters, and 5 for words. Generally, longer vocabulary has lower memory spans than shorter ones. In simple terms, most people cannot remember lengthy text, especially older adults. Thus, it is advisable to name URLs with fewer than 9 letters (7+2=9), as they are easier to remember and convenient for marketing purposes.
Everyone knows that shorter URLs are easier to remember and input. Unfortunately, in reality, short URLs are rare, as they have often been taken. If a URL is too long, it can be forgettable, making it difficult even for yourself to recall. We usually suggest choosing URLs related to your company's products or services, as they are less likely to be forgotten. Besides English URLs, Chinese URLs can also be registered, but most companies still prefer to use English or register both Chinese and English URLs.
2URLs that include keywords are more likely to be remembered or associated by visitors. For instance, seeing the word "coffee" in a URL like www.citycoffee.com intuitively leads you to believe it's a coffee-related site. Similarly, teashop.com suggests a website related to tea sales. A glance at www.pchome.com.tw indicates it’s a website about PC equipment for home use, combining the words "pc" and "home." Including keywords in your URL serves to hint at your offerings, which is particularly helpful for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rankings.
3Using dictionary words in your URL is more memorable than using made-up words or abbreviations. For example, myteashop.com is easier to remember than mts.com.
4URLs exceeding 9 letters and composed of three or more words are visually uninviting for visitors, making it hard for them to remember. Using a two-word combination is recommended. You can use a site to help you check available combinations (www.panabee.com). By entering two English words, it will automatically generate dozens of available combinations for your reference.
5URLs that incorporate numbers have several advantages. They are shorter, making them more likely to be successfully registered, and if they feature interesting puns, they are easier to remember. For instance, the well-known Taiwanese matching service website www.104.com.tw and its competitor www.1111.com.tw or www.518.com.tw all use numbers to enhance memorability.
Some users have asked if they can name their URLs after their company phone numbers or tax IDs. Personally, I do not recommend this. While both phone numbers and tax IDs are 8 digits long and not too hard to remember, these numbers may not be commonly used by visitors. With the convenience of smartphones today, most people won't make an effort to memorize a company's phone number, making it less effective to use a phone number or tax ID as a URL. Moreover, if you ever move and change your phone number, your URL could become problematic!
6Many companies use their corporate or brand names for their URLs. In English-speaking countries or regions, it's common to use the company's name as the URL, and this is also frequently done in Chinese-speaking areas.
For example, the URL for China Mobile is chihamobile.com, and Taiwan's HTC Corporation is www.htc.com. This naming approach is suitable if your brand name is originally in English or numbers, such as Google, Yahoo, or Amazon.
7Using an abbreviation of your corporate name for the URL can be hard to understand without external explanation, unless the company is well-known and properly advertised. For example, the globally recognized semiconductor manufacturer TSMC has the full name Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Since this name is long, the abbreviation TSM is used, with the URL www.tsmc.com being memorable in the industry. Similarly, the URL for the Chinese Television System is www.cts.com.tw.
8Using phonetics, transliteration, or homophones can easily lead you to corresponding English strings. This is a common URL naming method. For example, the popular website Taobao in mainland China is named taobao.com, while Sina is named sina.com, Sohu is sohu.com, and Taiwan's Gomaji, which started with group buying discounts, is named www.gomaji.com. For example, the website name for Chungyo Department Store in Taichung is www.chungyo.com.tw.
Additionally, common numerical puns exist, such as 520 for "I love you," 1314 for "a lifetime," or 543 for "a few trivial matters." These can all be used in URLs. For instance, combining music with 543 could lead to a site named music543.com, covering all aspects of music. URLs that incorporate numerical puns are also generally easier to register, as these puns may be region-specific and not universally recognized.
