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Subdomain

A subdomain is a division of a main domain that works as a web address in its own right and is written before the domain name, separated by a dot

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

What it is and how it works

For example, in blog.example.com, “blog” is the subdomain of example.com. Subdomains are used to separate sections or services with their own identity, such as a shop, help centre, country version or application, which may even be hosted on different servers. The familiar “www” is technically a subdomain too.

The alternative is to use subfolders (example.com/blog). From an SEO perspective both can work, although search engines may treat a subdomain somewhat more independently; the choice depends mainly on technical architecture, management and brand consistency.

Related concepts

Subdomain: what it is and how it works · Zorraquino