What is a Subdomain? Simple Explanation

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 that comes before your main domain name. It helps you create a separate section of your site, like a blog or store.

For example, in blog.example.com, the subdomain is blog. The main domain is example.com.

Subdomains are often used to keep different parts of a website organized. Common examples are www, blog, shop, or support.

When should I use a subdomain instead of a subfolder?

Use a subdomain when you want a section of your site to feel separate, like a help center, store, or a different language version. Subdomains can also be useful when a different team or tool manages that section.

A subfolder is when content lives under the main domain, like example.com/blog. Many site owners prefer subfolders for content that supports the main site, because it stays closely connected.

If your goal is to grow one main website and build topical authority, keep your structure simple. Plan your categories and link between related pages using smart internal linking best practices so visitors and Google can find your key pages faster.

Do subdomains help or hurt SEO?

A subdomain is not automatically good or bad for SEO. It depends on how well you organize it, link to it, and keep the content high quality.

The biggest risk is splitting your content into separate sections that do not link to each other well. If users and search engines cannot easily discover your best pages, rankings can suffer.

If you run content on a subdomain, make sure it is easy to crawl and stays updated. If you want a quick way to spot SEO issues, run checks and track improvements with RightBlogger SEO Reports.

How do I create a subdomain (basic steps)?

To create a subdomain, you usually add it in your hosting dashboard or domain registrar, then connect it with a DNS record. A common example is creating blog.yoursite.com.

First, pick a short name that matches the purpose, like blog, store, or support. Then add the subdomain in your hosting panel and point it to the right server or folder using DNS.

After you save it, you will usually wait for DNS to update. This can take about 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on your provider.

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

RightBlogger can help you publish better content faster, even if your blog lives on a subdomain like blog.example.com. The main win is keeping your writing and SEO workflow consistent so your content stays strong.

You can use the RightBlogger AI Article Writer to draft posts that match your topics and readers. This helps you stay on schedule without staring at a blank page.

After you publish, keep improving pages over time with Auto Optimize for AI-powered on-page updates. This is helpful when you have lots of posts and want to refresh them without rewriting everything by hand.