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Subdomains are subsets of the main domain URL of a website. “store.” specifies that the website subdomain store.businessname.com is a subdomain of the parent URL “businessname.com.” They’re often used when a company wants to test multiple website layouts or functionality, or when a new site has to be staged. Learn how to set up a subdomain using real-world examples, as well as why and when to utilize them.
A domain name is required before you can create a subdomain. If you don’t already have one.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Subdomain?
A subdomain, by definition, is a distinct website where you may use a different website theme with its own design, menus, and functionality. A domain and a subdomain are recorded separately since they function as two independent websites. This lets a company provide multiple user experiences and monitor user data and analytics more precisely, which can then be utilized to develop and optimize both the main URL and subdomain site.
When Should You Use a Subdomain?
Subdomains are used by businesses for a variety of reasons. A company may construct a subdomain to house its help center, online shop, staff intranet, gated or customer-exclusive resources, or develop a site, particularly for mobile users to guarantee the greatest possible user experience on both desktop and mobile devices.
The following are some of the most typical reasons for the usage of subdomains, which can serve to answer the question “what is a subdomain?”:
- To test or stage a new version of an existing website without interfering with the functioning of the old site
- For two distinct purposes or user categories, such as a software as a service (SaaS) company that has an instructional website for sales and a second site for customers to log in or obtain help.
- To construct two unique websites, each with a different audience, under one branded website—for example, Wikipedia utilizes subdomains to create separate sites for various languages, such as.en,.de, and.no for English, German, and Norwegian, respectively.
- The separation between user data and analytics (e.g., a business that wants to collect data from its main site separately from its investors’ page)
- To generate a unique user experience for each kind of device (e.g., creating a mobile version through a subdomain)
- To bring together a number of disparate websites under one umbrella (e.g., building a website on Wix and getting a businessname.wix.com domain)
5 Examples of Subdomains
It’s likely that you’re still unsure what a subdomain is, how to use one, or when to utilize one. Let’s skip the subdomain definitions and hypothetical examples and instead look at some real-world applications of subdomains.
Here are five subdomain instances you may have been across before without realizing it:
Squarespace
www.squarespace.com is the website address. www.forum.squarespace.com is a subdomain.
Squarespace provides news, articles, and help to its clients through a subdomain site. (Image courtesy of Squarespace)
Wikipedia
www.wikipedia.org is the website address. en.wikipedia.org and ja.wikipedia.org are subdomains.
Subdomains are used by Wikipedia to build language-specific webpages. (Image credit: Wikipedia)
Similarweb
www.similarweb.com is the website address. www.support.similarweb.com is a subdomain of www.similarweb.com.
A subdomain of Similarweb.com contains customer support materials.
Fiverr
www.fiverr.com is the website address. www.blog.fiverr.com is a subdomain.
Subdomains are used by Fiverr to isolate blog material and business sales interfaces from the main site.
Google’s domain is www.google.com. www.ads.google.com is a subdomain.
The interface for Google Ads has its own subdomain.
3 Easy Steps to Getting a Subdomain
You may be ready to utilize a subdomain now that you understand what one is and how to define one. Your domain name registrar or the web hosting service you used to register your principal domain is the simplest method to create a subdomain.
We’ll teach you how to build a subdomain in Bluehost as an example. However, you may simply establish a subdomain on GoDaddy or any other domain registrar, such as IONOS, DreamHost, or Squarespace, where your site is registered. Although the methods below may be comparable, your hosting provider’s knowledge base or Most Commonly Asked Questions will most likely contain the exact instructions you want.
In three simple steps, you may establish a Bluehost subdomain:
1. Go to your Bluehost account and log in.
Shortcut: Bluehost > Login
To begin, go to Bluehost.com and log in using the “Login” button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then sign in with your login credentials.
Bluehost users’ login screen
2. Establish a Subdomain
Shortcut: cPanel > Domains > Subdomains > Select Domain > Create Subdomain > Choose a Subdomain Name
From the left-hand menu, pick “Domains,” and then “Subdomains.” Then, from the subdomains page, pick the domain for which you wish to establish a subdomain using the drop-down menu. Then type in the subdomain you’d want to utilize (e.g., support, shop, business, and so on). When you’re finished, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Create” button.
3. Link Your Subdomain to Your Web Hosting
Shortcut: Dashboard > My Sites > Add Site > Enter Site Name > Select Subdomain
After you’ve created your new subdomain, you’ll need to link it to your hosting account (if you’re using it to develop a WordPress site). To do so, go to the Bluehost dashboard and pick “Add Site” from the “My Sites” menu. After that, type in your site’s name, choose your new subdomain from the drop-down menu and then click “Next” at the bottom of the page. This will connect to your site hosting plan and install WordPress for you automatically.
Most Commonly Asked Questions
Are subdomains available for free?
Subdomains are usually free via the same company that you used to register your major domain. Users may establish subdomains for free with domain name registrars like GoDaddy and IONOS, as well as web-hosting services like Bluehost and DreamHost that provide a free domain.
Is it true that subdomains have an impact on search engine optimization (SEO)?
Because subdomains are regarded and seen as different websites, they have an influence on SEO. Businesses who utilize subdomains, on the other hand, typically do it on purpose and are unconcerned about the SEO implications.
This is because, since the subdomain is linked from the domain, the principal domain is frequently the domain that a company wants to rank in search. As a result, if the major domain is detected, the subdomain will be as well.
Conclusion
A major domain includes subdomains. Subdomains are used in addition to small company websites for a variety of reasons, the most popular of which is to establish a distinct extension of their primary site with particular functionality for a different audience. Subdomains are usually free with web hosting services like Bluehost, which offers plans beginning at $9.99 per month.
