Guide
What is a subdomain, and when should you use one?
A subdomain is a named section added in front of your main domain, such as shop.yourbusiness.co.uk or blog.yourbusiness.co.uk. It lets you run a separate site or service under the same domain without buying another one. Every plan with us includes unlimited subdomains, and you create them in the control panel in a minute or two.
Anatomy
Reading a web address from right to left
- .ukThe top-level domain
- coThe second-level part, for .co.uk names
- yourbusinessThe name you register
- shopThe subdomain you choose
- shop.yourbusiness.co.ukThe full host name
The idea
What a subdomain is
Your domain is the name you register, like yourbusiness.co.uk. A subdomain is a label you put in front of it, separated by a dot, to name a distinct part of your online presence. You choose the label yourself and you do not pay a registration fee for it. If you own the domain, you can make as many as you like.
Technically, a subdomain is just another DNS record on your domain. It can point to a folder on your hosting, to a different website on the same account or to a completely different service somewhere else. Visitors see it as a separate address, and search engines treat it as its own site in many respects.
You have probably used subdomains without noticing. Webmail, a customer portal, a documentation site and a company's regional pages are often subdomains. The "www" in front of many websites is itself a subdomain, a historical habit, rather than something special.
Quick comparison
Subdomain, subfolder or separate domain
| Option | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Subfolder | yourbusiness.co.uk/blog/ | Content that belongs to the main site and should share its search strength |
| Subdomain | blog.yourbusiness.co.uk | A distinct site or tool with its own software |
| Separate domain | yourblog.co.uk | A separate brand with its own audience |
Unlimited subdomains on every plan
Add a shop, a staging copy or a customer portal without extra cost.
Good uses
When a subdomain makes sense
A staging or test site
Try changes at staging.yourbusiness.co.uk before touching the live site.
A separate application
A booking tool, support desk or members area that runs different software from your main site.
A regional or language version
For example, an English site and a separately managed version in another language.
Webmail and mail tools
A tidy address such as mail.yourbusiness.co.uk for your mailbox login.
Downloads and assets
Serve large files or images from files.yourbusiness.co.uk.
A client or project area
Agencies often give each project its own subdomain while it is in development.
Search
Subdomains and SEO: the honest version
Search engines generally treat a subdomain as a somewhat separate site from your main domain. That has consequences. If you put your blog on blog.yourbusiness.co.uk, the authority it builds does not flow in a simple way to your main site, and links to the blog do not automatically strengthen your service pages.
For most small businesses, content that supports the main site, such as a blog, case studies and help articles, belongs in a subfolder like yourbusiness.co.uk/blog/. Everything sits under one roof and builds up one body of authority. Use a subdomain when the section is truly separate in purpose or technology, or when you need to keep it isolated for safety or organisational reasons.
Do not let this paralyse you. Plenty of good sites use subdomains. The point is to choose on purpose, rather than by default, and to avoid splitting a small site across many subdomains when one tidy site would serve visitors better.
Creating one
How to create a subdomain on your hosting
Open the subdomain tool
In your hosting control panel, find the section for subdomains.
Enter the label
Type the prefix you want, such as shop, and choose the domain to attach it to.
Check the document root
The tool suggests a folder for the files. Accept it or choose another.
Create it
Save. If your DNS is with us, the record is added for you. If DNS is elsewhere, add the record there.
Add content or install software
Upload files by SFTP or install WordPress in the new folder. See what is SFTP.
Secure it
Free SSL is included, so the subdomain can use HTTPS. Allow a little time for the certificate to be issued.
DNS
How a subdomain reaches the right place
A subdomain works through DNS, the system that turns names into addresses. For a subdomain on the same hosting account, a record points it to your hosting server, and the web server then looks at the requested name and serves the files from the matching folder. For a subdomain that leads to an outside service, such as a help desk, you add a CNAME or A record that points to the address the service gives you.
If you have not met these terms, our guide on what is DNS explains them, and the guide on pointing a domain to hosting shows the practical steps. DNS changes can take a short while to spread, so test after a few minutes and again later before assuming something is wrong.
Decision
Which should you choose?
Subdomain fits when
- The section runs different software
- You want it isolated from the main site
- It serves a different audience or purpose
- It is a temporary staging or test copy
- An outside service needs its own address
A subfolder fits when
- It is part of the same business site
- You want one body of search authority
- It shares the same design and navigation
- You prefer simple management
- Visitors would expect it to be on the main site
Housekeeping
Looking after your subdomains
- List every subdomain you have created
- Delete ones you no longer use
- Keep software on each updated
- Do not leave test sites open to search engines
- Check each has working HTTPS
- Back up each folder and database
- Watch for dangling DNS records
- Use strong passwords on every login
Tidy up
Staging sites and the risk of forgetting them
A staging subdomain is one of the best uses, and one of the most neglected. Old test copies of a site are rarely updated, which makes them an easy target for attackers, and they can leak into search results as duplicate content. Protect staging with a password, switch off indexing and delete it when the work is done.
Also remove DNS records for services you have stopped using. A record that still points at a cancelled service can, in some cases, be claimed by someone else. A quick review once or twice a year keeps your domain tidy and safe.
Naming
Choosing sensible subdomain names
Pick labels that describe the purpose and that a customer could type from memory: shop, help, book, portal or staging. Keep them short, lower case and free of hyphens where possible. Avoid names that give away internal details, such as the software behind the page, because those change when you switch tools while the address on printed material cannot.
Write down every subdomain, what it is for and who looks after it. If an agency or developer sets one up, make sure you know where it points and how to log in. A short list in a shared document saves a great deal of confusion a year later, when nobody remembers why test2 exists.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I pay extra for a subdomain?
No registration fee applies. Unlimited subdomains are included on every plan with us.
Is www a subdomain?
Yes. It is simply the most common one. You should make sure that www and the non-www version lead to the same place.
Does a subdomain need its own SSL certificate?
It needs HTTPS cover. Free SSL is included on our plans, so you can secure subdomains without extra cost.
Is a subdomain or a subfolder better for a blog?
For most small business sites, a subfolder keeps everything together and is simpler. Use a subdomain if the blog runs on separate software.
Can a subdomain point to another host?
Yes. Add a DNS record for it that points to the other service's address.
Keep reading
Related pages
Build as many sections as you need
Unlimited subdomains, MySQL databases and email accounts on every plan.