Domains, Subdomains and Subdirectories

Domains, subdomains, and subdirectories are all components of the hierarchical structure used to organise content on the internet. The terms can be confusing, here's what each means:

domain.name

A domain is a unique name that identifies a website on the internet. It typically consists of two parts: the second-level domain (SLD) and the top-level domain (TLD). For example, in the domain “example.com,” “example” is the SLD and “.com” is the TLD. Domains are used to navigate to specific websites and are part of the URL that users type into their web browsers to access a website.

subdomain.domain.name

A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain. It precedes the primary domain name and is separated by a period. Subdomains are often used to organise and categorise content within a domain. For example, in the URL “blog.example.com,” “blog” is the subdomain of the domain “example.com.” Subdomains can be used for various purposes, such as hosting blogs, forums, or specialised sections of a website.

domain.name/subdirectory

A subdirectory, also known as a subfolder, is a directory or folder located within another directory or folder. In the context of websites, subdirectories are used to organise content within a domain or subdomain. They are part of the URL path that follows the domain or subdomain. For example, in the URL “example.com/blog,” “blog” is a subdirectory of the domain “example.com.” Subdirectories are often used to organise different sections or types of content within a website.

• The website’s domain name is the main address used to access the website.
• A subdomain is the subdivision of a domain name.
• A subdirectory or subfolder is the directory or folder located on a domain or subdomain.

Domains are the main addresses of websites, subdomains are subdivisions of domains used for organisation, and subdirectories are folders within domains or subdomains used to further organise content.