What is a domain?

DNS | Updated March 2026

A domain name is the address people type into their browser to visit your website, like ultrawebhosting.com. It is a human-readable label that maps to the server IP address where your website is hosted. Without domain names, you would have to remember numerical IP addresses for every website you visit.

In This Guide

How Domain Names Work
Parts of a Domain Name
Registering a Domain
Subdomains
Domains vs Hosting

The Basics

How domain names work

When someone types yourdomain.com into their browser, DNS (Domain Name System) translates that name into the server's IP address, and the browser connects to the server to load your website. DNS is like a phone book for the internet - it matches names to numbers.

01. How Domain Names Work

The process happens in milliseconds:

You type yourdomain.com into your browser
Your computer asks DNS "What IP address is yourdomain.com?"
DNS responds with the IP address (e.g., 173.225.20.200)
Your browser connects to that IP address and loads the website

The DNS servers that answer these queries are called nameservers. When you host with Ultra Web Hosting, your domain's nameservers are set to our servers so DNS queries return our server's IP address. See our DNS guide for more on how this works.

02. Parts of a Domain Name

Top-Level Domain (TLD) - The extension at the end: .com, .org, .net, .io, country codes like .co.uk. The .com TLD is the most recognized and widely used. See What Is a TLD?

Second-Level Domain (SLD) - Your chosen name, the part you pick when registering. In ultrawebhosting.com, "ultrawebhosting" is the SLD.

Subdomain - An optional prefix separated by a dot. In blog.yourdomain.com, "blog" is a subdomain. www is technically a subdomain too. You can create unlimited subdomains in cPanel.

03. Registering a Domain

Domain names are registered through domain registrars for a yearly fee (typically $10-15/year for .com). You don't own a domain permanently - you renew it annually.

You can register a domain through Ultra Web Hosting when you sign up for hosting, or at any time from your client area. If you already have a domain at another registrar, you can either transfer it to us (see Domain Transfers) or simply point its nameservers to our servers:

ns1.ultranameservers.com
ns2.ultranameservers.com
ns3.ultranameservers.com

04. Subdomains

Subdomains let you create separate sections of your site with their own content:

blog.yourdomain.com - A blog on a separate platform or WordPress install

shop.yourdomain.com - An e-commerce storefront

support.yourdomain.com - A help desk or support portal

Create subdomains in cPanel under Domains. Each subdomain gets its own document root directory. See Subdomain Troubleshooting if a subdomain isn't loading.

05. Domains vs Hosting

A domain name and web hosting are two separate services that work together:

Domain = the address (yourdomain.com). You register it with a registrar.

Hosting = the server where your website files live. You rent space from a hosting provider.

You need both to have a working website. You can buy them separately or together. When you sign up for hosting with Ultra Web Hosting, you can register a domain at the same time or use one you already own. You can also have hosting without a domain - see Account Without a Domain.