9You may have noticed that many well-known websites are named using invented words that do not have meanings in the dictionary, such as yahoo.com, instagram.com, or flickr.com. These names are memorable despite being nonexistent in dictionaries. For instance, google.com created an entirely new word that, due to its successful business model, has now become part of the English lexicon. Therefore, if the desired English word is already taken, consider inventing a short, easily pronounced string of letters that may be easier to remember.
10The website "g0v.tw," which gained recognition during the Sunflower Student Movement, altered the "O" in the abbreviation GOV for government to a zero (0). Although this is an unusual string, its short and distinctive nature ultimately enhances its visibility. You can use a similar model to alter word spellings for your URL, which can be a good approach.
11In recent years, top-level domains have become more accessible, offering numerous choices. Many startups begin to creatively pair their URLs with top-level domains, resulting in memorable and effectively promoted URLs. For instance, line.me is the URL for a well-known instant messaging app company in Asia, Live.me is a popular social interactive live streaming platform, and goo.gl is Google’s URL shortening service. Isn't that creative?
Given the importance of URLs, we remind everyone of some common mistakes to avoid.
1Although you can use hyphens to name a URL, we recommend avoiding them if possible. This is because people's memories often overlook the small horizontal symbol; for example, pc-home.com.tw may easily be remembered as pchome.com.tw, leading visitors to a different site. Another reason to avoid using hyphens is that your site may be mistaken for a fake or spam site, as many illegal phishing or spam sites use hyphens to confuse users for fraud or extortion purposes. You likely do not want to associate with them. Unless you have no other choice and need to choose a hyphenated name, we highly discourage this practice.
2Unless you are certain that your chosen URL is unique, avoid using numbers or single letters to replace English words. For example, avoid using "4" for "for" or "u" for "you." This practice can lead to visitors mistakenly entering incorrect URLs and ending up at someone else's site. Although this naming method may seem fun, if not researched thoroughly, the consequences may be irreparable.
3We do not recommend using previously registered URLs. Although URLs merely map to IP addresses, in the online world, many link records may carry negative reputations. Using a previously registered URL that has a bad history may result in unshakable reputational consequences.
4Before applying for a URL, make sure to check if the URL you want to register has been blacklisted by Google. Using a blacklisted URL in online marketing can be very detrimental, akin to a person with a criminal record facing challenges in job hunting. Be especially cautious!
You can use the following query tool to check if a URL is blacklisted
http://www.seomastering.com/google-banned.php
This reminder is mainly for Taiwanese friends. The understanding of Pinyin in Taiwan is significantly less than in other Chinese-speaking areas, such as mainland China, Hong Kong, or Malaysia, because Taiwan does not habitually use Pinyin. Hence, there is a higher likelihood of misspelling, so we recommend avoiding Pinyin for websites targeting the Taiwanese market since missing a letter can make a huge difference.
6Some letters and numbers have similar shapes or pronunciations, such as the letter E and the number 1, M and N, B and D, O and 0, and B and 8. If possible, try to avoid using them simultaneously, as it may lead to misunderstandings in verbal or print advertisements, causing visitors to input incorrect URLs and losing business opportunities.
7URLs are digital assets that increase in value over time, and good URLs can be treated like family heirlooms. They build online reputation and branding. In fact, URLs are not expensive; don’t sacrifice the opportunity to accumulate digital wealth just to save a few dollars. If you’re testing or researching, free URLs might suffice, but for personal, corporate, or organizational purposes, please avoid using free URLs for long-term goals.
URL extensions refer to top-level domains or top-level domains plus second-level domains, such as .com or .com.tw.
1If your visitors are location-specific, such as customers only in Taiwan, then a domain extension with a regional name like .tw is the preferred choice. This can bring more local TW traffic through search engines than any other URL extension. If visitors are global, then a .com is the preferred choice, as search engines can bring visitors from various regions.
2If you are a visitor and are unsure, between the same website name, which one do you trust more: .com or .net? If there are two websites, abc.com and abc.net, both thriving, could the business reputation and potential customer base of abc.net be drawn away by abc.com? When visitors only know the website name, they usually type the .com ending in the URL bar first for testing, rather than trying other ending domain names.
