What is a subdomain and how does it work? 

Key takeaways 

• Subdomains are extensions of a main domain that create distinct sections of a website for organization, targeted content, branding or other specific functions. 
• Subdomains are different from sub-directories, which are essentially ‘folders’ within your website’s main address. 
• Subdomains might sound complicated. But, with a couple of tricks of the trade, you’ll have a hassle-free setup with subdomains that will scale with your brand.

When structuring a website, one size doesn’t always fit all. As your site grows, you might need better content organization, target specific audiences, or create new sections without affecting the homepage. That’s where subdomains come in. 

While they might sound technical, subdomains are actually simple to understand and highly practical. Let’s explore what they are, how they work, and how to set one up. 

What is a subdomain? 

A subdomain is an extension of your primary domain name. If the root domain acts as the primary address of your website, a subdomain is like adding a specific room or section within that address.  

For instance, if your website is example.com, you could create multiple subdomains like shop.example.com for your online store or blog.example.com for your blog, where: 

• shop and blog are the subdomains
• example is the primary domain  
• .com is the top-level domain (TLD) 

Subdomains make it easy to organize and manage different areas of your website without needing to register for a new domain. They’re often used to divide content, target specific groups, or make your website more accessible to a global audience. 

Common uses for subdomains 

Subdomains are versatile and can serve many purposes depending on what you need. Let’s look at some common use cases for subdomains. 

Content segmentation 

Sometimes, websites need to separate different types of content. For example, a company wants to create a separate space for their product catalog, customer support, or a blog. By using subdomains, they can create clear boundaries between these sections: 

• shop.example.com for the online store 
• support.example.com for customer service 
• blog.example.com for company news and articles

Targeting specific audiences or regions 

Subdomains can be helpful when you want to cater to different groups of people. For example, if your business operates in multiple countries, you might use subdomains to create region-specific versions of your site: 

• us.example.com for users in the United States
• uk.example.com for users in the United Kingdom 
• ca.example.com for users in Canada 

This allows you to provide localized content, language options, and even pricing to better suit the needs of different markets. 

Creating language-specific versions 

If you have a global audience, offering a multi-language website can boost the user experience. Subdomains make it easy to separate content by language: 

• en.example.com for English content 
• es.example.com for Spanish content 
• fr.example.com for French content 

This setup helps ensure that users automatically land on the right version of your site based on their language preferences. 

Device-specific versions 

Websites don’t always look the same on mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. If you want to provide a smoother experience for users on different devices, subdomains can help. You can create separate subdomains for each device type: 

• desktop.example.com for the desktop version of the site 
• mobile.example.com for providing an enhanced mobile experience 

User-generated content 

Subdomains can also be used to provide space for user interaction, content creation, and discussions. These subdomains promote customer interaction and community-building and can also offer a dedicated space for customers to share experiences and ask for help. For example: 

• community.example.com for a community platform 
• forum.example.com for discussion boards 

Subdomains vs. subdirectories: What’s the difference? 

Subdomains and subdirectories are both used to organize and structure your website, but they each serve slightly different purposes and come with distinct advantages. While they may seem similar at first, they differ in terms of functionality, search engine optimization (SEO) impact, and how you manage them.  

Let’s break down the key differences between subdomains and subdirectories. 

Subdomain 

You already know that a subdomain is like a separate section of your site with its own unique address (think blog.example.com or shop.example.com). It’s an ideal choice when you want to create distinct areas of your site that might function independently from the main domain, like a blog, store, or user portal.  

For example, Reddit uses a separate subdomain for different versions of its site, such as old.reddit.com for users who prefer the older layout. This allows Reddit to keep the two sections entirely separate, even though they both fall under the same root domain. 

The Reddit homepage

The vintage Reddit site, accessed through the subdomain old.reddit.com.

Subdirectory 

On the other hand, a subdirectory is a folder within your main domain (like example.com/blog or example.com/store). It keeps everything under one roof, making it easier to manage and optimize because it doesn’t create a separate URL structure. Subdirectories are great for organizing different content without needing to set up something entirely new.  

Take Web.com as an example. We use subdirectories for our product pages, like web.com/products or web.com/services. Since everything is part of the same main website, it’s simpler to manage and optimize the entire site as one cohesive unit. 

The Web.com websites page, accessed through the web.com/websites subdirectory.

Web.com’s domains page, which you can visit through the web.com/domains subdirectory.

While subdomains might look better than a subdirectory, they come with their share of challenges. Using subdirectories over subdomains provides advantages like: 

• Improved SEO. Subdirectories benefit from the main domain’s SEO authority, which makes it easier for new content to rank in search engines.
• Streamlined structure. For websites with closely related content, subdirectories maintain a unified and straightforward structure. 
• Simplified analytics tracking. Tracking user behavior and site performance is more straightforward when all content is under the same domain hierarchy. A step-by-step guide for creating a subdomain 

Now that you understand what subdomains are and why they’re useful, let’s walk through how to set one up. 

