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Lesson 02Beginner3 min read + 20 min exerciseFree account

Domain names, hosting and maintenance explained

How your address, your server and your email fit together, who is responsible for what, and the renewal dates that quietly keep everything online.

What you’ll learn

  • How domains are rented and renewed
  • What DNS does, and why changes are risky
  • What good hosting includes, and what to ask
  • Who is responsible for what once the site is live

Why it matters

A domain that quietly expires takes your website and your email down with it. Hosting decides how fast your site loads and who answers when it’s down. Five minutes of understanding prevents both.

Renting your address

Domains are rented, usually one year at a time, from a registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Squarespace (which took over Google Domains). Most registrars renew automatically if the card on file still works.

Turn on auto-renew and keep the card current. An expired domain can be bought by someone else after a short grace period.

yourbusiness.comDNSthe address bookWebsite serverEmail server

Free with an account

Keep reading. It’s free.

Create a free Site Desk account to read the full lesson and every lesson in all four paths, use the Implementation Lab and keep your progress on every device.

Still to come in this lesson

  1. DNS: the address book
  2. Hosting: where the website lives
  3. Who is responsible for what
  4. A real-world example
  5. Your toolbox: 2 copy-and-paste templates and 3 free tools
  6. Implementation Lab: Website Ownership Inventory
  7. Verification checklist
  8. Common mistakes, quick answers and a printable resource

No password. We email you a 6-digit code. Already use Client Updates? Use the same email; it’s the same account.