TLD (top-level domain)
A top-level domain (TLD) is the last label in a domain name, the part after the final dot, such as .com, .net, or a two-letter country code like .uk; the authoritative list of all TLDs is published by IANA as the DNS root zone. TLDs fall into a few categories: generic TLDs (gTLDs) like .com and .org, country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) like .de or .jp, and newer generic TLDs delegated under ICANN's expansion program since 2012, such as .app or .shop. Each TLD is operated by a registry under contract with ICANN -- a delegation model originally described in RFC 1591 -- which accredits the registrars that sell domain names under it. A domain's registration details, including its registry, registrar, and expiry date, are published through WHOIS or the newer RDAP protocol. AdminKit's WHOIS tool looks up this registration data for any domain, regardless of which TLD it's registered under.
By AdminKit team, Netbase JSC · Updated