What is an email domain and how to choose one?

Margarita K. | December 13, 2022
5 mins

First of all, let’s start by discussing what a domain name is. A domain is a website name you see in a search bar when you visit different web pages e.g. namecheap.com. Check out this article for more detailed technical information on domains. Domains can be used to host emails along with websites. Domains that form part of an email address are called email domains. In the example mycoolbusiness@mydomain.com, everything before the @ symbol is an alias/username and everything after is the domain.

Is there more than one type of email domain name?

A personal email domain is the one you are using for personal purposes. You can register your own domain and use this custom domain with email hosting.

Generic email domains are shared by many users and, usually, they are free. Such examples of email domains are gmail.com, yahoo.com, and so on. Generic email addresses like these don’t allow you to select the domain that appears in your email address. All you are free to choose is the part before ‘@’.

A corporate email domain is used by companies to provide email accounts to their employees. You might also create it for your own employees if you are in business.

How do I choose an email domain name?

If you are choosing a name purely to personalize your email, it can be almost anything you want. You might wish to use your name, or a nickname as a starting point, or get creative with it. Most commonly though, people use their business name. If you haven't already got a business website, but think you might create one soon, it would be worth giving some careful thought to what you want that to be. The address your site uses should be memorable, have unambiguous spelling, and be easy to type (without special punctuation etc). It makes the most sense to use your final website address for your site emails so your business has a oneness to its messaging, making it clear to customers that the emails you send are legitimately from the company they purchased from/dealt with. If you need help, you can use Namecheap's Business Name Generator to get ideas for your brand.

Whether your aim is to create a corporate email domain for your business or personal use, you can try Namecheap Business Name Generator which helps with creating unique brand names. Once the name is chosen, you can move on to buy an email and a domain name!

How to buy an email domain address?

1. Domain name registration

Everything starts with a domain name, so first, you need to register your chosen domain. However, prior to making any purchases, it’s necessary to choose a provider that covers what you need now, and also as you expand. There are lots of companies on the market who provide not only domain name registration, but also email hosting, web hosting, SSL certificates, and so on.

If you are still not sure how to get an email domain, feel free to look up and register your email domain right here!

2. Sign up for an email hosting service

When the domain name is chosen and registered, it’s time to buy an email hosting plan. To help you choose, we’ve put together the 10 Best Email Service Providers of 2022, where you will be able to check and compare the most common providers on the market. Some providers even give a free domain, along with email hosting.

When choosing an email provider, it’s important to pay attention to the features you may need like 2FA or storage capacity.

3. Email address configuration

If your domain and email hosting are from the same provider, then you’ll probably have nothing to worry about. As a rule, everything is set up automatically since the provider has access to the DNS settings of the domain.

However, if you have services from different providers, it will be necessary to get settings from your email hosting provider and give them to your domain name registrar.

4. Create a mailbox

You are almost there! To finish the process, you need to create a mailbox. Of course, the guidelines are different depending on the interface and provider, however, there are some general instructions that are applicable to the majority of domain email hosting providers.

1. Go to your account and click on the ‘Create mailbox’ button (or similar). 

2. You will be asked to insert a name for your mailbox. In case you aren't sure what to write, you can simply enter your name. 

3. If anything changes, you can always update it later.  Type in the mailbox password and click on ‘Create’.

Congratulations on creating your first mailbox!

Make life simple by choosing Namecheap’s Private Email service. Everything you need to know is in one guide: How to create a Namecheap Private Email mailbox.

Conclusion

We hope this article is helpful and that now it’s easy for you to choose the domain name for your email address!

In case you decided to go with Namecheap, you are welcome to check the domain registration page and Private Email product page to see prices and deals.


Biography

Picture of Margarita K.

Margarita K.

Private Email Product Operations Specialist

More content by Margarita K.


Business Tools & Tips

For tech that helps out

From plugins to apps to platforms, here are the tips and tools every small business owner needs.

See more
Join Our Newsletter

Stay inspired

Get all the latest offers, articles, and industry news straight to your mailbox every month.

Need help? We're always here for you.

notmyip