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What is a ccTLD? Definition, Characteristics, and Examples

Last updated: Aug 08, 2022

https://cmlabs.co/en-us/seo-terms/cctld-definition

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What is a ccTLD?

In general, the URL of a website ends with .com, .net, and many others. That type of domain is called a TLD (Top Level Domain). However, there are some specific domains that show a particular country's code. We call that domain a ccTLD, or Country Code Top Level Domain.

A Country Code Top-Level Domain is a domain used to specifically show country codes. Each country has a domain or a code that differs from one another. Usually, the code consists of two letters. In other words, the country code domain is a TLD that contains two letters. As an example, the country code for Indonesia is .id.

The first countries to use the Country Code Top-Level Domain were the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Italy in 1985. The country codes for each country are .us, .uk, and .it respectively. Usually, this domain is intended to limit the access of certain citizens of a country. Nevertheless, several countries are still open to global access.

When is ccTLD Used?

A Country Code Top-Level Domain is a TLD based on the geographical area of a country. Each country has a code that differs from the others. Therefore, using the country code domain can give a different impression from the TLD types that most websites use generally.

A country code TLD is a domain that can be used to personalize the needs of spreading information. Using such a domain can help the search engine save the cache data of a website easily. Therefore, users can access the website easily.

There are three main cases in which the Country Code Top-Level Domain is purposefully used. Here is the information you should know about:

Provide Global Contents Locally

Using a country code domain is a method that can help international corporations to localize their brands. The way to do it is to provide local content on the website that uses the country code of the target market.

Specifically-Made Content for a Certain Country

The Country Code Top-Level Domain plays an important role in spreading information to the foreign market. By using certain country codes, foreign companies can reach audiences or users across the world easily while developing their business effectively.

Give the Website URL a Uniqueness

Using a country code can sometimes highlight a brand's uniqueness. Certain countries allow their codes to be used for it. Nevertheless, it is important to read the guidelines for using the country code domain further and how it works according to the current international laws.

The Characteristics of a Country Code Top Level Domain

Essentially, a country code is a Top-Level Domain that contains a country code that is registered in the database. The use of this domain is intended to display the identity of a website. It is also related to the content made for users of a certain geographical area.

In some cases, the country code domain is a tool to limit the information that is meant for citizens or individuals who live in a certain country. By using this domain, the territorial line can be drawn, so it will be easier to control the spread of information efficiently.

List of ccTLD for Several Countries

What is a ccTLD? The Country Code Top-Level Domain is a specific domain that shows a country code. In general, this type of Top Level Domain contains two letters that act as the marker or the identity of a geographical area of a certain domain.

Since there are many kinds of codes, it is no wonder such questions can be found on the internet, like "what is the country code for Singapore?" or "is the country code domain for South Korea different from North Korea?". To answer these questions, here is a list of ccTLD we have curated for you: