A top-level domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name, located to the right of the dot. For example, in the domain name "dynadot.com", ".com" is the TLD.

TLDs are categorized into several types: generic, country code, sponsored, and geographic.

• Generic TLDs, or gTLDs, include widely used extensions such as .COM, .NET, and .ORG. These domains are open for registration by anyone, making them the most commonly used TLDs worldwide.

• Country code TLDs (ccTLDs) are designated for specific countries based on ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes (in most cases, there are a few exceptions). Examples include:
  • .US (United States)
  • .UK (United Kingdom)
  • .DE (Germany)
  • .CA (Canada)
  • .NL (Netherlands)
• Some ccTLDs are restricted to residents of the respective country, while others are open for global registration. Additionally, certain ccTLDs are marketed for broader uses beyond their original country. These versatile ccTLDs are sometimes referred to as gccTLDs. For instance:
  • .ME (Montenegro) is popular for personal websites.
  • .CO (Colombia) is widely used as an alternative to .COM.

• Sponsored TLDs (sTLDs) are specialized domain extensions that have a sponsor behind them that represents a specific community that the domain will serve. For example, ".XXX" is a sTLD intended for adult websites.

• GeoTLDs represent specific cities or geographic areas. Examples include:
  • .NYC (New York City)
  • .ASIA (Asia-Pacific region)
  • .TOKYO (Tokyo, Japan)

• You may have heard of the new TLDs as well. Starting in 2014, many new TLDs were released. New TLDs, also known as nTLDs, are domain extensions introduced as part of ICANN's domain expansion program starting in 2014. These TLDs provide more specialized and creative options beyond traditional extensions. Examples include:
  • .BLOG (for bloggers and content creators)
  • .SHOP (for e-commerce businesses)
  • .TECH (for technology-related sites)
  • .APP (for mobile and web applications)