Key Terms & Definitions

AGP is the acronym for Add Grace Period. It refers to the 5 day period after an initial domain name registration in which time a registrar would be able to cancel any registration without incurring an expense. Originally, this 5 day grace period was put in place to help protect registrars from incurring an expense in case domains are registered with bad payments, credit card fraud, etc.

API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is an interface that has been implemented by a software program, enabling it to interact with additional software. Similar to how a user interface facilitates interaction between computers and humans, an API facilitates interaction between software programs. Instead of writing functions from scratch, the API allows programmers to use predefined functions to interact with the operating system. End users also benefit, since all programs using the API will have a similar user interface.

AREC, also known as A-Record, is the term used for 'Address Records' in DNS. The purpose of the A-Record is to map a domain name or hostname to its numeric IP address, handled at the name server on which the domain name lives. For example, the A Record may map the domain google.com to 209.85.171.99 (just one of Google's many IP addresses).

See Registry

A Backorder, often referred to as a domain backorder, is the process of submitting a request to purchase a currently registered domain name. In order to backorder a domain, a service that specializes in domain backorders must be used. The benefit of using a backorder service is that users increase their chances of registering the domain before others. Some registrars provide backorder services to domains that they manage. Backorder services typically charge a flat fee, but in the event that there is more than one potential buyer, they may sell in an auction format.

ccTLD is an abbreviation for country code Top Level Domains. They are domains that have two letters to the right of the last period in a domain name, such as in www.domainname.au (Australia), www.domiainname.ar (Argentina) and www.domainname.jp (Japan), are top level Internet domains that correspond to a sovereign state, territory, or other geographic location. They can also contain 4 letters such as CO.UK. See IANA country code Top Level Domains for a complete list of current ccTLDs.

A CName record, or Canonical Name record, is a record in the Domain Name System (DNS) that defines that one domain name is an alias of another canonical domain name. This is helpful when running multiple services from just one IP address. CNames are often used with subdomains and it can be useful when redirecting traffic from from a non-www. version of your domain name to a www. version of your domain name. For example, you can set up a CName so that visitors to http://things.example.com, would direct to http://www.example.com.

Cybersquatting refers to the act of knowingly managing a domain name that is confusingly similar or matches an established trademark. Therefore, the term cybersquatter refers to the organization or individual that is engaging in the cybersquatting. Note that domaining and cybersquatting have been incorrectly confused by some media sources, though it's important to know that the terms are not the same.

Direct Navigation, also known as "Type-In Traffic", refers to when users type a web address into the browser URL bar, bypassing search engines or other types of Internet links. This common practice heavily contributed to the tremendous value of strong keyword domain names and the overall growth of the domain name market. Direct navigation is basically 'free' Internet traffic to a given domain name.

Dmoz (which stems from it's original domain name of directory.mozilla.org) is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links that is also known as Open Directory Project (ODP). Dmoz is constructed and maintained by a global community of volunteer editors.

In light of how the World Wide Web continues to grow, the purpose of the project is to provide a means for the Internet to organize itself separate from the algorithmic ways that search engines attempt to make order from the increasing amount of content available on the web.

DNS security extensions, or DNSSEC, address the problem of DNS cache poisoning by providing a set of DNS extensions which provide origin authentication and integrity checks of DNS data. DNSSEC, however, is only truly effective if a particular TLD zone is DNS protected, and this requires implementation by registries. The Public Interest Registry, the registry for .org, is the first registry to implement DNSSEC but many other registries have implemented the service.

Domain Front Running is when a Whois or other domain lookup service harvests user search data for the purpose of registering potentially valuable domains. Be sure to work with a registrar you trust if you are doing Whois queries. DomainTools has never, nor will ever, participate in Domain Front Running and our users should have confidence doing all of their Whois queries on our services.

Domain Kiting refers to the process of registering a domain name, deleting it within the 5-day add grace period, and then immediately registering it once more for another 5-day period so as to get the benefits of continuous ownership without incurring registration fees.

