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---
title: "Get a Domain Name"
tags: ["basic"]
date: 2021-06-01
---
## Terms
Domain name
: The name of a website that you type in an address bar. This site\'s
domain name is `chad.thesiah.xyz`.
Top-level domain (TLD)
: The extension of a domain name, like `.com`, `.net`, `.xyz`, etc.
Registrar
: A service authorized to reserve a domain name for you.
When domain names first sell, they usually sell for very cheap, but once
someone buys one, they have the rights to it until they decide to sell
it, often for much, much more money. Therefore, it\'s a good idea to
reserve a domain name ASAP, even if you didn\'t intend on doing anything
big with it.
So let\'s register your domain name!
## How
Domains can be registered at any accredited <dfn>registrar</dfn> and there are
[a lot to choose from](https://www.icann.org/en/accredited-registrars). Some major names are
[Host Gator](https://www.hostgator.com/domains),
[Blue Host](https://www.bluehost.com/domains),
[Name Cheap](https://www.namecheap.com/domains/) or
[Dream Host](https://www.dreamhost.com/domains/).
There are also sites that are more private, like [Njalla](https://njal.la/) and
[Cheap Privacy](https://cheapprivacy.ru/), which register a domain for you
under their name, but still allow you access to it. (Normally all websites must
be registered with the ICANN with a real name and address, but these sites
allow you to bypass that.)
Choosing a registrar is not permanent, and you can transfer domains to a
different registrar if you get a better deal later, so in most cases, you can just
choose one and let's head on...
### Basic info about domain names
- Domain names usually require a _very_ small yearly fee to keep
registered, usually around \$12 for most generic TLDs. There are
some \"specialty\" TLDs that are more expensive, but `.com`, `.xyz`
and other basic TLDs are that cheap.
- Once you own a domain, it is yours as long as you pay the yearly
fee, but you can also sell it to someone for however much you want.
- Domain names do not hold your data or your website; instead, you add
\"DNS settings\" that direct people connecting to your domain to
your IP address. The purpose of a domain name is so that people
don\'t have to remember your IP address to find your website!
### Looking for domain names
Let\'s go to our registrar's site and you can search for domain names.
You can look for whatever domain name you want. Domains that are already
bought and owned by someone else might have the option to \"Backorder,\"
but it\'s always best to get one that is unowned, like these:
{{< img alt="Searching for a domain name" src="/pix/domain-search.png" link="/pix/domain-search.png" >}}
Note the differences in prices. Some \"specialty\" TLDs like `.game` and
`.io` charge a much larger fee, although you might want one. Some
domains above, like `.xyz` and `.org` have reduced prices for the first
year.
Choose the domain you want and buy it. These `.xyz` domains are a steal
now on sale.
{{< img alt="Buying a domain name" src="/pix/domain-cart.png" link="/pix/domain-cart.png" >}}
That\'s all you have to do to own a domain name! As you register a
domain, you can also setup an automatic payment to pay your fee yearly
to keep your domain. Easy as pie.
Now we will get a server to host your website on.
|
