What Are the Most Common Domain Extensions?

The most common domain extension you're probably familiar with is .com, like the one you see in the lifewire.com URL. However, .com isn't the only popular top-level domain, and it certainly isn't the only one available.

Among the most common top-level domains are ones reserved for specific use. For example, while .com can be used by anyone, some top-level domains can only be used for very particular reasons, such as for government agencies or educational institutions.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a nonprofit organization that's responsible for the domain extensions that are available for people to register on the internet.

As of today, the most common domain extensions include:

• .com (commercial)
• .org (organization)
• .net (network)
• .us (United States)
• .co (Colombia)

Along with a few of the TLDs above, the following four domain extensions were part of the original internet specifications for domain extensions:

• .int (international)
• .mil (military)
• .edu (education)
• .gov (government)

However, many new TLDs have been deployed on the internet since the originals. Some of these are intended for broad use worldwide, while others are designed to serve special interest groups.

Although they are not as popular as the original TLDs, you may also encounter some of these newer domain extensions when browsing the web:

• .biz (businesses)
• .info (informational)
• .jobs (employment)
• .mobi (mobile sites)
• .name (profile sites)
• .tel (internet communications)
• .kitchen (kitchen industry)
• .email (email services)
• .tech (tech industry)
• .estate (real estate)
• .xyz (next generation .com)
• .codes (for sites dealing with codes of any type)
• .bargains (bargain websites)
• .bid (auction websites)
• .expert (expert websites)

The ICANN organization ultimately oversees the process of managing internet domains​ including not only the most popular domain extensions but also any newly available TLDs. You can register a domain through a number of registrars, like 1&1, Google Domains, Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Network Solutions.

Besides the generic TLDs, there are also domain extensions for each country to help organize websites within each nation. These extensions are named according to worldwide standard two-letter country codes similar to those used by the postal system.

Some examples of country code TLDs include:

• .ca (Canada)
• .cn (mainland China)
• .fr (France)
• .ch (Switzerland)
• .au (Australia)
• .in (India)
• .de (Germany)
• .jp (Japan)
• .nl (Netherlands)
• .uk (United Kingdom)
• .mx (Mexico)
• .no (Norway)
• .ru (Russia)
• .br (Brazil)
• .se (Sweden)
• .es (Spain)

Some TLDs aren't necessarily reserved just for what they're seen associated with here.

For example, while .co is the country code for Colombia, it doesn't need to be used just for domains in Colombia. Some companies use .co for their website name since the letters also often mean "company."

The .ly TLD is another example where it's the country domain for Libya, but it's also used by some as a play on a larger word or phrase, since "ly" is a common ending to regular words.

The .us top-level domain is another good example of this, like what you see with the whos.amung.us URL.