Editing Example.com

{{Short description|Reserved Internet domain name}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Infobox website
| name            = example.com
| logo            =
| logo_size       = <!-- default 250px -->
| logo_alt        =
| logo_caption    = <!-- or: | logocaption =  -->
| screenshot      = Exampledotcom.png
| collapsible     = <!-- set as "on", "y", etc, otherwise omit/leave blank -->
| collapsetext    = <!-- collapsible area's heading (default "Screenshot"); omit/leave blank if collapsible not set -->
| background      = <!-- for collapsetext heading; default grey (gainsboro) -->
| screenshot_size = <!-- default 300px -->
| screenshot_alt  = 
| caption         = Screenshot of ''example.com''
| url             = {{URL|https://www.example.com}}
| type            = Reserved domain
| language        = English
| num_users       =
| content_license = <!-- or: | content_licence = -->
| owner           = Internet Assigned Numbers Authority<ref>{{cite web|title=IANA WHOIS Service|url=https://www.iana.org/whois?q=example.com|publisher=[[IANA]]|access-date=2022-10-25}}</ref>
| author          = <!-- or: creator / authors / creators -->
| editor          = <!-- or: | editors = -->
| launch_date     = {{start date and age|1999|01|01|df=yes}}
| revenue         =
| current_status  = Online
| footnotes       = 
| ipv6            = Yes
}}
The domain names '''example.com''', '''example.net''', '''example.org''', and '''example.edu''' are [[second-level domain]] names in the [[Domain Name System]] of the [[Internet]]. They are reserved by the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] (IANA) at the direction of the [[Internet Engineering Task Force]] (IETF) as [[special-use domain name]]s for documentation purposes. The domain names are used widely in books, tutorials, sample network configurations, and generally as examples for the use of domain names. The [[Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers]] (ICANN) operates websites for these domains with content that reflects their purpose.

==Purpose==
The domains ''example.com'', ''example.net'', ''example.org'' and ''example.edu'' are intended for general use in any kind of documentation, such as [[technical documentation|technical]] and [[software documentation]], manuals, and sample software configurations. Thus, [[Technical writer|documentation writers]] can be sure to select a domain name without creating naming conflicts if end-users try to use the sample configurations or examples verbatim. The domains may be used in documentation without prior consultation with IANA or ICANN.

In practice, these domain names are also installed in the Domain Name System with the [[Internet Protocol]] (IP) addresses for [[Internet Protocol version 4]] (IPv4) and [[IPv6]] of a [[web server]] managed by [[ICANN]]. The domains are digitally signed using [[Domain Name System Security Extensions]] (DNSSEC).

The zone files of each domain also define one subdomain name. The [[third-level domain]] name ''www'' resolves to the IP addresses of the parent domains.

==History==
The second-level domain label ''example'' for the [[top-level domain]]s [[.com|com]], [[.net|net]], and [[.org|org]] have been reserved and registered since at least 1992.<ref name=whois2020>{{cite web |title=IANA-managed Reserved Domains |url=https://www.iana.org/domains/reserved |publisher=[[IANA]] |access-date=2020-06-20}}</ref> The IETF established the authority of this use in 1999.{{Ref RFC|2606}}

In 2013, the status and purpose of the domains was restated by the IETF as belonging to a group of ''special-use domain names''.{{Ref RFC|6761}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Internet}}
* [[.example]]&nbsp;–  Top-level domain name reserved for documentation purposes
* [[.local]]&nbsp;–  [[Pseudo-top-level domain|Pseudo-TLD]] with [[Domain name#Fictitious domain name|no meaning]] in the DNS for use with local [[Zero-configuration networking|zeroconf networking]] only
* [[Domain name#Fictitious domain name|Fictitious domain name]]
* [[IPv4#Special-use addresses|IPv4 § Special-use addresses]]&nbsp;– some special-use IPv4 address ranges are reserved for documentation and examples
* [[Top-level domain#Reserved domains|Reserved top-level domains]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://example.com example.com]
*[https://example.net example.net]
*[https://example.org example.org]
*[https://example.edu example.edu]

[[Category:Domain Name System]]
[[Category:Placeholder names]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1999]]