A simple guide for authors and entrepreneurs
When you type a website name like yourname.com into a browser, something surprisingly complex—and incredibly fast—happens behind the scenes. Your domain, DNS, and your web host all work together to deliver your website to the screen in under a second.
Here’s a clear, jargon-free explanation of how the pieces fit together.
What Is a Domain?
A domain is the human-friendly name for your website.
Think of it as your home address on the internet.
Examples of common domain endings:
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.com – most popular and universal
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.net – networks and tech sites
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.org – nonprofits
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.io – tech startups
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.author, .books, .blog – specialty extensions growing in popularity
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How do you get a domain?
You register one through a registrar such as:
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GoDaddy
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Namecheap
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Google Domains (now part of Squarespace)
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Cloudflare
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When you buy a domain, you don’t “own” it permanently — you lease it yearly, usually for $10–$20.
What Is Web Hosting?
A web host is the company that stores the actual files that make up your website.
Your host provides:
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Server space
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Software and security
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Databases
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Bandwidth
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Backups
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Email services (in many cases)
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If your domain is your “address,” then your web host is your house.
So How Does Your Domain Know Where Your Website Lives?
This is where the magic of DNS comes in.
What Is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System.
It’s the internet’s address book.
Its job is simple:
Translate human-friendly domain names into computer-friendly IP addresses
(Example: 192.168.22.35)
No one wants to type a sequence of numbers to visit your site, so DNS does the conversion automatically.
How DNS Works (Step by Step)
Here’s what happens the moment someone types yourname.com into their browser:
1. Browser asks for directions
The browser says, “Where is this website located?” and checks local cache first. If not found…
2. DNS Resolver gets involved
Your device asks a DNS resolver (usually provided by your internet provider) for help.
3. Resolver checks the DNS hierarchy
It follows a chain of servers:
- Root servers – point to
- TLD servers (like .com or .net) – which point to
- Authoritative name servers – the final source of truth for your domain
4. Your domain’s authoritative DNS server returns an IP address
This is set by your domain’s registrar or your hosting provider.
5. Your browser uses the IP address to request your website from your host
It now knows exactly where the site physically lives.
6. Your web host sends back the website
Your HTML, images, pages, and scripts load on your screen.
This entire process normally takes milliseconds.
Types of DNS Records (You’ll See These Often)
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A Record: points your domain to an IP address
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CNAME: points a domain to another domain
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MX Records: mail settings (for email)
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TXT Records: verification, security, branding (e.g., SPF, DKIM)
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NS Records: specify your DNS host/provider
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For most authors, the only records you’ll ever touch are A, CNAME, and occasionally MX.
Putting It All Together
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You buy a domain
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You choose a web host
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You point the domain’s DNS records to the host
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The internet uses DNS to direct visitors to your web server
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Your host delivers the website to the browser
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That’s it.
Once these three pieces—domain, DNS, host—are connected, your site is live for the world.