Search for a domain name

A domain name is the online equivalent of a physical address. It is how visitors will be able to locate your website.

Simply type a website or business name into Google's search field, and one of the top search results should be the website you're looking for. Hostinger.com, like Google.com and Facebook.com, is a domain name. Your domain should ideally be the same as the name of your website or online business.

It is important to have domain names to help potential visitors find your site easily. Without assigned website names, they would have to memorise IP addresses, which are hard to remember.

When you register a domain, the domain name system (DNS) servers will connect it to your website’s IP address.

Finding an available domain name is only one part of choosing the perfect domain. Before performing a domain name search and registration, follow these best practices:

Length. Keep it short; two to three words is ideal.

Simple. Don’t use long or hard-to-spell words.

Keywords. Include a keyword from your industry. For example, if you teach how to play cricket in New Delhi, try cricketlessonsdelhi.in.

Avoid numbers. Numbers are hard to recall and make domains more complex.

Brand name. Include your brand name for maximum awareness.

No, once a web address is registered, it cannot be changed. However, you can buy a new domain and point it to your website.

Domains must be registered for at least one year. After finding a great domain, you can also purchase TLDs like .com, .in, .net, for three years with Hostinger.

You can set up automatic renewals to ensure that your website name will always be registered to you. The first renewal will occur after one or three years, depending on the domain registration duration.

No, the www at the beginning of a URL isn't part of your domain name. It's a subdomain of the main domain.

If you add www to the beginning of your registered name, the final website address will be www.wwwexample.com. You should only type the words you wish to appear in the website name.

Simply type your ideal web name into the search bar at the top of the page to see whether it's available.

Then, purchase a domain name, register it, and get a hosting plan for it.

Begin by checking your desired domain name availability with Hostinger’s domain checker. You don’t have to be a current client – the tool is free for everybody. If you don’t have any ideas, click Generate Domain Using AI to get some options. Once you have found your perfect name, follow the steps below:

1. Think about the domain name extension. Consider going with .in if your business is based in India or .com for global reach. 2. Click Add to Cart and complete your payment. You will only need your basic contact information and a valid payment method. 3. That’s it – you will get your purchase confirmation to your email address.

A TLD, which stands for a top-level domain, like .com, is the final segment of a domain name.

ccTLD, a country-code top-level domain, falls under the category of TLDs and shows a specific country. Examples of ccTLDs include .in, .de, .mx, and .fr.

A gTLD, which refers to a generic top-level domain, is the most commonly used type of domain name. This is because it includes popular domains like .com, which has more registrations than all the country-specific domains combined (ccTLDs).

Historically, the main gTLDs were .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, and .mil, but the number of available domain extensions is growing with the addition of newer TLDs like .online, .xyz, and .name.

Yes, you can use our domain availability checker to find domains and register them as well.

With Hostinger, registering a domain takes just a few minutes.

With Hostinger, getting a free domain is simple. All you have to do is sign up for any yearly web hosting plan and begin your registration process.

Learn how to claim your free new domain name.

Of course. When you register a domain, it belongs to you – and not the company that you registered it with.

As the current owner of the domain, it is easy to switch to Hostinger using our domain transfer service. We will walk you through every step of the process.

If your dream domain is already taken, try changing the extension or searching for similar domain names. The most popular domain extensions are frequently taken. Luckily, our domain name checker tool can suggest alternatives with other top-level domains. Country-specific extensions like .in and less popular TLDs like .xyz and .online may still be available.

Domain privacy protection, also called WHOIS protection, hides certain information about a domain name's owner that spammers can find through a WHOIS lookup.

With domain privacy protection, you can change your name, address, phone number, email address, and business name with a set of generic, non-identifiable information to protect your privacy.

Each gTLD has a different meaning, so choose the one that is most applicable to your website.

At first, .com domain names were often used for commercial purposes. Now, business owners more and more often use them by default since .com domains convey a level of confidence.

Originally used by networking organisations such as internet service providers, .net domain names are now used for a variety of purposes. .org domains are mostly utilised as a gTLD for charities, communities, and local organisations, as they were intended. .info, on the other hand, is geared towards information-based websites like wikis and tutorials.

However, there's no regulation requiring you to use one name over another, and there's no test you must complete to register one. So, feel free to check domain availability with all of these extensions.

Your domain name is similar to your address, and your web hosting is similar to your house. To start a website, you'll need a domain name that others can use to locate you, and hosting that houses the website itself.

Domains and web hosting are strongly related. While having one without the other is possible, they operate best together. This is why many hosting firms provide domains and many registrars offer hosting.

Think of your domain name as your home address and web hosting as the physical structure, like a house. A domain can help people find your site; hosting is the online space to store your website data. To publish a website, you'll need to buy domain and hosting services so that visitors have an easier time finding your site on the internet.

While it’s technically possible to have one without the other, they work best together. This is why many hosting companies offer domain names and many domain registrars offer hosting services.

Want to learn more? Check out our full guide on the differences between domain names and hosting.