Glossary
Here’s a glossary of terms commonly used on Dimpl:
Auto-Renew
A setting that automatically renews a domain licence before its expiry date.
Canonical domain
The preferred version of your website address, like https://www.example.com, including protocol and sub-domain. For consistency, the canonical domain should prefix all links to resources on your website. (See Implementing a Canonical Domain for more information)
Country Code TLD (ccTLD)
A TLD specific to a country or region, e.g., .com.au (Australia), .co.uk (UK).
Delegation
Assigning control of a domain (or DNS zone) to a different name server or third party.
DNS (Domain Name System)
The system that translates domain names into IP addresses so browsers can load websites.
DNS Propagation
The time it takes for DNS changes to spread across the internet (can take up to 48 hours).
DNS Record
An entry in the DNS that defines how internet traffic should be routed for a domain.
Common types include:
- A Record – maps a domain to an IP address.
- CNAME Record – aliases one domain to another.
- MX Record – directs email traffic.
- TXT Record – often used for domain verification or SPF/DKIM records.
Domain Lock
A security feature that prevents unauthorised domain transfers.
Domain Name
A human-readable address used to access websites, e.g., example.com.
Expiry Date
The date on which a domain will expire if not renewed.
HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)
A web security feature that forces browsers to use HTTPS connections.
Licence Status
The current state of a domain’s registration (e.g., active, pending deletion, expired).
Name Servers
Servers that store a domain’s DNS records; they direct traffic to the correct IP addresses.
Parking
A domain is “parked” when it’s registered but not actively used or pointed to a website.
Registrar
The service provider through which a domain is registered (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap, VentraIP). Dimpl’s preferred registrar is Domain Directors Pty Ltd.
Registrar Transfer
The process of moving a domain from one registrar to another.
Registry
The authoritative organisation that manages TLDs (e.g., auDA for .au domains).
Renewal
The process of extending the ownership of a domain before it expires.
Reverse DNS (rDNS)
Maps an IP address back to a domain name; often used in email verification.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
An agreement defining the uptime, support, and performance commitments from a domain platform provider.
Subdomain
A domain that is part of a larger domain, e.g., blog.example.com.
Top-Level Domain (TLD)
The last part of a domain name, such as .au, .com, or .org.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
An added security layer requiring a second form of verification during login.
WHOIS
A publicly accessible database that stores domain registration details, such as ownership, registrar, and contact information.
WHOIS Privacy / ID Protection
A service that hides the registrant’s contact details from public WHOIS lookups.
Zone File
A file that contains the DNS records for a domain.