Previously, domains were only identified by corporate identity, while distinctly attribute-identified top-level domains, such as .shop, elevate the domain to brand and industry recognition. When brands connect with meaningful domain names, users can easily remember the brand.
2Domains operate on a first-come, first-served policy. Valuable brand trademarks are easily subject to domain squatting by unknown entities, who may then sell them at high prices or confuse customers by selling similar products, significantly damaging the original brand's reputation. Domain names and brand trademarks are both crucial digital assets of a company, hence brands should prioritize their protection.
3Domain names are a primary tool in online marketing and can appear in print and TV ads, increasing brand memory and exposure.
Many people are unaware that a website can have more than one URL. Different URLs can leave varying impressions on users. For instance, .com indicates a global site, while .com.tw indicates a Taiwanese business. URLs are also crucial for SEO, as using local URLs like .com.tw can significantly boost your website's visibility when users search for related terms.
Lastly, if you're wealthy or a big conglomerate, here are some capricious practices to ensure no one can occupy or seize your cherished URL, thereby stealing your visitors:
https://who.is
- Utilize the website https://who.is to check and contact the current holder of the URL you desire and negotiate a purchase.
- Search for "domain auction" on Google to find many domain auction listings and buy your preferred URLs.
- Search for "dropped domain" or "expired domain" on Google to discover many abandoned or unrenewed URLs that might interest you.
- After purchasing a URL, buy all the extensions, like .net, .info, etc., to prevent others from acquiring it.
- Once you purchase a URL, acquire any related hyphenated or confusing letter URLs to ensure that no matter how someone misenters, they will still arrive at your site.
- After acquiring a URL, purchase all country equivalents of that URL to achieve comprehensive coverage, such as after acquiring abc.com, also registering abc.com.tw, abc.com.cn, abc.com.us, etc.
Top-Level Domains
As of today, the following "Top-Level Domains" exist globally: AAA, AARP, ABARTH, ABB, ABBOTT, ABBVIE, ABC, ABLE, ABOGADO, ABUDHABI, AC, ACADEMY, ACCENTURE, ACCOUNTANT, ACCOUNTANTS, ACO, ACTIVE, ACTOR, AD, ADAC, ADS, ADULT, AE, AEG, AERO, AETNA, AF, AFAMILYCOMPANY, AFL, AG, AGAKHAN, AGENCY, AI, AIG, AIGO, AIRBUS, AIRFORCE, AIRTEL, AKDN, AL, ALFAROMEO, ALIBABA, ALIPAY, ALLFINANZ, ALLSTATE, ALLY, ALSACE, ALSTOM, AM, AMERICANEXPRESS, AMERICANFAMILY, AMEX, AMFAM, AMICA, AMSTERDAM, ANALYTICS, ANDROID, ANQUAN, ANZ, AO, AOL, APARTMENTS, APP, APPLE, AQ, AQUARELLE, AR, ARAMCO, ARCHI, ARMY, ARPA, ART, ARTE, AS, ASDA, ASIA, ASSOCIATES, AT, ATHLETA, ATTORNEY, AU, AUCTION, AUDI, AUDIBLE, AUDIO, AUSPOST, AUTHOR, AUTO, AUTOS, AVIANCA, AW, AWS, AX, AXA, AZ, AZURE, BA, BABY, BAIDU, BANAMEX, BANANAREPUBLIC, BAND, BANK, BAR, BARCELONA, BARCLAYCARD, BARCLAYS, BAREFOOT, BARGAINS, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, BAUHAUS, BAYERN, BB, BBC, BBT, BBVA, BCG, BCN, BD, BE, BEATS, BEAUTY, BEER, BENTLEY, BERLIN, BEST, BESTBUY, BET, BF, BG, BH, BHARTI, BI, BIBLE, BID, BIKE, BING, BINGO, BIO, BIZ, BJ, BLACK, BLACKFRIDAY, BLANCO, BLOCKBUSTER, BLOG, BLOOMBERG, BLUE, BM, BMS, BMW, BN, BNL, BNPPARIBAS, BO, BOATS, BOEHRINGER, BOFA, BOM, BOND, BOO, BOOK, BOOKING, BOOTS, BOSCH, BOSTIK, BOSTON, BOT, BOUTIQUE, BOX, BR, BRADESCO, BRIDGESTONE, BROADWAY, BROKER, BROTHER, BRUSSELS, BS, BT, BUDAPEST, BUGATTI, BUILD, BUILDERS, BUSINESS, BUY, BUZZ, BV, BW, BY, BZ, BZH, CA, CAB, CAFE, CAL, CALL, CALVINKLEIN, CAM, CAMERA, CAMP, CANCERRESEARCH, CANON, CAPETOWN, CAPITAL, CAPITALONE, CAR, CARAVAN, CARDS, CARE, CAREER, CAREERS, CARS, CARTIER, CASA, CASE, CASEIH, CASH, CASINO, CAT, CATERING, CATHOLIC, CBA, CBN, CBRE, CBS, CC, CD, CEB, CENTER, CEO, CERN, CF, CFA, CFD, CG, CH, CHANEL, CHANNEL, CHASE, CHAT, CHEAP, CHINTAI, CHLOE, CHRISTMAS, CHROME, CHRYSLER, CHURCH, CI, CIPRIANI, CIRCLE, CISCO, CITADEL, CITI, CITIC, CITY, CITYEATS, CK, CL, CLAIMS, CLEANING, CLICK, CLINIC, CLINIQUE, CLOTHING, CLOUD, CLUB, CLUBMED, CM, CN, CO, COACH, CODES, COFFEE, COLLEGE, COLOGNE, COM, COMCAST, COMMBANK, COMMUNITY, COMPANY, COMPARE, COMPUTER, CONDOS, CONSTRUCTION, CONSULTING, CONTACT, CONTRACTORS, COOKING, COOKINGCHANNEL, COOL, CRUISE, CRUISES, CSC, CU, CUISINELLA, CV, CW, CX, CY, CYMRU, CYOU, CZ, DABUR, DAD, DANCE, DATA, DATE, DATING, DATSUN, DAY, DCLK, DDS, DE, DEAL, DEALER, DEALS, DEGREE, DELIVERY, DELL, DELOITTE, DELTA, DEMOCRAT, DENTAL, DENTIST, DESI, DESIGN, DEV, DHL, DIAMONDS, DIET, DIGITAL, DIRECT, DIRECTORY, DISCOUNT, DISCOVER, DISH, DIY, DJ, DK, DM, DNP, DO, DOCS, DOCTOR, DODGE, DOG, DOHA, DOMAINS, DOT, DOWNLOAD, DRIVE, DTV, DUBAI, DUCK, DUNLOP, DUNS, DUPONT, DURBAN, DVAG, DVR, DZ, EARTH, EAT, EC, ECO, EDEKA, EDU, EDUCATION, EE, EG, EMAIL, EMERCK, ENERGY, ENGINEER, ENGINEERING, ENTERPRISES, EPOST, EPSON, EQUIPMENT, ER, ERICSSON, ERNI, ES, ESQ, ESTATE, ESURANCE, ET, EU, EUROVISION, EUS, EVENTS, EVERBANK, EXCHANGE, EXPERT, EXPOSED, EXPRESS, EXTRASPACE, FAGE, FAIL, FAIRWINDS, FAITH, FAMILY, FAN, FANS, FARM, FARMERS, FASHION, FAST, FEDEX, FEEDBACK, FERRARI, FERRERO, FI, FIAT, FIDELITY, FIDO, FILM, FINAL, FINANCE, FINANCIAL, FIRE, FIRESTONE, FIRMDALE, FISH, FISHING, FIT, FITNESS, FJ, FK, FLICKR, FLIGHTS, FLIR, FLORIST, FLOWERS, FLY, FM, FO, FOO, FOOD, FOODNETWORK, FOOTBALL, FORD, FOREX, FORSALE, FORUM, FOUNDATION, FOX, FR, FREE, FRESENIUS, FRL, FROGANS, FRONTDOOR, FRONTIER, FTR, FUJITSU, FUJIXEROX, FUN, FUND, FURNITURE, FUTBOL, FYI, GA, GAL, GALLERY, GALLO, GALLUP, GAME, GAMES, GAP, GARDEN, GB, GBIZ, GD, GDN, GE, GEA, GENT, GENTING, GEORGE, GF, GG, GGEE, GH, GI, GIFT, GIFTS, GIVES, GIVING, GL, GLADE, GLASS, GLE, GLOBAL, GLOBO, GM, GMAIL, GMBH, GMO, GMX, GN, GODADDY, GOLD, GOLDPOINT, GOLF, GOO, GOODHANDS, GOODYEAR, GOOG, GOOGLE, GOP, GOT, GOV, GP, GQ, GR, GRAINGER, GRAPHICS, GRATIS, GREEN, GRIPE, GROUP, GS, GT, GU, GUARDIAN, GUCCI, GUGE, GUIDE, GUITARS, GURU, GW, GY, HAIR, HAMBURG, HANGOUT, HAUS, HBO, HDFC, HDFCBANK, HEALTH, HEALTHCARE, HELP, HELSINKI, HERE, HERMES, HGTV, HIPHOP, HISAMITSU, HITACHI, HIV, HK, HKT, HM, HN, HOCKEY, HOLDINGS, HOLIDAY, HOMEDEPOT, HOMEGOODS, HOMES, HOMESENSE, HONDA, HONEYWELL, HORSE, HOSPITAL, HOST, HOSTING, HOT, HOTELES, HOTMAIL, HOUSE, HOW, HR, HSBC, HT, HTC, HU, HUGHES, HYATT, HYUNDAI, IBM, ICBC, ICE, ICU, ID, IE, IEEE, IFM, IKANO, IL, IM, IMAMAT, IMDB, IMMO, IMMOBILIEN, IN, INDUSTRIES, INFINITI, INFO, ING, INK, INSTITUTE, INSURANCE, INSURE, INT, INTEL, INTERNATIONAL, INTUIT, INVESTMENTS, IO, IPIRANGA, IQ, IR, IRISH, IS, ISELECT, ISMAILI, IST, ISTANBUL, IT, ITAU, ITV, IVECO, IWC, JAGUAR, JAVA, JCB, JCP, JE, JEEP, JETZT, JEWELRY, JIO, JLC, JLL, JM, JMP, JNJ, JO, JOBS, JOBURG, JOT, JOY, JP, JPMORGAN, JPRS, JUEGOS, JUNIPER, KAUFEN, KDDI, KE, KERRYHOTELS, KERRYLOGISTICS, KERRYPROPERTIES, KFH, KG, KH, KI, KIA, KIM, KINDER, KINDLE, KITCHEN, KIWI, KM, KN, KOELN, KOMATSU, KOSHER, KP, KPMG, KPN, KR, KRD, KRED, KUOKGROUP, KW, KY, KYOTO, KZ, LA, LACAIXA, LADBROKES, LAMBORGHINI, LAMER, LANCASTER, LANCIA, LANCOME, LAND, LANDROVER, LANXESS, LASALLE, LAT, LATINO, LATROBE, LAW, LAWYER, LB, LC, LDS, LEASE, LECLERC, LEFRAK, LEGAL, LEGO, LEXUS, LGBT, LI