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Beginner

What is a domain

Also known as: domain name, internet domain, co.il domain

Definition

A domain is your unique name on the internet, like example.co.il, rented for a set period through a registrar. Through DNS it points to your site and email.

Why it matters

Your domain carries your website, your email addresses such as name@yourbusiness.co.il and the logins of many services, so losing it can take all of them down at once.

Common mistakes

Letting a web designer or supplier register the domain in their own name.

Related terms

Worked exampleIllustration

A domain registration card: a new bakery

The name, part by part

  • Subdomain, created for freewww
  • The chosen nameexample
  • Categoryco
  • Country extensionil

Registry

ISOC-IL, which runs .il.

Registrar

An accredited registrar from ISOC-IL's list.

Registrant

The business, with an email address the owner controls.

Protection

  • Auto renewon
  • Registrar lockon
  • Renewal date in the calendar✓

Steps

  1. The owner checks that the name is free with the WHOIS search on isoc.org.il.

  2. She picks a registrar from ISOC-IL's list of accredited registrars.

  3. Decision: She registers the name in the business's name, with an email address she controls, not the web designer's.

  4. She turns on auto renew and the registrar lock, and puts the renewal date in the calendar.

  5. She points the domain through DNS to the website and to the email service.

  6. She gives the web designer access as a user, not as the owner.

The name is rented, so the one thing that must never lapse is the renewal, in the business's own account.

Illustration

Name, directory, building, mailbox

Everything starts from the name. The directory, the site and the email all hang on it, so the renewal is the one date that must never lapse.The name (domain)example.co.ilThe directory (DNS)Website192.0.2.10Emailsmtp.google.comThe building(hosting)The site opensThe mailbox(email)Email arrives

Everything starts from the name. The directory, the site and the email all hang on it, so the renewal is the one date that must never lapse.

The domain is the name, DNS the directory that says where the name leads, hosting the building the site lives in, and email a mailbox that can live somewhere else.

Definition

A domain name is a unique name registered for a period through a registrar, which the owner points, through DNS, to a website and to email. It stores nothing itself and can exist with no website at all. Three parties are involved: the registry runs the extension (for .il it is ISOC-IL, the Israel Internet Association), the registrar sells and manages your registration, and the registrant is you, and should be the business. Read www.example.co.il from the right: "il" is the country extension, "co" the category, "example" the chosen name, and "www" a subdomain the owner creates for free. A URL is the full address of one page, such as https://www.example.co.il/contact, and the domain is only one part of it.

Why it matters

A domain is rented, never owned outright, which explains auto renew, expiry and transfers. Under .il anyone, a person or a company, Israeli or foreign, may register under co.il and org.il with no local presence, while ac.il is for academic institutions, gov.il for government bodies and muni.il for local authorities. Registration goes through accredited registrars, and a WHOIS search on isoc.org.il shows whether a name is free. Disputes over a name have their own tracks: ISOC-IL's IL-DRP for .il and ICANN's UDRP for generic domains.

Directly related: DNS, Hosting, Server.

Improvement tips

  • Register the domain in the business's name, from an email address the owner controls.
  • Turn on auto renew and the registrar lock, and keep the renewal date in the calendar.
  • Choose the extension by your market: co.il for customers in Israel, and .com first only if you sell mostly abroad.
  • Protect the registrar account with two step login, because whoever controls it controls your site and email.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the domain expire because the renewal notice went to an old email address.
  • Confusing the domain with the website or the hosting, which are separate services.
  • Picking a name close to someone else's trademark, which invites a dispute.

Related terms

TechnologyIntermediate

DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phonebook: it turns a name like example.co.il into an IP address, and its records set where your site and email go.

TechnologyBeginner

Hosting

Hosting is a service that rents you space on a server connected to the internet all the time, so your website is available to every visitor.

TechnologyBeginner

Server

A server is a computer, or a program on one, that receives requests from other programs, such as a visitor's browser, processes them and sends back an answer.

Quick check

What does a domain do by itself?

Choose an answer

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a domain before I start my business?
It is worth registering one as soon as you choose the business name, even before a website. It protects the name and gives you email addresses on your own domain, which look more trustworthy than a free mailbox.
When does a domain first become relevant for a new business?
When you pick the business name. Check that the name is free, register it, and point it to email first. The website can come later.
How long do I register a domain for?
For the period you choose, usually a year, and many registrars offer longer periods. Whatever the period, turn on auto renew so the registration never lapses by accident.
Should I register co.il, .com or both?
Choose by where your customers are. For a business that sells in Israel co.il is the natural first choice, and .com comes first only if you sell mostly abroad. Registering the second extension and redirecting it to the first protects the name.
Why does my domain setup matter for a running business?
The domain carries the site, the email and the logins to many services. A wrong DNS change or an expired registration can take them all down at once.
What happens if I forget to renew my domain?
After expiry there is a limited window to renew, sometimes at a higher fee. Once it passes, anyone can register the name, a competitor included. For .il ISOC-IL sets its own grace period, and for generic domains such as .com ICANN requires a 30 day redemption grace period after deletion.
How do I move my domain to another registrar safely?
Unlock it at the current registrar, get the transfer code and submit it at the new one. The site and email keep working if the DNS stays where it is. If the DNS moves too, copy every record first.
How do I protect my domain from being hijacked?
Hold the registrar account in the business's name, protect it with two step login and turn on the registrar lock. Most hijacks start with a stolen registrar or DNS account.
What does domain actually mean in plain words?
The name of your business on the internet, like example.co.il. You rent it for a period, and it points to the servers where your site and email live.
Is buying a domain complicated or risky?
Registration itself takes minutes through an accredited registrar. The risks are registering it in someone else's name, letting it expire, and choosing a name that clashes with a trademark.
Do I need a developer to connect my domain to my site?
Often not. Website builders and email providers give step by step instructions for the DNS records. For a custom site or a move between hosts, a developer or the host's support can make the change.
Can I change my domain after the site is live?
Yes, but redirect every old address to the new one so links and search results keep working. Expect a period of adjustment in search, and tell customers about the new email addresses.

Sources: ISOC-IL (Israel Internet Association), Rules for Allocation of Domain Names under .IL (isoc.org.il), ISOC-IL, IL-DRP, the .IL domain name dispute resolution rules (en.isoc.org.il), ICANN, Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, adopted 26 August 1999 (icann.org), read 23 September 2026, ICANN, Expired Registration Recovery Policy (icann.org), read 23 September 2026

Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

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