Generic top-level domain

A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use on the Internet.

Overall, IANA currently distinguishes the following groups of top-level domains:[1]

infrastructure top-level domain (.arpa)
country-code top-level domains (ccTLD)
sponsored top-level domains (sTLD)
generic top-level domains (gTLD)
generic-restricted top-level domains

The core group of generic top-level domains consists of the .com, .info, .net, and .org domains. In addition, the domains .biz, .name, and .pro are also considered generic; however, these are designated as generic-restricted, and registrations within them are supposed to require proof of eligibility within the guidelines set for each.

Historically, the group of generic top-level domains included domains that were created in the early development of the domain name system, notably .edu, .gov, .int, .mil. However, these domains now have all been sponsored by appropriate agencies or organization and are now considered sponsored top-level domains, much a like the many newly created "themed" domain names (cf. sponsored top-level domains. This entire group of non-country-code top-level domains, domains that do not have a geographic or country designation, is still often referred to by the term generic.

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