Behind the Scenes: How Domains Actually Work
Domain names may seem simple on the surface, but there is a complex system that makes them work seamlessly on the internet. When you type a domain name into your browser's address bar and hit ‘Enter’, several steps occur behind the scenes to take you to the right website.
Every website can be found at a particular IP address. This is a bunch of numbers (and sometimes letters) that won’t mean much to any human who sees it. Domains make website addresses easy to remember and understand. But the internet is connected up by machines that only understand IP addresses. So we need a sort of translation service between domains and IP addresses.
That translation service is called DNS resolution. After you hit ‘Enter’ on a web address, the first thing your browser does is send a request to a DNS server to translate the domain name into an IP address. The DNS server looks up the IP address associated with the domain name and sends that information back to your browser. Your browser then uses this IP address to connect to the web server hosting the website.
Once connected, the web server retrieves the requested web page and sends it back to your browser, which then renders the page for you to view. This entire process typically takes just a fraction of a second, allowing you to access websites quickly and easily.
Understanding how domains work can help you troubleshoot issues and make informed decisions when managing your domain name. By knowing the basics of domain name resolution and the role of DNS servers, you can ensure that your website remains accessible to your audience.