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The domain glossary explains key terms from the world of domains in a short and easy-to-understand way. It is aimed at beginners, website operators and anyone who wants to classify domain-related technical terms more quickly. More detailed information can be found on the respective topic pages where terms are linked.
Admin-C (Administrative Contact)
Historical term: Until 2018, the Admin-C was the administrative contact person for .de domains. With the introduction of the GDPR, this function was abolished at DENIC. Today, communication usually takes place directly via the domain holder or the registrar.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
An international standard for character encoding. It defines 128 characters, including letters, numbers and control characters, and forms an important basis for many technical internet protocols.
Auth-Code (Authorization Code / Transfer Code)
An individual security code required for transferring a domain to a new registrar. Without this code, a domain transfer is not possible in many cases.
A pre-order or monitoring service for domains that are currently not available for registration but may become available later. Such services are used in order to react quickly if a domain is released.
Billing-C (Billing Contact)
A historical or formerly more common term. Responsible for billing matters in relation to the registrar or registry. In many TLDs, this role no longer exists in its classic form or has been replaced by central administrative models.
ccTLD (Country Code Top-Level Domain)
Country-specific domain extensions consisting of two letters, for example .de for Germany, .fr for France or .at for Austria.
Cybersquatting
The abusive registration of domains that contain trademarks or well-known names, with the intention of later gaining commercial advantage or putting pressure on the rightful owner.
DENIC
The central registry for all .de domains, based in Frankfurt am Main. It manages the technical operation and the allocation of the top-level domain .de.
Dispute (DENIC Dispute Entry)
A special procedure at DENIC that allows rights holders to secure a domain name against transfer to third parties. If the domain is deleted, it does not become freely available, but instead passes to the applicant of the dispute entry.
DNS (Domain Name System)
A hierarchical system that translates domain names into IP addresses. Without DNS, websites could not be accessed via names, but only via numerical addresses.
Domain Lookup
The technical or public check to determine whether a domain is available or already registered. Depending on the registry or system, additional status information may also be displayed.
An assessment of the economic or practical value a domain name may have. Factors such as brevity, clarity, memorability, demand, the domain extension and potential uses all play a role in this assessment.
Domain Extension
A generally understandable term for the ending of a domain, meaning the part to the right of the dot. Technically, this is usually referred to as the top-level domain (TLD).
Domain Grabbing
The mass or strategic registration of domains in the expectation of reselling them later at a profit. Depending on the individual case, it must be distinguished from legitimate domain trading or abusive registrations.
Domain Holder (Registrant)
The person or organisation in whose name a domain is registered. The domain holder is the central legal and organisational point of attribution for a domain.
The practice of placing advertising pages or placeholders on unused domains until they are sold or used by the owner.
Domainportfolio
The total collection of domains owned by a holder or company. For domain traders, investors and larger projects, a portfolio is often an important part of marketing and administration.
Domain Registrar (Registrar)
Ein akkreditiertes Unternehmen, das Domainregistrierungen für Endkunden durchführt und als Schnittstelle zwischen Kunde und Registry fungiert.
The process of registering a domain name with a registry via a registrar. Only after successful registration does the customer obtain the rights to use the domain.
Domain Renewal
The extension of a domain’s registration period, usually at fixed intervals. If no renewal takes place, the domain can be deleted after expiry.
Domain Transfer
The transfer of a domain from one registrar to another or from one holder to another. This usually requires an auth code and the consent of the domain holder.
EURid
The registry for .eu domains, based in Brussels. Responsible for the administration, operation and allocation of the European top-level domain .eu.
First Come, First Served
The allocation principle used by many registries: the domain is awarded to the party that successfully registers it first.
Generic Domain
A domain consisting of a generic or descriptive term, for example a common noun or industry term. Such domains are often in demand because they can be easy to understand and commercially useful.
gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)
Generic domain extensions such as .com, .net or .org. Unlike country-specific extensions, they are not tied to a single country.
