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What is a second-level domain (SLD)?

Located immediately to the left of the dot (" . "), the second-level domain is the readable part of the domain name. The registrant defines the second-level domain. It typically refers to the organization or entity associated with the IP address. For example, in www.cnn.com "cnn" is a second-level domain.

Second-level domains can be divided into further domain levels (for example, www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com). These sub domains sometimes represent different computer servers within departments. More than one second-level domain name can be used for the same IP address.

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