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Second-Level Domain (SLD)

The label directly left of the TLD — the "example" in example.com — the part you actually register.

Published on June 22, 2026By Namefi Team
  • glossary

A second-level domain (SLD) is the label immediately to the left of the TLD — the example in example.com. It is the part you actually register through a registrar, and combined with the TLD it forms the registrable name that the registry records against a registrant. Everything to the left of the SLD — www, blog, app — is a subdomain you control yourself; everything to the right is the public suffix. Because the SLD+TLD pair is the unit of ownership, it is exactly what Namefi tokenizes: the registrable name becomes a wallet-controlled asset, while subdomains remain configuration beneath it. Sources: RFC 1034; ICANN TLD listings.

Related keywords

  • second-level domain
  • SLD
  • root domain
  • apex domain
  • registrable name

About the author(s)

Namefi Team
Namefi Team • Namefi

Namefi is a collective of engineers, designers, and operators who obsess over building tools that make managing your onchain domain names effortless.