A TLD (Top-Level Domain) is the last part of a web address, appearing after the final dot. Examples include .com, .de, .org, or .edu. It is a fundamental part of domain names and plays a key role in internet addressing.

Categories of TLDs:

1. Generic TLDs (gTLDs):
   These are general and not tied to a specific country, such as:

   • .com: Initially intended for commercial use, now widely used.
   • .org: For organizations (often non-profits).
   • .net: Originally for networks, now broadly used.
   • .info: For informational websites.

2. Country-Code TLDs (ccTLDs):
   These are specific to a country or region, for example:

   • .de: Germany
   • .uk: United Kingdom
   • .fr: France
   • .cn: China

3. New TLDs:
   Recently, more specific TLDs have been introduced, such as:

   • .shop, .blog, .travel, .tech

4. Sponsored TLDs (sTLDs):
   These are reserved for specific organizations or communities, such as:

   • .gov: For U.S. government organizations.
   • .edu: For educational institutions.
   • .mil: For the military.

Purpose:

TLDs help organize domains into a hierarchical structure. They are managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and the ICANN.

Example:

In the domain www.example.com:

• www: Subdomain
• example: Second-Level Domain
• .com: Top-Level Domain