A domain is your website's address on the internet: the name you type into a browser, for example numune.az. A domain is not bought outright; it is registered for a fixed period, usually one year, and renewed every year. In Azerbaijan, the main choices for a business are the .az and .com zones; whichever you choose, the domain must be registered in your own name.
Key takeaways:
- A domain is the address, hosting is the place where the website is stored, and the website is the content itself: they are three separate things and are paid for separately.
- Registering a domain is like renting: if it is not renewed when the term ends, the name can be lost and pass to someone else.
- .az suits a local audience and .com an international one; if you can, take both.
- A good domain name is short, memorable and not misspelt when you say it over the phone.
- You must be the domain's registrant: a domain registered in a contractor's name is in practice theirs.
What is a domain and why do you need one?
A domain is the address of a website that people can remember. Every website on the internet actually has an address made of numbers (an IP address), but nobody wants to memorise numbers such as 203.0.113.10. A domain is the name used in place of those numbers.
It is important to tell three concepts apart:
| Concept | In plain terms | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | The website's address, for example numune.az | The building's address |
| Hosting | The server where the website's files are stored | The plot of land the building stands on |
| Website | Design, texts, code and functions | The building itself |
A domain is not only for a website. A company email address tied to it (for example, info@numune.az) inspires more trust in customers than a free email address, and advertising accounts and payment systems require you to confirm that the domain belongs to you. We explain separately what hosting is and how to choose it in our article what is hosting.
What parts does a domain name consist of?
A domain name consists of parts separated by dots and is read from right to left. Take the address blog.numune.az:
| Part | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| .az | Domain zone (extension) | Shows the country or type: .az is Azerbaijan, .com is commercial |
| numune | Domain name | The name you choose and register |
| blog | Subdomain | A separate section created free of charge under the main domain |
There is no extra charge for subdomains: if numune.az is yours, you can create any number of subdomains such as blog.numune.az and shop.numune.az.
.az or .com: which domain zone should you choose?
If your customers are in Azerbaijan, .az is the better choice; if you sell abroad or are building an international brand, choose .com. The choice also affects how you appear on Google: Google uses country domains as a signal for working out which country a site is aimed at (Google Search Central).
| Criterion | .az | .com |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | Businesses serving the Azerbaijani market | Businesses serving international markets or several countries |
| Local search | A signal to Google that the site targets Azerbaijan | Gives no country signal; the target country is indicated by other means |
| Trust | Gives local customers the impression of a "local company" | The most widely recognised zone in the world |
| Available names | Short names are more likely to be available | Most short, simple names are taken |
| Price and registration | About 40–45 AZN (manat) for the first year at local sellers; bought through a local registrar | About $11–15 for the first year at large international registrars |
A practical tip: choose the main domain, then register the second zone as a reserve and redirect it to the main site. This stops anyone else taking your brand name and costs only a small amount a year.
How do you choose a good domain name?
A good domain name is one that is written correctly after being said over the phone once. Seven rules for choosing:
- Keep it short. A name of two or three syllables is ideal; one longer than 15 characters is risky.
- Use your brand name. When the domain matches the company name, customers find you without having to search for you.
- Avoid hyphens and digits. Names such as "numune-baku-2.az" get misspelt when said aloud.
- Take Azerbaijani letters into account. If your name contains ə, ş, ç, ö, ü, ğ or ı, decide in advance how it will be written in the Latin alphabet (for example, for "şəkər" ("sugar"): sheker or seker) and use the same version everywhere.
- Test how it reads. Say the name aloud to a few people and ask them to write it down. If they write it differently, the name has failed.
- Do not imitate someone else's brand. A domain resembling a well-known name can lead to a legal dispute.
- Check social networks too. If the same name is free on Instagram and other platforms, the brand appears under the same name on every channel.
A long domain stuffed with keywords (for example, cheap-repair-master-baku.az) is hard to remember; a short brand name is worth more in the long run.
How do you buy a .az domain?
A .az domain is bought online through a registrar company: you choose a name, check that it is available, enter the owner's details and pay the annual fee. The process is governed by the Rules on the registration and use of ".az" domain names, approved by Decision No. 63 of the Cabinet of Ministers of 25 February 2019 (whois.az). IANA's database lists the company Intrans (IntraNS) as the administrator of the .az zone and whois.az as the address for registration services (IANA).
- Check that the name is available. The official lookup address is whois.az: you enter the name, select the zone and enter the security code.
- Choose a registrar. In October 2026, the list of accredited registrars on the registry's website shows two companies: online.az and smarthost.az (whois.az). Other hosting companies sell .az domains as resellers. Whoever you buy from, the condition is the same: the domain must be registered in your name.
