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Domain Name System

The Domain Name System translates human-readable domain names, like example.com, into the numeric IP addresses computers use to locate each other on a network.

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What matters

Without this lookup step, every request would need a raw IP address instead of a memorable name, and that address could never change without breaking every existing link.

Example

Typing 'example.com' into a browser triggers a DNS lookup that returns an IP address like 93.184.216.34, which the browser then connects to.

Common misconception

DNS does not host or serve the website's content itself; it only resolves a name to the address of the server that does.

Recall question

What does DNS actually return when you look up a domain name?

Keywords and related concepts

DNSdomain nameIP addresslookup