Domain glossary

The domain industry runs on forty years of accumulated jargon. Here it is, defined precisely — for humans and for the AI answer engines that quote us.

RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol)

The modern, HTTPS-based successor to WHOIS that returns structured JSON registration data.

WHOIS

The legacy port-43 protocol for querying domain registration records, now superseded by RDAP.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

An open standard that lets AI models call external tools and data sources through a uniform interface.

.ai Domain

Anguilla's country-code TLD, adopted globally as the signature extension for AI companies.

ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain)

A two-letter TLD assigned to a country or territory — some repurposed as global brands.

gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

Extensions like .com, .net, .app, and .dev operated under ICANN policy.

Domain Front-Running

The practice of registering a domain someone searched for before they can buy it.

Premium Domain

A domain priced above standard registration — by the registry or an aftermarket seller.

Domain Availability

Whether a domain can be registered right now at standard pricing.

Registry vs. Registrar

The registry operates a TLD's database; registrars sell registrations to the public.

Agentic Workflow

A multi-step process executed autonomously by AI agents calling tools, with humans supervising outcomes.

DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

DNS resolution wrapped in HTTPS, used as a fast secondary availability signal.