- Enter the owner's details. Under the Rules, both a private individual and a legal entity can apply. A private individual is asked for their first name, surname, patronymic, address, contact details and the series and number of an identity document. A sole proprietor additionally gives their VÖEN (tax ID), and a company gives its full legal name, address, VÖEN and the details of its director.
- Choose the term and pay. Under the Rules, the registration term cannot be less than 1 year or more than 10 years; ask the registrar which terms it offers.
- Wait for approval. The application is considered within 3 working days at the latest.
There are also technical rules for the name: a .az domain name must be 3–63 characters long and may use only Latin letters, digits and the hyphen. The Azerbaijani letters ə, ö, ü, ğ, ı, ç and ş are not currently used in domain names: the Rules allow them only if registration in the state language is introduced, and there is no official information that such registration has started. Restrictions are placed on the registration of geographical names, the names of well-known persons and the names of state bodies.
The Rules also list 12 second-level zones such as com.az, org.az, edu.az, info.az and net.az, but in practice almost everyone takes plain .az: according to the registry's statistics for October 2026, 49,392 of 52,732 domains are directly in the .az zone (whois.az).
How much does a domain cost?
There is no single official published price for a .az domain: under the Rules, the fee is set by the zone's national administrator in agreement with the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. In October 2026, local sellers' websites show the first annual registration of a .az domain at 40–45 AZN (hostinq.az, azhosting.az).
| Zone | First year | Renewal | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| .az | About 40–45 AZN | Varies by seller; may even be cheaper than the first year | Prices are as shown on sellers' websites |
| .com | About $11–15 | $11–23 | After a discounted first year, renewal often costs more |
The .com figures are based on the prices of large international registrars in October 2026: for example, at Namecheap the first year costs $10.98 and renewal $18.48, while Porkbun charges $11.08 every year (Namecheap, Porkbun).
When looking at the price, watch for three things:
- Renewal price. A domain is kept for years, so what matters is the price of the later years, not the first-year discount.
- Who you buy from. Buying a .az domain from foreign registrars costs far more: for example, the European registrar Netim lists €250 a year for the same zone (Netim).
- What is included. Are VAT, DNS management and the fee for transferring the domain to another company included in the price?
For a small business website, the domain and hosting together usually cost around 50–150 AZN a year; we show the remaining website costs in a table in website development prices.
Whose name should the domain be in?
The domain must be registered in the name of the company or entrepreneur themselves. The owner named in the registration is called the registrant, and legally the domain belongs to them: it does not matter who built the website or who paid.
The most common problem looks like this: the person who builds the website registers the domain in their own name "for convenience". While cooperation goes well, nobody notices. But when the relationship breaks down, the freelancer becomes unreachable or the studio closes, the company loses control of its own address: it cannot move the website, restore the email or even renew the domain.
Three steps to check ownership:
- Look at WHOIS. WHOIS is a public lookup service that shows a domain's registration details. For .az domains the official address is whois.az, and for .com and other international zones it is lookup.icann.org. If the owner's name is not shown openly, ask the company you bought the domain from to confirm in writing whose name it is registered in.
- Check access to the account. Is the account at the company where the domain was bought tied to your email, and do you know the password?
- Keep the payment record. Registration and renewal payments must be made out in your name.
If the domain is in someone else's name, demand in writing that they transfer it to yours, and do not delay. We show how the ownership clause is worded in a contract in the example in ordering a website: technical brief and contract, and why this clause is so often missing from cheap offers in why a cheap website ends up costing more.
What happens when a domain expires?
If a domain is not renewed in time, first the website and the email tied to the domain stop working, and then the name is released and anyone can register it. Losing a well-known address is a heavy loss both for customers and for your positions on Google.
To prevent this:
- Register the domain for several years or turn on automatic renewal.
- Make sure reminders go to an email address you read regularly.
- Put the expiry date in the company calendar and name a person responsible.
For .az domains, the Rules set out the sequence as follows: the registrar sends a warning at least 1 month before the term ends; when the term ends, technical service of the domain is suspended, meaning the website and email stop working; if payment is not made within the following 30 days, the registration is cancelled.
A domain is not suspended only for non-payment. Under the amendment to the law adopted in July 2026, if the owner of a website in the .az zone fails to follow the instructions of the authorised cybersecurity body, this is grounds for terminating the domain's registration or suspending its technical service (text of the law). In other words, looking after the website's security is now also part of protecting the domain.
How is a domain connected to a website?
A domain is connected to a website through DNS. DNS is the internet's "address book": it converts the domain name into the numeric address of the server where the website is hosted. The connection is usually set up by a developer or the hosting company, but it is useful to know the logic.
| Term | In plain terms |
|---|---|
| DNS | The system that converts a domain name into a server's address |
| Nameserver (NS) | The address showing where the domain's DNS records are stored |
| A record | The main record saying "this domain is on this server" |
| MX record | The record showing which mail service the email sent to the domain goes to |
| TXT record | A text record used to confirm ownership |
A change in DNS does not take effect immediately: it can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for the new information to spread around the world. So when you move a website to a new server, do not switch off the old server straight away.
