Country-code top-level domain (ccTLD)
Those shopping for domains could opt for a ccTLD to indicate the country where their website is registered or where they do business.
Graphic showing extensions available for domain investing
For example, .uk is the ccTLD for the United Kingdom and .ie is the ccTLD for Ireland.
While a ccTLD is meant to signify the geographic ties of the domain owner, some ccTLDs, like Libya’s .ly and Tuvalu’s .tv, are chosen because of their branding value.
As an example, popular URL shortening services like ow.ly and bit.ly use .ly for their web addresses. Sites like Pluto.tv use Tuvalu's ccTLD to tell people at a glance they are all about streaming TV content.
Note that certain ccTLDs have limitations on who can register them — you might need a residential or business address in that country to get them.
It is also notable that these two types of domain — gTLDs and ccTLDs — can be combined, giving us common extensions like .co.uk or .com.au.
