Every Major gTLD Explained (And When to Use Each One)

Your domain name helps you, your company, or your brand stand out. But choosing your domain is about more than just the name. You also need to consider the extension which is the very last part of the domain name before any “/” symbol but after the name. The extension tells you what type of domain you’re purchasing.

Many people opt for a generic top-level domain (gTLD). These differ from ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) because they’re recognizable and usable anywhere in the world. Examples of gTLDs include .com and .org. In this article, you’ll discover the top five gTLDs and why people opt to use each one.

The Top Five Generic Domains

Do you know your .com from your .mil? Which should you use for your business website? We’ve got the critical differences between each of these gTLDs and the best uses for each right here.

1. .com

The extension .com was originally associated with commerce or commercial businesses. Today, it’s almost synonymous with authoritative, “official” sites for brands, influencers, and a range of organizations. Purchasing a “dot com” domain allows you to create a credible online presence and build trust with consumers and visitors. Also, if you want to sell your domain for any reason, a .com variant is more likely to keep its value. However, .com isn’t the only trusted gTLD and isn’t always the best choice. Academic organizations or non-profits may want to reassure viewers that they’re not a commercial enterprise. They may use one of the following gTLDs instead.

2. .org

This gTLD has been around as long as .com — since 1985. It’s another extension that brings credibility to your brand. However, it’s generally associated with non-commercial organizations. You can still use .org if you’re a business, but you may confuse searchers and not get as much website traffic. Entities typically using .org include charities, community organizations, and informational websites.

3. .net

Short for “network,” .net is another of the original TLDs and was originally used to highlight web resources connected to networking technologies. Today, .net is a respected alternative extension for when the .com of a business’s preferred domain name isn’t available. A .net site tends to get similar levels of traffic to .com websites, although this largely depends on the SEO skills of website administrators/content creators. For larger enterprises or brands that rely on a supremely professional image, .net might not convey the image you want.

4. .gov

The .gov extension stands for “government,” and is exclusively used for governmental organizations within the United States. The .gov.uk sites in the United Kingdom look similar but there, .gov.uk is the domain name combined with a ccTLD. For a long time, .gov was only in use for federal sites. Today, local and state governing bodies can also use .gov. Interestingly, research into consumer trust ratings suggests that .com sites are considered more trustworthy than .gov.

5. .mil

The .mil gTLD stands for military and is solely for use by the United States Department of Defense (DoD). No other country has a separate TLD for military use. This is probably because the U.S. military was fundamental in the creation of the internet as we know it today. The DoD does have some .com sites as well as .mil. These tend to be the “customer-facing” sites, such as army recruiting websites. Military academies may also use the .edu TDL to differentiate these sites as educational only.

Find Your Generic Domain With Register.Domains

Choosing the right generic domain is a matter of considering your purpose and your branding. If you want your website to highlight charitable events, a .org is probably best. If you’re selling something or building a brand, .com is a great option. However, .net is also well-respected by internet users. You could also use either .org or .net if you’re creating an online repository of information or an entertainment website.

Of course, there are many more gTLDs for you to choose from than the five highlighted above. In fact, there are well over a thousand available in the world today, and more are becoming available all the time. It’s easier than ever to pick gTLDs that relate to your company, like .travel or .law. And you can find a domain like that today – search gTLDs with Register.Domains to find the right extension for your organization.