Hosting / Webhosting
A service provided by a hosting company that supplies storage space and technical infrastructure for publishing a website.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
The international organisation responsible for the coordination of global domain names and IP addresses. It also plays a central role in the introduction and management of new top-level domains.
IDN (Internationalized Domain Name)
Domain names with special characters or non-ASCII script characters, for example münchen.de. Such domains allow the use of language-specific characters in internet addresses.
Trademark law
An umbrella term for legal rights relating to business names, trademarks and trade names. In the context of domains, this is particularly important where domain names might conflict with prior rights held by third parties.
Keyword
A search term used in search engines to find content. Keywords also play a role in the selection, valuation and marketing of domains.
Landing Page
A specially designed webpage that specifically receives visitors after they click a link, an advertisement or a domain, often with a concrete offer or form.
Landrush Phase
An early registration phase for new domain extensions in which domains can be registered before general public release, usually for higher fees.
A collective term for legal protection rights relating to business designations, trademarks and other distinctive signs. In connection with domains, this is especially important if domain names may collide with older third-party rights.
The price that is demanded or achieved for an already registered domain in an actual sale. It should not be equated with the normal registration fee for available domains.zen.
The area of law that protects the names of natural and legal persons. In connection with domains, name rights can become relevant when several parties claim a legitimate interest in the same name.
Nameserver
Servers responsible for assigning domain names to the correct technical destination systems. They ensure that a domain points to the right website, email configuration or other services.
New gTLDs are new generic domain extensions such as .shop, .online, .app, or .store. They expand the domain market and create additional opportunities when suitable terms under classic extensions are already taken. If you would like a concise overview of the advantages, criticism, premium domains, and the role of new extensions in domain trading, you can find more information on our “New gTLDs” subpage.
nic.at
The Austrian registry for .at domains, based in Salzburg. Responsible for the administration, operation and allocation of the top-level domain .at.
PageRank
A historical algorithm developed by Google for evaluating websites on the basis of the number and quality of incoming links.
Premium Domain
A domain regarded as especially valuable because of its quality, brevity, meaning or demand. Such domains are often traded at higher market prices than ordinary domain names.
Provider (ISP)
A company that provides internet access and often also offers additional services such as hosting, email or domain registrations.
Punycode
A method for converting special characters in domain names into an ASCII-compatible format. It is used for internationalized domain names.
Quarantäne (Redemption Grace Period)
A period after the deletion of a domain during which it is deactivated but can still be restored by the original holder. After this period expires, the domain becomes available for registration again.
Registration Fee
The fee charged for registering or renewing an available domain with a registrar. It depends, among other things, on the domain extension and the respective provider.
Sunrise Period
The exclusive registration phase of new top-level domains in which trademark owners have priority in securing their domains.
Tech-C (Technical Contact)
The contact person for technical aspects of a domain, for example DNS or nameserver administration. Depending on the registry and the domain extension, this role is handled differently today.t.
TMCH (Trademark Clearinghouse)
A central database for trademark rights introduced by ICANN in connection with new gTLDs. It serves to protect trademarks during domain registrations.
Top-Level-Domain (TLD)
The extension of an internet address, meaning the part to the right of the dot. Examples include .de, .com, .eu or .org. A TLD can be country-specific, generic or topic-specific.
Type-In Traffic
Direct visits to a domain by entering the name into the browser address bar. This type of traffic can be particularly valuable in the case of short, memorable or very well-known domains.
UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy)
An arbitration procedure developed by ICANN that allows trademark owners to take action against abusive domain registrations.
Unicode
A worldwide standard for representing characters that covers almost all languages and also forms the basis for internationalized domain names.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
The full internet address of a resource, consisting of the protocol such as http or https, the domain and, where applicable, additional path information.
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
A specialised agency of the United Nations based in Geneva. Among other things, it is well known for international procedures for resolving domain disputes.
WHOIS
A public query system for domain registrations. Since the GDPR, many details, such as data relating to domain holders, are only visible to a limited extent.
Zone-C (Zone Contact)
A historical term for a contact person responsible for the technical zone files of a domain. Today, this role is usually no longer common or has been replaced by other technical responsibilities.