A gTLD (generic top-level domain) is a domain extension that isn't tied to a country, such as .com, .org, .site or .wiki.
A gTLD is the part of a domain name after the final dot, when that ending isn't linked to a particular country. In example.com, the gTLD is .com. The "g" stands for generic, which separates these extensions from country-code ones like .uk or .de.
The original gTLDs were created in the 1980s and include .com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov and .mil. Since 2013, hundreds of new ones have launched, such as .site, .online, .shop, .app and .wiki.
Types of gTLD
- Legacy gTLDs: the older, best-known extensions like .com, .net, .org, .info and .biz.
- New gTLDs: added through ICANN's expansion programme, from general ones like .site to topic ones like .photography.
- Sponsored gTLDs: run for a specific community, with rules on who can register. Examples include .edu, .gov and .museum.
- Brand gTLDs: owned by a single company for its own use, such as .google.
How gTLDs work
Each gTLD is run by a registry, the organisation that keeps the master list of every name registered under that extension. You don't buy from the registry directly. You go through a registrar, which sells the name and passes the registration on. ICANN sets the rules that registries and registrars must follow for gTLDs, including transfer rules and the 60-day transfer lock.
gTLD vs ccTLD
The main alternative is a ccTLD, or country-code top-level domain, such as .uk, .ca or .au.
- Who can register: most gTLDs are open to anyone. Many ccTLDs require a local address or business.
- Rules: gTLDs follow ICANN policies. ccTLDs follow their own national rules.
- Audience: gTLDs suit international sites. ccTLDs signal a local business and can help with local trust.
Some ccTLDs, like .co and .io, are marketed so widely that people treat them as generic, but they're still country codes behind the scenes.
Choosing the right gTLD
For most websites, .com is still the safest choice because people type it by default. If your .com is taken, a newer gTLD can give you a shorter, more memorable name. Search engines treat new gTLDs the same as .com for ranking, so choose based on what's easy to remember and fits your brand.
Watch out for premium domains and renewal prices, which can be much higher on some new gTLDs. AblePage charges the same to register, renew or transfer, from $15.95 a year for .com and .net, on the domain registration page.