How does a domain name work?

Imagine your domain name as your house address on the giant street of the internet. Every website lives on a computer called a server, and these servers have unique identification numbers like complex house codes, known as IP addresses. Remembering a string of numbers for every website would be a nightmare! That’s where domain names come in. They act like nicknames, translating those hard-to-remember codes into words we can easily recall.

So, when you type “www.whois.com” into your browser, a phonebook of the internet called the Domain Name System (DNS) kicks in. The DNS looks up the nickname “whois.com” and finds its corresponding IP address. With that address in hand, your internet service provider (ISP) acts like a mail carrier, using the numbers to connect you to the Whois.com website.