D
Domain Name
Definition
A domain name is the human-readable address people type to reach your site — and the one asset in your setup you should never let expire.
In plain English
Servers find each other using IP addresses, which look like 192.0.2.41. Nobody remembers those. A domain name is a friendly label that points at one.
You don't buy a domain outright. You rent the exclusive right to use it, usually a year at a time, from a registrar.
Why it matters
Your domain is your brand's front door and the anchor for every link, every email address and every bit of SEO you will ever earn.
Hosting can be replaced in an afternoon. A domain lost to an expired credit card can take months to recover — or never come back.
How it works
- Choose and registerShort, sayable, and spellable over the phone without repeating yourself.
- Point it somewhereUpdate nameservers or DNS records so the domain resolves to your host.
- Wait for propagationUsually minutes. Occasionally a few hours.
- Lock it downAuto-renew on, registrar lock on, two-factor on the registrar account.
Own it in your own name
Register the domain in your own account, at your own registrar. Not your developer's, not your agency's. If you can't log in and see it, you don't control it.
Watch it in a real build
Related terms
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