A top-level domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name, or the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. TLDs are mainly classified into two categories: generic TLDs (such as .com, .org, .edu) and country-specific TLDs (such as .uk, .au, .de). This strategic level of the domain structure hierarchy is managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a part of the nonprofit organization ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
The TLD “.supplies” is a Generic top-level domain (gTLD), which means it’s open for public registration. It was delegated to the Root Zone, which is the highest level of the domain system structure, on April 24, 2014 as part of ICANN’s New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (New gTLD Program). The registry of “.supplies” is Donuts (Binky Moon, LLC), a major domain registration company that manages numerous domain names especially new gTLDs.
The “.supplies” TLD provides a perfect internet space for businesses, manufacturers, retailers, or any individual or organization associated with supplies of any type. It is very versatile and could be used by companies selling office supplies, art supplies, medical supplies, industrial supplies, plumbing supplies, and so on. For example, a company named “ABCD” selling office supplies may register a domain “abcd.supplies”.
Just like any other gTLD, anyone in any part of the world can register a “.supplies” domain on a first-come, first-served basis, whilst also following the standard domain name registration process. The registrant must ensure that their chosen domain isn’t copyrighted or trademarked by any other entity. Note that the availability of a particular domain under the “.supplies” TLD needs to be checked with the domain registration service since some of the popular names might already be taken.
Sources:
1. IANA — Delegation Record for .SUPPLIES. (n.d.). Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/supplies.html
2. ICANN New gTLDs. (n.d.). ICANN. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/
3. Binky Moon, LLC. (n.d.). ICANN. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://lookup.icann.org/lookup
4. Understanding Domain Names. (n.d.). Nominet. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.nominet.uk/go-online
5. Choosing a domain name. (.n.d.). Business.gov.au. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.business.gov.au/starting-business/choosing-business-name/choosing-domain-name.