In day-to-day work, you will meet the TXT record most often when connecting Google tools: for example, when you add a website to Google Search Console, this is exactly the kind of record you use to confirm ownership.
Can a domain be moved to another company or another owner?
The owner of a domain can be changed. For .az, the Rules regulate this as follows: ownership passes on the written application of the current owner, with a new registration agreement concluded with the new owner. This is the route used to move a domain left in a contractor's name into your own.
Changing the registrar, that is, moving the domain from one company to another, is a separate matter. In international zones such as .com, this is a standard procedure: a transfer code is obtained from the current registrar and presented to the new one. For .az, the official Rules do not describe a separate procedure for such a transfer at the client's initiative, and sellers' explanations differ. So put this question to the company you bought the domain from, in advance and in writing.
What are the most common mistakes when buying a domain?
Most mistakes are made on the day of registration and come to light years later. Six typical cases:
- The domain is registered in the contractor's name. The most expensive mistake: the address is not yours.
- The account stays tied to the email of an employee who has left. The password cannot be recovered. Tie the account to the company's shared address.
- Automatic renewal is switched off. A year later, the website stops unexpectedly.
- Only one zone is taken. A competitor or scammer registers a similar name in another zone.
- The name is hard to spell. The customer types the address wrongly and cannot find the website.
- Domain and hosting are treated as the same thing. One is renewed, the other forgotten.
How does Advertol work on domains?
On Advertol's website projects, the domain and hosting are registered in the client's name: the team helps with registration and DNS settings, but the account stays owned by the company itself. For example, in the Assistance Group project, the corporate website runs on assistance.az and the tourism brand's website runs on a separate domain, and both are updated from a single admin panel.
If you are planning a new website, choose the domain name before the design: the name is the foundation of the brand, email and advertising. Advertol is an agency based in Baku: website and mobile app development, Meta and Google advertising, SMM, CRM and AI automation are handled by one team. We explain the types and stages of websites in the website development guide, and how we work on the website and app development page.
Frequently asked questions
Are a domain and hosting the same thing?
No. A domain is the website's address, while hosting is the server where the website's files are stored. They are separate services, paid for separately and can be bought from different companies. A website needs both.
Can you buy a domain once and for all?
No, a domain is not sold forever: it is registered for a fixed period and must be renewed before that period ends. As long as you keep renewing, the name stays with you. If you forget to renew, the name is released and someone else can take it.
How much does a .az domain cost?
There is no single official published price. In October 2026, local sellers' websites show the first annual registration of a .az domain at about 40–45 AZN, while the renewal price varies by seller. For comparison, a .com domain costs about $11–15 for the first year at large international registrars.
Can a private individual buy a .az domain?
Yes. Under the Rules, both a private individual and a legal entity can apply for a .az domain. A private individual is asked for the details of an identity document, and a sole proprietor and a company are additionally asked for a VÖEN.
Can letters such as ə, ö, ü, ş be used in a .az domain name?
Not at present. A .az domain name uses only Latin letters, digits and the hyphen, and the name must be 3–63 characters long. The Rules allow Azerbaijani letters only if registration in the state language is introduced, and there is no official information that such registration has started.
Can you change the domain name later?
Technically yes, but it is expensive: old addresses must be redirected to the new ones, and advertising, printed materials and email addresses must be changed. It also takes time for positions on Google to move to the new address. So it is more cost-effective to choose the name carefully in advance.
Should I buy the domain myself, or should the company building my website do it?
Either option is possible, with one condition: you must be the registrant. If you find the technical side difficult, the contractor can handle the registration in your name and with your email. After registration, check for yourself the access to the account and the owner shown in WHOIS.
Conclusion
A domain is your business's address on the internet, and it is a longer-lived asset than the website: you can redo the website many times, while the address stays the same. Choose a short, memorable name, take the zone that suits your audience, register the domain in your own name and turn on automatic renewal.
If you want to set up your domain, hosting and website project correctly from the start, book a free strategy call or write to the Advertol team.
Sources
- Google Search Central — Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites
- whois.az — Rules on the registration and use of ".az" domain names (Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 63 of 25.02.2019)
- whois.az — Accredited registrars
- whois.az — .az domain statistics
- IANA — information on the administrator of the .az domain
- Amendment to the Law "On Information, Informatization and Protection of Information", 14.07.2026
- hostinq.az — domain prices
- azhosting.az — domain prices
- Namecheap — .com prices
- Porkbun — .com prices
- Netim — .az domain
- ICANN — Registration data lookup