Domain.

A domain is the name under which your website—and usually your email addresses as well—can be accessed, for example, yourcompany.de. According to DENIC, the central registry for all .de domains, computers on the Internet actually identify each other using sequences of numbers known as IP addresses. The Domain Name System translates the memorable name into these numbers. For your business, the domain is like infrastructure—similar to a phone number or a company sign: it appears on vehicles, invoices, and in your Google Business Profile.

Here's how a domain is structured

A domain name is read from right to left. On the far right is the top-level domain, or TLD for short, such as .de, .com, or .eu. To the left of that is the second-level domain—the name you choose, such as “deinbetrieb” in deinbetrieb.de. This may be preceded by a subdomain, such as www or shop. According to DENIC, a .de domain can be between one and 63 characters long. Permitted characters include numbers, the letters A through Z, hyphens, and certain other letters such as umlauts.

According to DENIC, you can register a .de domain only through a provider that is a member of DENIC eG or works in partnership with a member, or directly through the DENICdirect service. DENIC does not check whether your desired domain name infringes on the rights of third parties. You must verify this yourself before registering.

What Your Business Should Keep in Mind

Register the domain in your company’s name, not the agency’s. According to DENIC, when you switch providers, the previous provider checks whether the request comes from the domain owner or their legal representative. If the domain is registered to an agency or a former employee, you’ll need their cooperation every time you move the domain. In projects, we often see that when a website is relaunched, no one remembers who originally registered the domain.

Keep your contract and login information on file with the domain provider itself. According to DENIC, the provider that manages your .de domain is your first point of contact for any issues related to it. If you can't remember who that is, DENIC can help you find out.

Never cancel the domain just to switch providers. The correct way is to switch providers using a transfer password—known as AuthInfo—which you request from your current provider. According to DENIC, a deleted domain can only be re-registered by its previous owner within 30 days. After that, anyone can register it.

Be sure to register similar spellings as well. If your name contains an umlaut, also register the versions with "ae," "oe," or "ue" and redirect them to the main domain.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domains

How much does a domain cost? According to DENIC, each provider sets its own price; often, the domain is included in a hosting package. According to DENIC, the DENICdirect service is generally more expensive than the packages offered by providers.

Are a domain and a website the same thing? No. The domain is just the address; the website is hosted on a hosting provider’s server. To find out what to look for when choosing a hosting provider, check out our article “Website Hosting in Europe.”

Do I need an additional certificate for my domain? Yes. To ensure your website is accessible via encrypted HTTPS, you need an SSL certificate issued specifically for that domain.

If you're planning a relaunch or a switch to a new provider, we'll take care of the domain, certificate, and redirects right away as part of the web design process.