Domain Names are host names that the Domain Name System (DNS) uses to identify and map to websites and other Internet Protocol (IP) resources.

Read our complete Learn article about Domain names and what they do.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming system that helps users find their way around the Internet. Each resource connected the Internet, such as a computer, has a unique address - just like a telephone number - that is a complicated string of numbers called an "IP address" (IP stands for "Internet Protocol". Because IP Addresses are difficult to remember, the DNS makes using the Internet easier by appropriating a string of letters (the "domain name") to be used instead of complex IP address. So instead of typing 304.252.198.1, you can type www.domaintools.com. It is a "mnemonic" device that makes addresses easier to remember.

Domain Parking is the practice of directing a domain name to a single dynamic webpage, which then delivers targeted advertising and content related to a specific keyword (usually the domain name). If a web visitor clicks on any of the advertising on the parked page, the domain owner receives revenue.

Domain Suggestions refers to online tools which take a root keyword or domain name string and generate multiple, similar offshoots for the usual purpose of suggesting other domain names that may be available for registration given that your target name is already taken. DomainTools provides a very useful Domain Suggestions service.

Domain Tasting is the practice of purchasing a domain name that is available and 'tasting' or testing the domain during the 5-day add grace period (AGP) as a way to evaluate the domain's marketability and profitability. If the registrant decides that the domain name is not profitable and they do not wish to add it to their portfolio, the 5-day grace period would allow for a full refund on the registration fee.

Drop Catching, also known as backordering, is the practice of instantly registering a domain name after the expired domain name has been deleted by the registry and released to the public. Many companies offer automated drop catch services that give you a better chance of registering a domain name as soon as it is released, though drop catching can also be done manually.

An expired domain is when the owner of the domain does not pay the renewal fee. When a domain registration expires, it becomes available for new registration. The domain expiration cycle is as follows:

If a domain name is up for renewal but renewal payment has not been received and the registration expires, many things may happen at once:
--the registry may charge the registrar money so the domain can be kept for a short period of time
--The domain may be put on hold by the registrar, sometimes modifying the domain's old nameserver information or deleting it. If the domain's nameservers were modified by the registrar, the new information typically points to either a page that explains that the site is expired or the registrar's website.
--As a result of being put on hold, the user loses the ability to transfer the domain name to another registrar
--Most registrars have a 'grace period' after a domain name has expired in which the orginal owner of the domain name may be able to pay to renew their domain name, therefore reactivating their account and removing it from 'expired' status. Some registrars may charge an additional administrative 'penalty fee' to renew domain names during their grace period.
--After the grace period expires and a .com domain name has still not been renewed, it enters the redemption period. Domain owners typically pay a large fee during this period in order to renew the domain and return it to active status. At the end of this cycle, the existing domain owner has lost all control over their domain name and can no longer renew it.
--The domain name goes into the 'pending delete' status for 5 days.If the domain name is a desirable one, there may be interested parties who will try to secure it as soon as it is deleted, often using a backordering service
--Once the domain name is back on the market, the Registry refunds the holding charge that they had charged the registrar.

In order to successfully recover an expired domain name, be sure to stay aware of when domain names are expiring. DomainTools has services that alert you— Domain Monitor

The Generic Names Support Organization (GNSO) is responsible for developing policy for the domain name system. The GNSO advises the ICANN Board on issues relating to generic top level domains. As an example, in August 2007, the GNSO provided 19 "recommendations" and 17 "implementation guidelines" to ICANN for the introduction of new gTLDs into the domain name system.

The GNSO is the body of 6 constituencies, as follows: the Commercial and Business constituency, the gTLD Registry constituency, the ISP constituency, the non-commercial constituency, the registrar's constituency, and the Intellectual Property constituency (which represents brand owners).

Most Top Level Domains (TLDs) with three or more characters are referred to as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs". They can be subdivided into two types, "unsponsored" TLDs (uTLDs) and "sponsored TLDs (sTLDs).