How to setup a subdomain 

You can create a subdomain with the help of your hosting provider. The process involves accessing your administrator panel and your website’s settings.   

Using a website registered with Web.com as an example, here’s what you need to do: 

1. Log in to Web.com.
2. On the left pane of the Web.com dashboard, click Domains. 
3. On the Domains page, click the SUMMARY VIEW button. 
4. Click the Settings button of the domain you want to edit. 
5. Navigate to the Advanced Tools section, find the Advanced DNS Records option, and click Manage. 
6. Click + Add Record on the next page. 
7. Select A in the Type drop-down box. 
8. Input the subdomain name in the Name/Host box. For example, shop.example.com. 
9. Type the IP address of your hosting server in the Points to box. 
10. Set your desired value in the TTL box (determines how long the server keeps a cached version of your website). 
11. Click the Add button. 

Once you’ve completed these steps, Web.com will create your subdomain. It can take 24 to 48 hours for the subdomain to go live, as that’s the time needed to generate the DNS record. 

For added security for your subdomains and primary domain, check out Web.com’s Premium DNS. To learn more about protecting your website’s security and visitors, read our blog on SSL certificates. 

Best practices for naming and maintaining subdomains 

Keep it simple and relevant 

When naming your subdomains, make sure they’re clear and meaningful. Think about the user experience. You want visitors to easily understand what they’re accessing.  

For example, if you have a blog, something like blog.yoursite.com is much clearer than content.yoursite.com. Also, try to keep it short and sweet. Long, complex subdomains can be hard to remember and prone to typos. 

Tip: If it’s not immediately obvious what a subdomain is for, add a little context, like support.yoursite.com for customer help or store.yoursite.com for your eCommerce page. 

Avoid overcomplicating with too many subdomains 

You might be tempted to create a subdomain for every little thing, but be careful, too many can confuse both users and search engines. Stick to what’s necessary.  

Ideally, you want to keep your subdomains focused on specific functions or sections of your site, like shop.yoursite.com for the store or help.yoursite.com for FAQs and support. 

Pro tip: Consider using wildcard subdomains. These are subdomains that point non-existing subdomains to your desired location. It’s useful for situations where a visitor inputs a URL that doesn’t exist. For example, your customer might visit home.yoursite.com, a subdomain you never created. Using a wildcard subdomain, instead of encountering a “This page doesn’t exist” error, the visitor will be automatically redirected to what you set as the root domain, such as your homepage.  

Be consistent with naming conventions 

Consistency is your friend here. Whether you’re using a dash or a dot, keeping your naming conventions uniform across all subdomains helps with both organization and user recognition.  

If you start with blog.yoursite.com, don’t suddenly switch it up with news.yoursite.com or updates.yoursite.com unless there’s a clear reason for the distinction. 

Example: If you’re using hyphens, make sure to stick with them, like support-center.yoursite.com instead of jumping between supportcenter.yoursite.com and support-center.yoursite.com. 

Plan for the long term 

When you’re creating subdomains, think about the future growth of your site. What works now might not work in a year or two if your business or website expands. Try to leave room for growth by choosing names that can accommodate future changes without needing a complete overhaul. 

For instance, if you’re planning to add a knowledge base or forum down the line, you might want to consider naming your subdomains in a way that can naturally grow with your site, like community.yoursite.com and kb.yoursite.com. 

Tip: If you’re creating multiple subdomains, consider whether some of them could be better served as subdirectories under your main domain (for example, using yoursite.com/shop instead of shop.yoursite.com). 

Back up your website 

Adding features like more subdomains to your website can affect its performance. Before making changes to the site, you can download your website files to create a backup. If anything goes wrong, you can upload the backup files to restore the website to a working version. 

We’ve got a detailed guide on how to back up a website if you want to learn more.  

Pro tip: Use a testing stage before adding new subdomains. Website testing stages allow you to tinker with your website without affecting your root domain. You can experiment with creating a subdomain in a safe environment, ensuring there are no conflicts and everything runs smoothly, before applying changes to the main site.  

Don’t forget about SEO and security 

Subdomains can impact your SEO, so make sure each one is optimized for its purpose. Use proper meta tags, unique content, and good internal linking. Also, keep security in mind. Make sure that each subdomain has SSL certificates in place, especially if it handles sensitive user data. 

Quick reminder: If you’re running a blog or a dedicated section on a subdomain, try to maintain a solid connection between your main site and the subdomain in terms of linking strategy. That way, search engines understand they’re part of the same ecosystem. 

Build a scalable website with subdomains 

You should factor scalability and futureproofing when building your website. In the beginning, a basic website might suffice. But as your brand grows, you’ll need to expand beyond your main domain. 

A subdomain helps you organize and manage various sections of your website. It also allows you to deliver targeted content, enhance user experience, and boost your SEO strategy. 

If you’re ready to dive into setting up subdomains, or even just want some guidance on the best way to structure your site, Web.com is here to support you. We can help you get everything set up smoothly, so your site stays organized, secure, and easy to navigate. 

What is a subdomain FAQ