Web-Development Online News Articles Information

Subdomains - All You Need to Know

What's the difference between a domain and a subdomain?

Your domain name is the name of your website. This is what you've registered and paid for. It's your primary address.

A subdomain, on the other hand, works off your website name. It costs nothing, you can create it instantly, and there is no need for registration. It's like getting another website for free. The difference is that it uses the resources and account of the primary domain.

Whereas a domain name is a simple word or phrase followed by a dot and a suffix (.com, .org., etc.), the subdomain contains an additional or unique word that is placed in front of your domain name and separated by another dot.

Here's a domain: http://www.ferretfriends.com/

Here's a possible subdomain: http://www.photos.ferretfriends.com/

Or you could go with http://www.adoption.ferretfriends.com/

The new word hung on the front of the domain name creates your sub-domain. Go ahead and use your subdomain name as if it were a primary domain - most search engines will treat both equally. www.adoption.FerretFriends.com can be found by Google or other search engines as easily as www.FerretFriends.com.

How Domains and Subdomains Interact

On your main domain, the subdomain name does not show. The two domains exist separately as far as the user is concerned. One domain can refer to the other but they're not naturally connected.

How Many Subdomains Can I Have?

Some hosts allow you to create unlimited subdomains. Just refer to the host site's Product Features to know for sure.

How to Create a Subdomain

First, log into your host domain and go to the control panel. Every pure domain has a control panel where basic functions are set. One of these functions is "add subdomain". Using that function you can assign and create the subdomain in a directory underneath the main domain.

How Does Installation Differ from that of a Domain?

Initially you start a new installation on either a primary domain or a subdomain by using an FTP program to upload essential files such as Joomla or Wordpress. Once you have that primary file set uploaded to either site, you can go to the site in a browser, and work on it from there. For more details, check out Website - Do It Yourself.

If your site does not have Joomla, Wordpress or other CMS software, you may only have a collection of HTML files, and you can't work on those files in a browser. That's when you need to work on them on your own system - your own computer - and upload new versions using FTP.

The time when FTP programs are most essential is when your site is empty. That means there are no files on your site, and therefore there's no web browser capability to work on your site. The initial installation of a site is done by FTP uploading of installation files to your site.

How to Work on Your Subdomain Site

In the maintenance of your website, you work on the subdomain by going to the primary domain in an FTP program. The subdomain exists as a subdirectory within this primary domain's website.

In Joomla and Wordpress, as an administrator you work in the web browser that logs into your site. However, in simpler websites that only use HTML, you work on it by going to the site via FTP.

Logging into the browser window at a site means that you're using the software on the site to make changes to the site. Logging in with FTP, on the other hand, means you are looking at the site and able to delete and add files to the site using the FTP program.

Disadvantages of a Subdomain

A main domain name is shorter and easier to type or remember than a subdomain name. Plus, the subdomain loses the uniqueness that a domain name has.

When to Choose Domain and When to Choose Subdomain

For a hobby or personal website, a subdomain is useful. For a business, you should only use a primary domain, because of the name recognition value.