What is a domain name?
A domain name is your website's address on the internet: what people type into a browser to reach you, such as google.com or mailpro.com. Behind every domain is a numeric IP address that computers use to find the server; the DNS system translates the easy-to-remember name into that address.
The same domain also powers your professional email ([email protected]), and it is what mailbox providers use to check that your emails really come from you.
Parts of a domain name
- The name: the part you choose, for example yourcompany.
- The extension or TLD: what comes after the dot, such as .com or .co.uk.
- Subdomains (optional): a part in front of the name, such as shop.yourcompany.com or news.yourcompany.com, which you create yourself without registering anything new.
Types of domains
| Type | Examples | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Generic (gTLD) | .com, .net, .org | The best known; open to any person or business |
| Country code (ccTLD) | .us, .uk, .ca, .fr | Signal that you target a country; each registry sets its own rules, and some require a link to that country |
| New generic | .shop, .online, .nyc | Topic or city extensions, useful when the .com is taken |
How to register a domain
- Check availability on a domain registrar's website.
- Pick the extension: a .com for an international audience, your country's extension for a local one.
- Register it in your name or your company's and pay the fee, usually yearly; turn on auto-renewal so you don't lose it.
- Connect it to web hosting, bought from the same company or another, by pointing the DNS records.
- Create your email addresses on the domain with your email provider.
Do I need my own domain for email marketing?
In practice, yes. Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate their own domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. If you send campaigns through an email platform from a free address such as @gmail.com or @outlook.com, DMARC authentication fails and your campaigns land in spam or get rejected.
With your own domain you can publish those records in your DNS, build your own sender reputation and look trustworthy. See domain names for email marketing and our guide to email authentication with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. To keep marketing and transactional mail apart, read about sending subdomains.
Tips for choosing a good domain
- Short, easy to type and easy to spell out over the phone.
- No hyphens or numbers if you can avoid them.
- Consistent with your brand name.
- Also register close variants and your country extension to protect the brand.
- Use the same domain for your website and your emails so people recognize you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a domain name cost?
Most common extensions cost from a few dollars to around $20 a year; some premium or new extensions cost more. The renewal price can differ from the first-year price.
Are a domain and web hosting the same thing?
No. The domain is the address; hosting is the server that stores your website files. You can buy them together or separately.
Can I use my domain to send newsletters with Mailpro?
Yes. You add your domain as a sender and set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC; the step-by-step guides are in the FAQs for SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
Mailpro and your domain
Send your campaigns from your own authenticated domain
Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC step by step, protect your sender reputation and send from servers hosted in Switzerland under the GDPR.
