What is the Difference Between TLD and SLD?

Top level domains (TLD) are some of the highest-level domains that exist and have the potential of ranking on the first page of search engines. Amongst the Domain Name System (DNS), .com, .net, .org etc., for instance, are at the top of the hierarchy and have the most potential of reeling in a significant level of traffic to your website. Similarly, country specific TLDs such as, .au or.com.au have good reach as well.

Whereas second level domains (2LD or SLD) are crucial to the build of a website URL as a 2LD is the domain name next to the domain extension of .au, .com or.com.au. 2LD is a key identification component of your website URL and is what users remember the most when searching for your business online. It is vital to select second level domains that suit your business’s products and services the most.

What are the 2LD Registration Eligibility Requirements?

Getting your preferred 2LD can be a bit of a challenge as there are some factors to consider when checking your eligibility requirements:

When to Purchase the 2LD Name Licence: Buying second level domains functions according to a ‘first come, first served’ basis. If another business or organisation already has your preferred SLD, then you won’t be able to purchase nor reserve it in any capacity. So, you must first check whether your first-choice domain name is available for the taking or not.

Who Can Purchase: To meet the SLD eligibility criteria, you must have Australian presence in some form such as, citizenship, temporary residency status, or even be registered as an Australian business or company. Moreover, second level domains registration allows you to hold your preferred domain name before deciding on a domain extension such as, selecting a .au domain name.

How to Write up a 2LD: Second level domains need to be at least 2 characters long, must start and end with a letter or number not a hyphen, can only contain letters from A to Z and numbers 0 to 9 and hyphens. While you can create any combination of SLD you prefer, it is recommended to not add unnecessary hyphens or abbreviations to ensure that the domain name is easy to remember for every user. If it’s not a memorable SLD then it won’t help your company website as much as you’d want.

When to Renew Your SLD Licence?

You are able to renew your 2LD name licence 90 days prior to its set expiry date. A second level domain name licence can be used from one to five years and when it expires depends on how long of a period you purchase. Moreover, while you are able to register for as many second level domains as you like, you can only continue renewing your SLD licence if you continue meeting the 2LD eligibility criteria and requirements.

Contact one of our professional customer service representatives to enquire about registering for a 2LD licence at 1300 638 734!