Are domain names case sensitive?
Domain names are an integral part of the internet.
They allow users to navigate to websites quickly and easily. However, one question that often arises is whether domain names are case sensitive. In this blog, we will explore this topic in detail and cover other related subjects.
Are domain names case sensitive?
To answer the question, domain names are not case sensitive.
This means that whether you type a domain name in uppercase or lowercase letters, it will still direct you to the same website.
For example, typing GOOGLE.COM and google.com will take you to the same website.
IP addresses
This is because the domain name system (DNS) is designed to be case insensitive.
The DNS translates the domain name into an IP address, which is then used to locate the website.
As the IP address is case insensitive, it does not matter whether the domain name is entered in uppercase or lowercase letters.
However, it is important to note that the case sensitivity of domain names applies only to the domain name itself, and not to the path or query parameters of the URL.
For example, in the URL https://example.com/page1, the domain name “example.com” is not case sensitive, but the path “/page1” can be case sensitive depending on the web server’s configuration.
It is also worth mentioning that although domain names are not case sensitive, they are still unique.
This means that two domain names that differ only in case are considered to be the same domain name. For example, google.com and GOOGLE.COM are the same domain name, and only one of them can be registered.
Now that we have established that domain names are not case sensitive, let us look at some other related subjects.
Subdomains
A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain. For example, mail.google.com is a subdomain of google.com.
The case sensitivity of subdomains depends on the domain owner’s configuration.
Some domain owners choose to make their subdomains case sensitive, while others make them case insensitive.
Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)
IDNs are domain names that contain characters from non-English languages, such as Chinese or Arabic. Unlike standard domain names, IDNs can be case sensitive.
This is because some languages have uppercase and lowercase characters that are not equivalent. For example, in German, the letter “ß” is not equivalent to “ss”.
Therefore, an IDN that contains “ß” can be case sensitive.
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)
URLs are used to identify and locate resources on the internet, such as web pages or files.
The case sensitivity of URLs depends on the web server’s configuration.
Some web servers make URLs case sensitive, while others make them case insensitive.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO is the practice of improving the ranking of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).
While the case sensitivity of domain names does not directly affect SEO, it is recommended to use lowercase letters in domain names.
This is because most users are accustomed to typing domain names in lowercase letters, and using uppercase letters can create confusion and reduce the memorability of the domain name.
Summary
In conclusion, domain names are not case sensitive, but it is important to understand that this applies only to the domain name itself and not to the path or query parameters of the URL.
While the case sensitivity of domain names may not directly affect SEO, it is still recommended to use lowercase letters in domain names for the sake of consistency and memorability.
It is also worth noting that the case sensitivity of subdomains, IDNs, and URLs depends on the configuration of the domain owner or web server.
Related Read: Back order domain name? Does it work?
Website domain brokers