Generally speaking, unsponsored TLDs (including .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info) operate under policies established by the global Internet community directly through the ICANN process, while sponsored TLDs (including .aero, .coop, .edu, .jobs, .mobi, and .museum) are specialized TLDs that have Sponsors representing the narrower community that is most affected by the TLD. The Sponsor carries out delegated policy-formulation responsibilities over many matters concerning the TLD.

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and it is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. HTTP is a networking protocol that is designed to allow network elements to enable or improve communications between servers and clients. In the client-server computing model, HTTP functions as a request-response protocol. For example, in HTTP, a web browser acts as a client while an application running on a computer hosting a website acts as a server. A client is often referred to as a user agent (UA). A web crawler, also known as a spider, is another example of a common type of user agent or client. The client sends an HTTP request message to the server, which stores content and provides resources such as images and HTML files, or generates that type of content as required, or performs other functions on the client's behalf, or returns a response message to the client.

The majority of domain names are registered in ASCII characters (A to Z, 0 to 9, and the hyphen "-"). However, other non-English languages such as Spanish and French that use non-latin scripts such as Kanji and Arabic can't be rendered in ASCII.

An Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) is an Internet domain name or web address that is represented by local language characters. For example, here is the IDN for Starbucks Korea: http://xn--oy2b35ckwhba574atvuzkc.com/. IDNs enable domain names in non-ASCII characters, helping to improve the functionality and accessibility of the Internet. IDNs empower companies to maintain a single brand identity in many scripts and more Web users can navigate the Internet in their preferred script.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is an organization that controls numbers for protocols, DNS root zone for both ccTLDs & gTLDs, and maintains the IP Address allotments. IANA is managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation that is responsible for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions.

ICANN is a public-private partnership that is dedicated to:
- Preserving the operational stability of the Internet
- Achieving broad representation of global Internet communities
- Developing policy appropriate to its mission through bottom-up, consensus-based processes
- Promoting competition

IP stands for Internet Protocol. It's the method or protocol by which data is transmitted from one computer to the other across any network.

An IP address is a string of numbers that is unique to each resource that is connected to the Internet, such as a computer. IP addresses have two principal functions: identifying hosts or network interfaces and location addressing. Although they are stored as binary numbers, IP addresses are usually displayed in notations that are readable by humans. An example of an IP address is 165.23.656.1.

First thing to note is that the 'IP' component in 'IPv6' stands for IP Address. An IP address is a string of numbers that is unique to each resource that is connected to the Internet, such as a computer.

The current scheme for IP address assignment, in operation since 1981, is identified by the version number. The current scheme of IP Address assignment is IPv4, but there is an impending change where IPv6 is the version designed to succeed it. The primary reason behind introducing IPv6 was due to address exhaustion. Here is how the number of IP addresses available will increase:

IPv4: 4,294,967,296 addresses.
IPv6: 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses.

The top benefits associated with IPv6 include avoiding address exhaustion with larger address space and simplifying address assignment and network renumbering when Internet connectivity providers are changed. However, there are some concerns around IPv6 security such as tunneling, insecure neighbor discovery, and auto-configuration. To mitigate these concerns, potential vulnerabilities must be researched and thorough testing needs to be done.

A Mail Exchange Record, also known as MX Record, is a DNS record that identifies the mail server where email for a particular domain is to be delivered. A mail server can receive mail for any number of domains. Multiple MX records can be used to identify additional back up servers.

The registry sets a Pending Delete status after a domain has been set in redemption period status and the domain has not been restored by the registrar. Once in this status, all registrar requests to modify or otherwise update the domain will be rejected. The domain will be purged from the registry database after being in this status for 5 calendar days.

The redemption period is the period that begins after a registrar cancels a domain name via the registry. Most commonly, this is due to non-renewal. During redemption period, the registry keeps a hold on the domain name, giving the original domain owner (registrant) a chance to retrieve the domain name for an additional fee. Essentially, the redemption period is a domain owner's last chance to renew their domain name before it is deleted or released. During the redemption period, the domain itself is removed from the zone files in the global DNS, which means that any services associated with the domain name, along with email accounts, will cease to work until the registrar redeems it.

