Top-Level Domains (TLDs)

There are over 1,500 top-level domains (TLDs) available. Here's an overview of the most relevant ones, organized by category.

The classics

These are the TLDs most people think of first. They're universally recognized and work for almost any type of website.

• .com — The default. If you can get the .com, get the .com.
• .org — Originally for organizations, now open to anyone. Common for nonprofits and open-source projects.
• .net — Short for "network." A solid alternative when .com is taken, though less memorable.
• .info — Open to anyone. Less prestigious than .com but still widely recognized.

Popular alternatives

These newer TLDs have gained enough traction to feel familiar, especially in the tech and startup world.

• .co — Technically Colombia's country code, but widely used as a .com alternative. Be aware that visitors may accidentally type .com instead.
• .io — The British Indian Ocean Territory's country code, adopted by the tech industry. Google treats it as generic.
• .ai — Anguilla's country code, now synonymous with artificial intelligence. Very popular and priced accordingly.
• .app — Google-owned TLD popular with app developers. Requires HTTPS.
• .dev — Another Google-owned TLD, popular with developers. Also requires HTTPS.
• .xyz — One of the most popular new TLDs. Affordable for standard names, but short/premium names can have steep renewal fees.
• .me — Montenegro's country code, commonly used for personal sites and portfolios.

Industry-specific TLDs

These can work well if they match your business, though they're less universally recognized.

• .shop / .store — E-commerce
• .blog — Blogs and content sites
• .design — Design agencies and portfolios
• .agency — Agencies and consultancies
• .studio — Creative studios
• .health / .clinic — Healthcare
• .law / .legal — Legal services
• .finance / .money — Financial services
• .tech — Technology companies
• .games / .play — Gaming
• .food / .recipes — Food and cooking
• .travel — Travel industry
• .music — Music industry
• .art — Art and galleries

Country code TLDs

Every country has its own two-letter TLD. Some are restricted to residents, others are open to anyone. Here are the most commonly encountered ones:

• .us — United States
• .uk — United Kingdom
• .ca — Canada (restricted to Canadian presence)
• .de — Germany
• .fr — France
• .nl — Netherlands
• .au — Australia (restricted)
• .jp — Japan
• .in — India
• .br — Brazil
• .eu — European Union

Keep in mind that search engines may assume your site targets the country associated with the ccTLD. See Generic Country Code TLDs for exceptions.

Domain hack favorites

These short country code TLDs are popular for domain hacks — where the TLD forms part of the word.

• .ly — Libya (e.g., bit.ly)
• .st — São Tomé (e.g., betali.st)
• .is — Iceland (e.g., this.is)
• .it — Italy (e.g., do.it)
• .al — Albania (e.g., option.al)
• .er — Eritrea (e.g., listen.er)
• .am — Armenia (e.g., instagr.am)
• .at — Austria (e.g., cre.at)
• .es — Spain (e.g., not.es)
• .to — Tonga (e.g., go.to)
• .im — Isle of Man (e.g., pess.im)
• .us — United States (e.g., foc.us)

Restricted TLDs

These require you to meet specific criteria to register.

• .gov — U.S. government entities only
• .edu — Accredited educational institutions only
• .mil — U.S. military only
• .jobs — Employment-related sites
• .bank — Verified banking institutions only
• .pharmacy — Verified pharmacies only

Finding the full list

IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) maintains the official root zone database with every TLD in existence. For a more browsable format, try Namecheap's bulk search which lets you check availability across 1,000+ TLDs at once.