---
title: "What Is Registry? Domain Glossary | Grit Brokerage"
description: "A registry is the authoritative master database of every domain name registered in one top-level domain. The company that runs it is the registry..."
url: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/registry
publisher: Grit Brokerage
contact: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/contact
offer: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/inquiry
---

Registration and DNS

# Registry

A registry is the authoritative master database of every domain name registered in one top-level domain. The company that runs it is the registry operator. The Domain Name System consults it to find the name servers for each name.

## Why it matters

Every TLD has one registry. Verisign runs .com, for example. Registries set wholesale prices, own the rules for their extension and publish the records that make a domain work. You never buy from a registry directly. You buy through a registrar. This matters in a sale because registry rules, such as premium pricing and transfer limits, can change what a buyer pays or how fast a domain moves. Buyers should check the extension's registry before bidding on an unfamiliar TLD.

Source: [icann.org](https://www.icann.org/en/icann-acronyms-and-terms/registry-en)

[Read nextHow Domain Transfers Work: Auth Codes, Transfer Locks, and Push vs Transfer](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/domain-transfer-process)

## Where we use this term

-   [.com vs .ai vs .io vs .co: How to Choose a Domain Extension](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/com-vs-ai-vs-io-vs-co)
-   [Domain Names and Trademarks: UDRP, Cybersquatting, and How to Buy Safely](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/domain-trademark-udrp-risk)
-   [How to Find Out Who Owns a Domain Name (WHOIS, RDAP, and Privacy)](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/find-domain-owner)
-   [How to Buy a Domain Name That Someone Already Owns](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-buy-a-domain-that-is-taken)
-   [.ai Passed 1 Million Domains and Raised Prices in 2026](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/ai-domains-one-million-price-increase)

## Buying or selling a domain?

Call, text or email. Responsiveness is our trademark, and a broker answers, not a form robot.

[Talk to a broker](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/contact) [Call (442) 500-GRIT](tel:+1-442-500-4748)