Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is a domain name?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**A domain name** is a **human-readable name for a resource on the internet**, used **instead of an IP address**, that indicates **how to find a site or service**. **Key point:** a domain name is not the same as an IP address - it is translated into one via DNS and used to access sites and services.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**A domain name** is a **human-readable name for a resource on the internet**, used **instead of an IP address**, that indicates **how to find a site or service**. In simpler terms: **a domain name is the name of a site that a person types in**. --- ## Why a domain name is needed Computers work with IP addresses, for example: ``` 93.184.216.34 ``` Such addresses are inconvenient for people, so names are used instead: - `google.com` - `github.com` - `example.org` **A domain name makes the internet convenient for people**, while DNS is what turns it into an IP address. --- ## How a domain name is used When you type in the browser: ``` example.com ``` the following happens: 1. the browser takes the **domain name** 2. it finds out the IP address through DNS 3. it connects to the server by IP The domain name itself is **not a server and not a site**, it is a **pointer** used to find them. --- ## What a domain name consists of Take this example: ``` www.example.com ``` ### 1. Top-level domain (TLD) ``` .com ``` - indicates the domain zone - examples: `.com`, `.ua`, `.org`, `.net`, and others --- ### 2. Second-level domain ``` example ``` - the site's main name - most often the name of a company or project --- ### 3. Subdomain (optional) ``` www ``` - used to separate services - can be: `api.example.com`, `mail.example.com` --- ## Important point for an interview - a domain name **is not the same as an IP address** - one domain can point to: - one IP - several IPs (load balancing) - the IP can change while the domain name stays the same --- ## Real-life example A domain name is like: - a person's name in a phone book - you know the name, but the number can change DNS is the phone book itself. --- ## Short interview answer Remember this formulation: > **A domain name is a character-based, human-friendly name for a resource on the internet that DNS translates into an IP address and that is used to access sites and services.**For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.