# Introduction to domain names and DNS

> Understand how domain names, nameservers and DNS records work together to bring visitors to your website.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/domains/dns/introduction-to-domain-names-and-dns/

Learn the basics of domain names, DNS, and how they work together to make websites accessible on the internet. If you’re new to web hosting or managing domains, this is a great place to start.

### **Domain Names**

Even if you’ve never hosted a website before, you’ve already used domain names. Every time you visit a site such as [**ruachost.com**](https://ruachost.com/), you’re using a domain name.

Domain names are organized in a hierarchy that reads from right to left.

- The **right-most part** is called the **Top-Level Domain (TLD)**. The most common example is **.com**, but there are many others such as **.net**, **.org**, **.edu**, and **.mil**. Country-specific extensions like **.ng**, **.us**, or **.fr** are also TLDs.
- The **next part** is the **second-level domain**, which you define when registering your domain. For example, in **ruachost.com**, the word *ruachost* is the second-level domain. This is the part you “own,” along with any subdomains created under it.
- A **subdomain** is a third-level domain that helps organize sections or languages of a website. For instance, you might have **en.example.com** for English content and **fr.example.com** for French content.

**Tip:**\
All **ruachost.com** hosting accounts include the **www** subdomain by default. This means users can reach your site with either **[www.example.com](http://www.example.com)** or **example.com** — both addresses will lead to the same website, helping ensure you don’t lose visitors.

### **DNS and Name Servers**

The **Domain Name System (DNS)** is what makes the internet easy to use. Without DNS, you would have to type long strings of numbers (IP addresses) like *75.98.175.166* instead of simple names like **ruachost.com**.

DNS works by translating human-friendly names into the numeric IP addresses that computers use to communicate.

When you register a domain name through a registrar, the domain doesn’t automatically point to your website. Most registrars will “park” the domain temporarily, showing a generic placeholder page until you assign it to a hosting account.

If you purchased your domain directly from **ruachost.com**, you don’t need to configure anything — our system automatically sets up your name server records.\
However, if your domain is registered with another company (like GoDaddy or Namecheap), you’ll need to update your **name server (DNS) settings** to point to **ruachost.com’s servers**. Once that’s done, anyone typing your domain name will reach your website correctly.

### **What You Need to Run a Website**

To launch your website, you need more than just a domain name. You also need a **hosting plan** that provides storage, email accounts, and the tools required to run your site. A hosting package gives you access to a server space where your website files live and can be accessed online.

### **Next Steps**

Now that you understand the basics of domain names and DNS, here’s how to connect your domain with **ruachost.com**:

- **If you purchased your domain from ruachost.com**, no further setup is needed — everything is configured automatically.
- **If you own a domain from another registrar**, you can **transfer it to ruachost.com** so that billing, management, and DNS are all handled in one place.
- Alternatively, you can **keep your domain with your current registrar** and simply **update your DNS or name server settings** to point to **ruachost.com’s servers**.

Each option achieves the same goal: making your domain point to your hosting account so your website can go live.