, LIAISON, LIDL, LIFE, LIFEINSURANCE, LIFESTYLE, LIGHTING, LIKE, LILLY, LIMITED, LIMO, LINCOLN, LINDE, LINK, LIPSY, LIVE, LIVING, LIXIL, LK, LOAN, LOANS, LOCKER, LOCUS, LOFT, LOL, LONDON, LOTTE, LOTTO, LOVE, LPL, LPLFINANCIAL, LR, LS, LT, LTD, LTDA, LU, LUNDBECK, LUPIN, LUXE, LUXURY, LV, LY, MA, MACYS, MADRID, MAIF, MAISON, MAKEUP, MAN, MANAGEMENT, MANGO, MARKET, MARKETING, MARKETS, MARRIOTT, MARSHALLS, MASERATI, MATTEL, MBA, MC, MCD, MCDONALDS, MCKINSEY, MD, ME, MED, MEDIA, MEET, MELBOURNE, MEME, MEMORIAL, MEN, MENU, MEO, METLIFE, MG, MH, MIAMI, MICROSOFT, MIL, MINI, MINT, MIT, MITSUBISHI, MK, ML, MLB, MLS, MM, MMA, MN, MO, MOBI, MOBILE, MOBILY, MODA, MOE, MOI, MOM, MONASH, MONEY, MONSTER, MONTBLANC, MOPAR, MORMON, MORTGAGE, MOSCOW, MOTO, MOTORCYCLES, MOV, MOVIE, MOVISTAR, MP, MQ, MR, MS, MSD, MT, MTN, MTPC, MTR, MU, MUSEUM, MUTUAL, MV, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NAB, NADEX, NAGOYA, NAME, NATIONWIDE, NATURA, NAVY, NBA, NC, NE, NEC, NET, NETBANK, NETFLIX, NETWORK, NEUSTAR, NEW, NEWHOLLAND, NEWS, NEXT, NEXTDIRECT, NEXUS, NF, NFL, NG, NGO, NHK, NI, NICO, NIKE, NIKON, NINJA, NISSAN, NISSAY, NL, NO, NOKIA, NORTHWESTERNMUTUAL, NORTON, NOW, NOWRUZ, NOWTV, NP, NR, NRA, NRW, NTT, NU, NYC, NZ, OBI, OBSERVER, OFF, OFFICE, OKINAWA, OLAYAN, OLAYANGROUP, OLDNAVY, OLLO, OM, OMEGA, ONE, ONG, ONL, ONLINE, ONYOURSIDE, OOO, OPEN, ORACLE, ORANGE, ORG, ORGANIC, ORIENTEXPRESS, ORIGINS, OSAKA, OTSUKA, OTT, OVH, PA, PAGE, PAMPEREDCHEF, PANASONIC, PANERAI, PARIS, PARS, PARTNERS, PARTS, PARTY, PASSAGENS, PAY, PCCW, PE, PET, PF, PFIZER, PG, PH, PHARMACY, PHILIPS, PHONE, PHOTO, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOS, PHYSIO, PIAGET, PICS, PICTET, PICTURES, PID, PIN, PING, PINK, PIONEER, PIZZA, PK, PL, PLACE, PLAY, PLAYSTATION, PLUMBING, PLUS, PM, PN, PNC, POHL, POKER, POLITIE, PORN, POST, PR, PRAMERICA, PRAXI, PRESS, PRIME, PRO, PROD, PRODUCTIONS, PROF, PROGRESSIVE, PROMO, PROPERTIES, PROPERTY, PROTECTION, PRU, PRUDENTIAL, PS, PT, PUB, PW, PWC, PY, QA, QPON, QUEBEC, QUEST, QVC, RACING, RADIO, RAID, RE, READ, REALESTATE, REALTOR, REALTY, RECIPES, RED, REDSTONE, REDUMBRELLA, REHAB, REISE, REISEN, REIT, RELIANCE, REN, RENT, RENTALS, REPAIR, REPORT, REPUBLICAN, REST, RESTAURANT, REVIEW, REVIEWS, REXROTH, RICH, RICHARDLI, RICOH, RIGHTATHOME, RIL, RIO, RIP, RMIT, RO, ROCHER, ROCKS, RODEO, ROGERS, ROOM, RS, RSVP, RU, RUHR, RUN, RW, RWE, RYUKYU, SA, SAARLAND, SAFE, SAFETY, SAKURA, SALE, SALON, SAMSCLUB, SAMSUNG, SANDVIK, SANDVIKCOROMANT, SANOFI, SAP, SAPO, SARL, SAS, SAVE, SAXO, SB, SBI, SBS, SC, SCA, SCB, SCHAEFFLER, SCHMIDT, SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOOL, SCHULE, SCHWARZ, SCIENCE, SCJOHNSON, SCOR, SCOT, SD, SE, SEAT, SECURE, SECURITY, SEEK, SELECT, SENER, SERVICES, SES, SEVEN, SEW, SEX, SEXY, SFR, SG, SH, SHANGRILA, SHARP, SHAW, SHELL, SHIA, SHIKSHA, SHOES, SHOP, SHOPPING, SHOUJI, SHOW, SHOWTIME, SHRIRAM, SI, SILK, SINA, SINGLES, SITE, SJ, SK, SKI, SKIN, SKY, SKYPE, SL, SLING, SM, SMART, SMILE, SN, SNCF, SO, SOCCER, SOCIAL, SOFTBANK, SOFTWARE, SOHU, SOLAR, SOLUTIONS, SONG, SONY, SOY, SPACE, SPIEGEL, SPOT, SPREADBETTING, SR, SRL, SRT, ST, STADA, STAPLES, STAR, STARHUB, STATEBANK, STATEFARM, STATOIL, STC, STCGROUP, STOCKHOLM, STORAGE, STORE, STREAM, STUDIO, STUDY, STYLE, SU, SUCKS, SUPPLIES, SUPPLY, SUPPORT, SURF, SURGERY, SUZUKI, SV, SWATCH, SWIFTCOVER, SWISS, SX, SY, SYDNEY, SYMANTEC, SYSTEMS, SZ, TAB, TAIPEI, TALK, TAOBAO, TARGET, TATAMOTORS, TATAR, TATTOO, TAX, TAXI, TC, TCI, TD, TDK, TEAM, TECH, TECHNOLOGY, TEL, TELECITY, TELEFONICA, TEMASEK, TENNIS, TEVA, TF, TG, TH, THD, THEATER, THEATRE, TIAA, TICKETS, TIENDA, TIFFANY, TIPS, TIRES, TIROL, TJ, TJMAXX, TJX, TK, TKMAXX, TL, TM, TMALL, TN, TO, TODAY, TOKYO, TOOLS, TOP, TORAY, TOSHIBA, TOTAL, TOURS, TOWN, TOYOTA, TOYS, TR, TRADE, TRADING, TRAINING, TRAVEL, TRAVELCHANNEL, TRAVELERS, TRAVELERSINSURANCE, TRUST, TRV, TT, TUBE, TUI, TUNES, TUSHU, TV, TVS, TW, TZ, UA, UBANK, UBS, UCONNECT, UG, UK, UNICOM, UNIVERSITY, UNO, UOL, UPS, US, UY, UZ, VA, VACATIONS, VANA, VANGUARD, VC, VE, VEGAS, VENTURES, VERISIGN, VERSICHERUNG, VET, VG, VI, VIAJES, VIDEO, VIG, VIKING, VILLAS, VIN, VIP, VIRGIN, VISA, VISION, VISTA, VISTAPRINT, VIVA, VIVO, VLAANDEREN, VN, VODKA, VOLKSWAGEN, VOLVO, VOTE, VOTING, VOTO, VOYAGE, VU, VUELOS, WALES, WALMART, WALTER, WANG, WANGGOU, WARMAN, WATCH, WATCHES, WEATHER, WEATHERCHANNEL, WEBCAM, WEBER, WEBSITE, WED, WEDDING, WEIBO, WEIR, WF, WHOSWHO, WIEN, WIKI, WILLIAMHILL, WIN, WINDOWS, WINE, WINNERS, WME, WOLTERSKLUWER, WOODSIDE, WORK, WORKS, WORLD, WOW, WS, WTC, WTF, XBOX, XEROX, XFINITY, XIHUAN, XIN, XPERIA, XXX, XYZ, YACHTS, YAHOO, YAMAXUN, YANDEX, YE, YODOBASHI, YOGA, YOKOHAMA, YOU, YOUTUBE, YT, YUN, ZA, ZAPPOS, ZARA, ZERO, ZIP, ZIPPO, ZM, ZONE, ZUERICH, ZW
Generic top-level domains, abbreviated as gTLD, are the most common domains that most people have heard of, such as .COM, .ORG, .NET, and .INFO.
