Domain vs Subdomain vs Subfolder Path: A Complete Guide

Your root domain is the name of your whole website and is found in the address of every webpage. Subdomains and subfolders are different ways to organize these pages. While a subfolder like yourbusiness.com/blog/ guides users to a part of the larger website, a subdomain blog.yourbusiness.com acts like a whole new website for the blog content of your business.

Hostname vs Domain Name: Understanding the Difference

Both domain names and hostnames are fundamental to the working of the domain name system, but they play very different roles. Domain names are primarily important from a naming and branding perspective — they determine how easily customers can find your website, how well they remember you, and the deeper connection they form with your brand. Hostnames, meanwhile, name the location of a server and...

What is a Root Domain? Beginner’s Guide with Examples

A root domain refers to everything between the www at the beginning of the website address and the further path to specific web pages. It includes both the second-level domain and the top-level domain  (.com, .org, etc.).

For example, in the website address "www.atom.com," the root domain would be "atom.com."

What is an Email Domain? Guide & How to Get a Custom One

An email domain is the part of an email that comes after the @. Common email domains are outlook.com, @gmail.com, and @yahoo.com. But when you receive an email from a business, you usually expect to see a custom email domain — one that’s unique to that business’s brand. As a business owner, a custom business email is yours and yours alone: yourname@yourbusiness.com is a powerful tool for...

How to Check if Your Domain is on a Spam Blacklist

To check if your domain is blacklisted, use a lookup service like MXToolBox. It scans your domain and IP against multiple DNS blacklist databases in one go. It may also indicate reasons for the blacklist if your domain is on the list. To use this tool, just input your domain name into the search bar and hit "MX Lookup." Within seconds, you'll see status summaries for databases like Google Safe...

What is a Domain Alias and How to Create One

A domain alias is a second domain name that points to an existing site. It acts as an additional entry point for users. This could be a similar domain name that is easy to misremember or confuse with the original. Behind the scenes, the alias is configured to show the same content as your primary website domain. For example, if the main site is www.example.com, the alias could be www.example.co...

What is a Business Domain and How to Get One

A domain name is your website's unique address. It is what internet users enter into a browser search bar to visit your website. Domain names follow some guidelines set by the Domain Name System. They're made up of different parts. These include the subdomains, second-level domains, and top-level domains - kind of like sections in an address.  For example, in the address www.atom.com, "www" is...

What is a Second Level Domain (SLD)?

In its simplest terms, SLD is the name to the left of your domain extension, which is the .com, .net, .gov, etc.  The second-level domain is arguably the most important part of your URL as it’s the first point of contact people have with your website. It provides a memorable, personalized identifier for your site.  Typically, domain holders strategically include their brand or project name within...

What is Domain Parking & How Does it Work?

Doman parking, sometimes called cash parking, is the practice of monetizing an inactive web domain through ads. It works by placing contextually relevant ads on the domain, while that domain is held before being sold or used for a website. Say you own HappyPaws.com, for example. You might use the URL to advertise pet products, puppy training, or cat food, on the basis that it’s likely to be...

What is Domain Protection or Privacy? Is it Necessary?

Domain protection, also known as domain privacy, is an additional service offered by domain registrars that hides any personal information associated with the domain names you own. 

When you use domain protection services, your contact details will be hidden from the WHOIS database and replaced with proxy information that would be useless in the hands of strangers.