Also called Forwarding, URL redirection for domains and URLS are techniques used on the World Wide Web that help make a web page available under many urls. The purpose for a url or domain redirect includes mistyping domain names, moving sites, logging outgoing links, shortening aliases for long URLs, changing URLs, manipulating search engines and visitors, and phishing attacks.

Registrants are individuals, including those who represent corporations, who register domain names through registrars. The registrant is required to enter a registration contract with the registrar. The contract sets forth the terms that the registrant must agree to before registration is accepted and maintained.

Domain names are registered through different organizations known as registrars. MarkMonitor, for example, is an ICANN -accredited registrar that has an exclusive focus on corporate domain portfolios. You can find a complete listing of registrars is in the Accredited Registrar Directory.

In the registration process, a registrar asks individuals, or "registrants", for various contact and technical information. The role of the registrar is to maintain records of the contact information and to submit the technical information to a central directory known as the "registry".

For more detailed information on registries and registrars, read our Learn article on registries and registrars.

The registry is the master database of all domain names registered in each Top Level Domain (TLD). The registry operator maintains the master database of information and also generates the zone file that allows computers to route Internet traffic to and from top level domains anywhere in the world. Users can register Top Level Domains by using an ICANN -Accredited Registrar. For example, Verisign is the registry for .com and .net among other TLDs.

Reverse IP is a way to identify which web sites are hosted on the same web server by checking a domain name or IP address. DomainToolos has a Reverse IP tool that can help you identify this information - visit the Reverse IP webpage to get started.

Reverse Whois is a reverse DNS lookup that allows you to query DNS servers for current and historical domain records by email addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses.

The root is the list of names and addresses of authoritative servers for TLDs. The root exists above the TLDs and defines a given name space by identifying the nameservers that will answer authoritatively for a TLD. ICANN, for example, manages the root on which the great majority of Internet traffic flows. It is possible to have more than one root and in fact some alternate root servers do exist, but have not gained much popularity to date. The root that ICANN manages is centrally managed, but service of the root zone file is provided by a series of geographically and operationally diverse root servers.

A root nameserver is a DNS server that answers requests for the DNS root zone, and redirects requests for a particular TLD to that TLD's nameservers. Although any local implementation of DNS can implement its own private root nameservers, the term "root nameserver" is generally used to describeserver that make up the Domain Name System.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's the process of improving unpaid or "natural" ranking of a website or webpage in search engine results. SEO targets different types of search, including video search, image search, and industry-specific vertical search engines. The results of the different types of search help to give websites web presence.

In the mid-1990's, Webmasters and content providers began optimizing websites for search engines just as content was being cataloged by search engines. At that time, it was sufficient enough for a webmaster to send a URL to various search engines which would trigger a "spider" to "crawl" that page, extract links to other pages from it, and return information from the page to be indexed. However, site owners began recognizing the value of having a highly ranked site that is visible in search engine results, creating an opportunity for SEO practitioners and practices to be considered for strategic purposes.

As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO takes into account what people search for and how search engines work. Optimizing a website may include editing content, HTML, and associated coding to both remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines and increase its relevance to specific keywords. Another SEO tactic is to promote a site to increase the number of inbound links (also known as backlinks).

A screenshot (also known as a thumbnail) is a reduced size version of a picture. DomainTools' Screenshot History shows you archived images of what a specific website looks like currently and what it looked like in the past, from as far back as 2001.

The Shared Registration System (SRS) is the software provided by a registry to facilitate the registration of domain names, updates of nameservers, contact information and overall management of a registry. The SRS is used by registrars to connect to the registry.

SLD refers to Second Level Domain, which are the characters immediately to the left of the main domain extension (TLD). The term is typically used when differentiating between a TLD and SLD. For example, in domaintools.com, domaintools is the SLD and .com is the TLD.

