What is a Subdomain? Simple Explanation

Q: Is a subdomain the same as a subdirectory (like /blog)?

No. A subdomain looks like blog.example.com, while a subdirectory looks like example.com/blog. A subdomain is treated more like its own section and can even run on different hosting or a different platform. A subdirectory is part of the main site structure. For SEO, both can work, but they can behave differently in tracking and setup. If you want a single site structure that is simpler to manage, a subdirectory is often easier. If you need a separate setup, a subdomain can be a better fit.

Last Updated November 14, 2025

Navigating a website, you might have noticed the URL in the search bar changes as you move from one page to another.

For instance, navigating from the homepage of ‘example.com’ to the blog section might change the URL to ‘blog.example.com’. Although the URL has changed slightly, you are still on the same website. This guide will explore the part of the URL that changes, known as the subdomain, and why it is important.

Understanding Subdomains

A subdomain is an additional part added to the beginning of a domain name, allowing websites to organize content for specific functions, such as a blog or an online store, separately from the rest of the website.

A domain name usually consists of two parts: the top-level domain (TLD), which is the extension (e.g., .com, .org), and the second-level domain (SLD), which is the unique part of the domain name, often a business or brand name. For example, in ‘example.com’, ‘com’ is the TLD, and ‘example’ is the SLD.

The subdomain appears before the SLD. The most common subdomain is ‘www’, which stands for World Wide Web and contains the homepage and most important pages of a website. However, subdomains can be used to separate different sections of a website, such as ‘blog.example.com’ for the blog section and ‘shop.example.com’ for the online store.

Why Use Subdomains?

Subdomains help organize different functions of a website, making it easier for users to find what they need. For example, a restaurant chain with multiple locations could use ‘www.myrestaurant.com’ for general content and ‘nashville.myrestaurant.com’ for the menu of the Nashville, Tennessee location.

Subdomain Examples

Separating Blog from Main Website: ‘www.example.com’ could focus on the main services of a company, while ‘blog.example.com’ contains articles that may not necessarily relate to the company’s products. This separation keeps everything organized and helps visitors find what they need.
Localized Content: ‘www.myrestaurant.com’ could provide general information about a restaurant chain, while ‘nashville.myrestaurant.com’ provides information specific to the Nashville, Tennessee location.
Different Language Versions: Wikipedia uses subdomains to denote language. For example, the ‘en’ subdomain indicates the article is in English, while ‘es’ indicates Spanish.

Creating a Subdomain

Creating a subdomain involves the following steps:

Name Your Subdomain: Choose a name that describes the part of your site you are assigning, such as ‘blog’, ‘store’, or ‘support’.
Log into Your cPanel: Access your hosting provider’s file manager, likely to be cPanel. Many domain registrars will have a custom interface that should be fairly easy to use to edit the DNS.
Navigate and Enter Your Subdomain: Go to ‘Subdomains’ or ‘Add Subdomains’ and enter your chosen subdomain, ensuring your primary domain name is selected.
Create a New DNS Record: Add a new domain name system (DNS) record, selecting what you want your subdomain to connect to (e.g., an IP address, server name, or wildcard domain).
Click Create: Wait for your subdomain to resolve, which typically takes 30 minutes to 24 hours.

Conclusion

Subdomains are a useful way to organize your website and make it easier to use. You can use them to separate your blog from your main site, offer content for different regions, or add an online store.

Subdomains help keep your website clear and simple to navigate. Choose subdomain names that are short and descriptive, and reach out to your hosting provider or web developer if you need help setting them up.

What is a subdomain, and where does it go in a URL?

A subdomain is the part added to the front of your main domain name to create a separate section of the same website.

In blog.example.com, the subdomain is blog. The main domain is example.com, where example is the second-level domain and .com is the top-level domain.

Subdomains are often used for areas like a blog, store, help center, or language version. They help keep your site organized without buying a new domain.

Is a subdomain the same as a subdirectory (like /blog)?

No. A subdomain looks like blog.example.com, while a subdirectory looks like example.com/blog.

A subdomain is treated more like its own section and can even run on different hosting or a different platform. A subdirectory is part of the main site structure.

For SEO, both can work, but they can behave differently in tracking and setup. If you want a single site structure that is simpler to manage, a subdirectory is often easier. If you need a separate setup, a subdomain can be a better fit.

Why would I use a subdomain for my blog, store, or support pages?

You use a subdomain to separate different parts of your website so they are easier to manage and easier for visitors to understand.

For example, shop.example.com can be your store, while blog.example.com is your content hub. This is helpful when those sections have different designs, tools, or goals.

Subdomains also work well for location pages like nashville.myrestaurant.com or language versions like en.example.com. It is a clean way to organize content without mixing everything together.

How do I create a subdomain (and how long does it take to work)?

To create a subdomain, you usually add it in your hosting dashboard (often cPanel) and point it with a DNS record.

First, choose a short name like blog, store, or support. Then add the subdomain and connect it to the right place, like an IP address or server.

After you click create, it can take time to show up everywhere because DNS needs to update. Many subdomains start working in 30 minutes, but it can take up to 24 hours.

Will a subdomain affect SEO, and how can I help Google crawl it?

A subdomain can affect SEO because it may be treated as a separate section of your site, depending on how it is set up.

To help Google find and understand your pages, make sure you have a sitemap and that your pages are not blocked by robots rules. These guides can help you check the basics: sitemap basics and the robots.txt guide.

Also link between your main site and subdomain so visitors and search engines can move around easily. Good internal links make it clearer which pages matter most.

How can RightBlogger help if my blog is on a subdomain?

RightBlogger can help you plan, write, and optimize posts no matter where your blog lives, including on a subdomain like blog.yoursite.com.

You can draft faster with the RightBlogger AI Article Writer, then fine-tune your SEO using SEO Reports to spot improvements.

This is useful when your subdomain is a separate content hub, because you can keep a steady publishing workflow and improve search performance without extra tools.