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A domain name can contain the
numbers 0-9, the letters a-z
and the hyphen character ("-").
Note however that domain names cannot begin or end with a
hyphen. You can use UPPERCASE or lowercase letters when
registering a domain name, but you may occasionally run into
problems if you mix cASes, depending on the exact configuration
of the web server that will be hosting your website.
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The easiest way to make
sure your domain name will not cause you any problems
later is to register it using all lowercase letters. |
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A domain name can contain up to 67
characters, although some domain registrars have still not
reconfigured their services to accommodate these longer domain names
(domain names used to be limited to 26 characters until mid-1999)
This 67 character limit
includes the "." (dot) and the top level domain. So in
the case of a ".com" name, for instance, you'll be
able to specify up to 63 characters yourself.
Some top domains from specific
countries have additional limitations on length and on the
number of characters in a domain. Some even specify a minimum
length for a domain name, such as 3 characters or more. This
site is designed to give you an introduction to the subject -
for the specific rules of each of the over 200 top-level
domains, you'll have to read the small print when you register a
domain.
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DID YOU KNOW? You can
include two consecutive hyphens in a domain name
("--") although you should consider that this
will make it MUCH harder for people to remember/type
your name correctly into their browsers. |
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One final proviso: many domain name registries forbid domain names that contain any of
the so-called 7 "taboo" words that are banned on US network television. I am not
going to list these here, but most have to do with sexual or bodily functions. If one of
these words shows up in a domain name the name will be automatically rejected.
Some adventurous registries are allowing such names to be
registered - you'll just have to experiment if you are inclined
to go after this kind of name.
It's time to move on and dispel
some of the most common misconceptions about domain names...
>NEXT>
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Introduction