How Domains Work: Registries, Registrars, and DNS Explained

What a Domain Name Actually Is

A domain name like register.rw is a human-friendly stand-in for an IP address, the string of numbers that computers use to actually find each other on the internet. Typing a domain into a browser triggers a lookup that translates the name into that IP addressThe numeric address (like 203.0.113.10) that identifies a server on the internet. behind the scenes, in a fraction of a second, every time. That translation system is called the Domain Name System, or DNSThe Domain Name System — the internet's directory that translates domain names into the IP addresses of servers..

Registries, Registrars, and Registrants

Three different parties are involved in every domain, and it's easy to mix them up:

• The registryThe organization that operates a top-level domain and maintains the master database of its registrations. maintains the official, authoritative database for an entire TLDTop-Level Domain — the last part of a domain name, such as .com or .rw. (top-level domain). RICTA is the registry for .rw; other organizations run the registry for .com, .org, and so on.
• The registrarAn accredited company that sells and manages domain registrations on a registry's behalf. is the company you actually buy a domain from. Register.rw is a registrar: it sells you the domain and handles the registration with the relevant registry on your behalf.
• The registrant is you, the owner of the domain, once it's registered in your name.

You never deal with a registry directly. You register through a registrar, and the registrar talks to the registry.

The Anatomy of a Domain Name

A domain name is built from parts, read right to left:

• The TLD (top-level domain) is the suffix: .rw, .com, .org. Some TLDs also have second-level domains, like co.rw or org.rw, which function as their own registerable suffix. See our breakdown of every .rw sub-domain for how those work.
• The SLD (second-level domain) is the name itself: the register in register.rw.
• A subdomain is anything added in front, like shop.register.rw, which you control freely once you own the domain, at no extra cost.

How a DNS Lookup Actually Works

When someone visits your website, their device asks a chain of servers where to find it: first a root serverOne of the DNS servers at the top of the hierarchy that direct a lookup toward the right top-level-domain servers., then a server for your TLD (.rw, .com, etc.), then finally your domain's own nameservers, which hold the actual records for your domain and return the answer. This whole round trip usually takes milliseconds, and the answer gets cached along the way so it doesn't have to be repeated for every single visitor. That cachingStoring a copy of data or a page so it can be served faster next time instead of being regenerated. is also the reason DNS changes don't take effect everywhere instantly; see our full explainer on DNS propagation for why.

The DNS Records That Matter

A domain's nameservers hold several types of records, each doing a different job:

• A record: points a domain at an IPv4The original internet address format, written as four numbers such as 203.0.113.10. address; the core record behind "which server hosts this website."
• AAAAA DNS record that points a domain at an IPv6 address — the IPv4 equivalent for the newer address format. record: the same thing, for IPv6The newer, far larger internet address format, created because IPv4 addresses are running out. addresses.
• CNAMEA DNS record that points one name at another domain name rather than directly at an IP address. record: points a subdomain at another domain name instead of an IP address directly.
• MX record: tells the internet which mail servers handle email for your domain; without a correct MX record, your business email won't work even if your website loads fine.
• TXT record: holds arbitrary text, commonly used for verifying domain ownership or configuring email security (SPFSender Policy Framework — a DNS record listing which servers are allowed to send email for your domain., DKIMDomainKeys Identified Mail — it cryptographically signs your outgoing email so receivers can verify it wasn't forged.).
• NS record: declares which nameservers are authoritative for the domain in the first place.

See our full reference on DNS records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARCA DNS policy telling receiving mail servers what to do when a message fails SPF or DKIM checks. for email, for real-world examples of each.

Nameservers: Who's "In Charge" of Your DNS

Whoever controls your domain's nameservers controls where it points. Most domains use their registrar's nameservers by default, which is usually the simplest setup, but you can point a domain at a different provider's nameservers if you manage DNS elsewhere. Either way, it's worth knowing which nameservers your domain uses, since that's where you'd go to change any of the records above.

A Domain Is Not the Whole Website

Owning a domain only gets you the address. The actual website files, databases, and email inboxes live on hosting, a separate product that your domain's DNS records point at. Register.rw sells both together for convenience, but they're billed and managed as distinct services. See our hosting page for what running a site actually requires once the domain itself is sorted.

Getting Started

If you're registering your first domain, our step-by-step .rw registration guide walks through the process end to end, and What Is a .rw Domain covers why a local suffix is often the right starting point for a Rwandan business. Check availability any time on our domains page.