A few things worth knowing.

01 / Domains & DNS

A name is not the same as a website.

A domain is a readable address, such as example.com. Registering it gives you the right to use that name for a period of time. Hosting is a separate service: it stores or serves the website people see.

DNS, the Domain Name System, connects a name to the services behind it. A and AAAA records identify IP addresses. A CNAME points one name to another. Different records can direct the website and email to different providers.

Further reading: Domain names explained by MDN

02 / Email delivery

Every message needs a destination.

For an address such as hello@example.com, the sending server looks up the domain's MX records to find where incoming mail belongs. The receiving service then handles delivery to the intended recipient.

1. SendA mail server accepts the outgoing message.
2. FindDNS identifies the domain's receiving mail server.
3. DeliverThe receiving service checks the message and recipient.

A mailbox has its own storage and access settings. An alias is an additional address routed to a destination; it does not automatically create a separate account or password. Publishing an MX record does not create mailboxes either.

Further reading: How MX records work

03 / HTTPS & trust

A protected connection, not a promise.

HTTPS uses TLS to encrypt traffic between your browser and a website. A valid certificate helps the browser authenticate the domain it is connecting to.

The certificate must be valid for that hostname and be served by the website's infrastructure. Buying a domain alone does not publish a website or finish its HTTPS setup.

Further reading: HTTPS explained by MDN