Sender Policy Framework records are used to identify Internet hosts that are allowed to send mail for a particular domain. An SPF Record is put in the same level as an MX Record. When an SPF Record is present, a properly configured mail server will not accept mail from servers not listed in that record. By configuring your mail server to respect SPF records, you can reduce the amount of unsolicited emails that use spoofed sender data.

A Sponsor is an organization to which is delegated some defined ongoing policy-formulation authority regarding the manner in which a particular sponsored TLD is operated. The sponsored TLD has a Charter, which defines the purpose for which the sponsored TLD has been created and will be operated. The Sponsor is responsible for developing policies on the delegated topics so that the TLD is operated for the benefit of a defined group of stakeholders, known as the Sponsored TLD Community, that are most directly interested in the operation of the TLD. The Sponsor also is responsible for selecting the registry operator and to varying degrees for establishing the roles played by registrars and their relationship with the registry operator. The Sponsor must exercise its delegated authority according to fairness standards and in a manner that is representative of the Sponsored TLD Community.

A subdomain is a domain that is a component of a larger domain. For example, mail.domaintools.com and calendar.domaintools.com are subdomains of the domaintools.com domain, which in turn is a subdomain of the .com top level domain (TLD).

With a thick domain registry model, all information associated with registered entities, including both technical information (such as information needed to produce zone files) and social information (such as information needed to implement operational, business, or legal practices), is stored within the registrar repository.

With a thin registry model, only the operational data about each domain (such as information to produce zone files) is stored in the central registry database, while contact and billing information is maintained by the registrar sponsoring the domain name. Thus, in this model, the registry only knows the mapping from a domain name to a registrar as well as the associated nameservers. Whois services operated by the registry publish that mapping, while the registrant's identity is then published by the registrar. Note: If you need Whois information, visit DomainTools' Whois page.

Top Level Domains (TLDs) are the names at the top of the DNS naming hierarchy. They appear in domain names as the string of letters following the last (rightmost) ".", such as "net" in "www.example.net". The administrator for a TLD controls what second-level names are recognized in that TLD. The administrators of the "root domain" or "root zone" control what TLDs are recognized by the DNS. Generally speaking, two types of TLDs exist: generic TLDs (such as .com, .net, .edu) and country code TLDs (such as .jp, .de, and .cn).

The UDRP stands for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. It is a policy adopted by ICANN in 1999 to resolve domain name disputes in the case of abusive registrations or trademark infringement. Anyone who registers a domain name with a global TLD must agree to this policy, and it makes things easier and less expensive for trademark owners to resolve a dispute. Once a UDRP complaint is filed, a panel of 1 to 3 panelists will review the case. If the complainant (i.e. the person or organization filing the infringement or abuse complaint) wins the UDRP case, the domain name may be transferred to them. No action is taken if the respondent (i.e. the original owner) wins the UDRP case. To review the policy and see a list of past UDRP proceedings, visit: http://www.icann.org/en/udrp/udrp.htm.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator that distinguishes where an identified resource is available along with the mechanism for retrieving it. An example of the use of a URL is for web page addresses on the World Wide Web, such as http://www.example.com.

WHOIS is a widely used Internet directory that tells you who owns a domain and how to get in contact with the them. Due to the policies implemented and enforced by (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the agency whose job it is to regulate domain name registration, the WHOIS record serves a comprehensive snapshot of domain name registration and ownership, including registrant, administrative, billing and technical contact information provided by registrars for domain name registrations.

To find out more about Whois, read our Learn article.

ICANN currently requires that the phone number, e-mail address and mailing address of those managing or owning a domain name are to be made public through Whois directories.

WIPO stands for World Intellectual Property Organization. Established in 1967, its purpose is to develop an accessible and balanced international Intellectual Property system while safeguarding public interest through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. WIPO is referenced with respect to trademark domain name disputes and it is often confused with UDRP.

A file on a nameserver that designates a domain name with all of its associated subdomains, IP addresses, and mail server. A zone file is also called a "DNS table." For example, Verisign maintains a constantly-updated Zone File for all of the .com domains that exist and are currently registered in the .com TLD.