.com

This article is about the generic top-level domain .com. For the file format, see COM file. For other uses, see com (disambiguation) and Dot-com (disambiguation).

com
.com
IntroducedJanuary 1, 1985; 39 years ago (1985-01-01)
RegistryVerisign
SponsorNone
Intended useCommercial entities
Actual useUsed for general purposes and is widely regarded as the standard for TLDs
Registration restrictionsNone
StructureRegistrations are conducted at second level.
DocumentsRFC 920; RFC 1591; ICANN registry agreement
Dispute policiesUDRP
DNSSECYes
IDNYes
Registry websiteyourdot.com

The domain com is a top-level domain (TLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. Created in the first group of Internet domains at the beginning of 1985, its name is derived from the word commercial,[1] indicating its original intended purpose for subdomains registered by commercial organizations. Later, the domain opened for general purposes.

The domain was originally administered by the United States Department of Defense, but is today operated by Verisign, and remains under ultimate jurisdiction of U.S. law.[2][3][4] The .com domain is also more commonly used than the more specific .us by American businesses and enterprises.[5] Verisign registrations in the .com domain are processed via registrars accredited by ICANN. The registry accepts internationalized domain names.

The domain was one of the original TLDs of the Internet when the Domain Name System was implemented in January 1985, the others being edu, gov, mil, net, org, and int.[6] It has grown into the largest top-level domain,[7] and has lent its name to the dot-com bubble, the era of the late 1990s during which excessive speculation in Internet-related concepts and companies led to rapid growth in the use and adoption of the Internet.

  1. ^ Postel, J.; Reynolds, J.K. (October 1984). RFC 920: Domain Requirements. p. 2. doi:10.17487/RFC0920. RFC 920. COM = Commercial, any commercial related domains meeting the second level requirements.
  2. ^ Pott, Trevor; Thomson, Iain (March 1, 2012). "US shuts down Canadian gambling site with Verisign's help". The Register.
  3. ^ "Les ".com" peuvent être saisis par les autorités américaines" (in French). PC World magazine. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  4. ^ Kaelin, Lee (March 1, 2012). "No need for SOPA, VeriSign seizes bodog.com for US authorities". TechSpot.
  5. ^ "The Most Popular Domain Extensions | Top 10 TLDs". Ionos. October 17, 2022. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  6. ^ "ICANN | Archives | Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)".
  7. ^ "Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB)". Verisign. December 31, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.