Domain glossary

This domain glossary collects the terms that appear most often in the client area, in notification emails and in our guides. Each term is explained in one to three sentences, with a link to the page where you can read more. The terms are sorted alphabetically and split into four groups.

A–C

A record

A DNS record that points a domain to an IPv4 address, for example @ → 203.0.113.10. It is the record that tells the browser where your website's server is.

AAAA record

The same as an A record, but for an IPv6 address, for example @ → 2001:db8::1.

AKEP

The Electronic and Postal Communications Authority of Albania. It sets the regulation for .al domains, keeps the .al registry and verifies and approves every application. See the AKEP rules.

AUTH / EPP code

The authorisation code, also called a transfer key, needed to transfer a .al domain to another registrar. It is obtained from the current registrar and must be used within 24 hours. See the EPP code.

CAA record

A DNS record that limits which certificate authorities may issue SSL certificates for your domain, for example 0 issue "letsencrypt.org".

ccTLD

Country-code Top-Level Domain. For Albania it is .al, based on the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code. Search engines use it as one of the geographic signals.

CNAME record

An alias that points one name to another name, for example www → example.al. It is often used for subdomains and external services.

D–M

DNS

Domain Name System, the system that translates domain names into IP addresses. Every domain registered with UpFlare comes with managed DNS at no extra cost. See DNS and nameservers.

DNSSEC

A security extension of DNS that signs records cryptographically, so DNS answers cannot be forged along the way. Read DNSSEC for .al domains.

DPPI

The General Directorate of Industrial Property, the institution that registers trademarks and patents in Albania. Approved trademark names that exactly match a domain under .al are reserved for the trademark owner.

Expiry

The date the paid period of a domain ends. After expiry the website and email stop working; after a certain period the name is released and anyone can register it. See domain expiry.

Extension

The last part of a domain after the dot, such as .al, .com.al or .com. It is used as a synonym for TLD, but can also include second-level spaces such as .com.al.

IDN

Internationalized Domain Name, a domain with characters outside the basic Latin alphabet. The .al registry does not accept names with special characters such as ë and ç. Read domains with ë and ç.

MX record

A DNS record that routes the domain's email to the mail server, for example @ → mail.example.al with priority 10. If you change email provider, the MX record must change too.

N–R

Nameserver

The server that holds the domain's DNS zone and answers queries about its records. You can use your hosting provider's nameservers or the DNS managed by UpFlare.

Prohibited names

The list of names that, under the AKEP regulation, are considered unsuitable for public use and cannot be registered. Our search shows them as “cannot be registered”.

Propagation

The time a DNS change needs to spread across the internet. Nameservers can take up to 24–48 hours, while individual records usually update within the TTL.

QKB

The National Business Centre of Albania. A company registering a .al domain needs a QKB extract, and the company name must match the registrant. See required documents.

Redirect

Automatically sending visitors from one address to another. It is used when you hold several domains, for example .al and .com.al, and want them all to lead to the same website. See domain forwarding.

Registrant

The individual or legal entity that holds the domain and in whose name it is registered. Their details must be accurate and match the documents.

Registrar

The accredited company that registers and manages domains on behalf of customers. UpFlare is an AKEP-accredited registrar for .al, .com.al, .net.al and .org.al.

Registrar lock

A status that prevents the domain from being transferred to another registrar without your approval. At UpFlare it is free; it must be removed before you start a transfer.

Registry

The database of all domains under a TLD and the organisation that runs it. For .al domains, the registry is administered by AKEP.

Renewal

Extending the registration of a domain for a new period, from 1 to 10 years. At UpFlare renewal costs the same as registration. See renewing a .al domain.

Reserved names

The list of names that, under the AKEP regulation, have a sensitive public use and cannot be registered by just anyone. See reserved and prohibited names.

S–W

SLD

Second-Level Domain: the part right before the TLD. In example.al, “example” is at the second level; .com.al, .net.al and .org.al are also second-level spaces under .al.

SSL / TLS

A certificate that encrypts the connection between visitor and website and shows the address with https. It is often included free with hosting. See SSL for .al domains.

Subdomain

A name under your domain, such as blog.example.al or shop.example.al. It is created with DNS records and needs no separate registration.

TLD

Top-Level Domain: the last part of the address, such as .al or .com. TLDs are divided into country-code (ccTLD) and generic (gTLD).

Transfer

Moving the management of a domain from one registrar to another, using the EPP code. A transfer changes the registrar, not the DNS configuration. See transferring a .al domain.

TTL

Time To Live, how long a DNS record is cached by servers before it is looked up again. The lower the TTL, the sooner changes are seen; it is often 1–4 hours.

TXT record

A free-text DNS record used for verifications and for the SPF, DKIM and DMARC email rules. Only one SPF record is allowed per domain.

WHOIS

The public service that shows whether a domain is registered, when it expires and which registrar manages it. For .al only limited information is shown, to protect personal data. See .al WHOIS.

Frequently asked questions