The following are all the generic top-level domains used worldwide:
Generic Top-Level Domains
.academy, .agency, .asia, .bargains, .bid, .bike, .biz, .boutique, .builders, .buzz, .ca, .cab, .camera, .camp, .cards, .careers, .catering, .center, .cheap, .cleaning, .clothing, .club, .co, .codes, .coffee, .com, .community, .company, .computer, .condos, .construction, .contractors, .cool, .cruises, .dance, .dating, .democrat, .diamonds, .directory, .domains, .education, .email, .enterprises, .equipment, .estate, .events, .expert, .exposed, .farm, .flights, .florist, .foundation, .futbol, .gallery, .glass, .graphics, .guru, .holdings, .holiday, .house, .immobilien, .industries, .info, .ink, .institute, .international, .kitchen, .land, .lighting, .limo, .maison, .management, .marketing, .me, .mobi, .net, .ninja, .org, .partners, .parts, .photography, .photos, .plumbing, .productions, .properties, .recipes, .rentals, .repair, .reviews, .shoes, .singles, .social, .solar, .solutions, .supplies, .supply, .support, .systems, .technology, .tienda, .tips, .today, .tools, .trade, .training, .uno, .us, .vacations, .ventures, .viajes, .villas, .voyage, .watch, .webcam, .wiki, .works, .ws, .xxx, .xyz, .zone
Generic-restricted top-level domains, abbreviated as Generic-Restricted TLDs, are similar to generic TLDs but have stricter qualifications and verification, e.g., .BIZ is for businesses, .NAME is for individuals, and .PRO is for certified professionals.
Sponsored top-level domains, abbreviated as sTLDs.
| .AERO | Reserved for members of the air transportation industry |
| .ASIA | Limited to Pan-Asian and Asia-Pacific regions |
| .CAT | Reserved for the Catalan language and culture community |
| .COOP | Reserved for cooperatives |
| .EDU | Reserved for accredited post-secondary institutions on the list of the U.S. Department of Education |
| .GOV | Reserved for the U.S. government |
| .INT | Only for organizations established by international treaty |
| .JOBS | Reserved for HR managers |
| .MIL | Reserved for the U.S. military |
| .MOBI | Reserved for consumers and providers of mobile products and services |
| .MUSEUM | Reserved for museums |
| .TEL | Reserved for businesses and individuals to publish their contact data |
| .TRAVEL | Reserved for entities whose primary business is the travel industry |
Country code top-level domains, abbreviated as ccTLDs, are typically used for specific countries or territories.
All ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all two-letter top-level domains are ccTLDs.
Examples of ccTLDs include: .NZ (New Zealand), .AU (Australia), .CN (China), .IN (India), .UK (United Kingdom), .US (United States)
Reserved top-level domains are those set aside by the domain organization IANA for a variety of purposes, including infrastructure, testing, and support for international organizations.
蘊藏許多助人的知識與智慧。