Table of Contents
Parked domains, addon domains, and subdomains are different ways of managing and organizing multiple websites or web content within a single hosting account. Each serves a distinct purpose and has specific functionalities. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown:
1. Parked Domain
Definition:
- A parked domain is an additional domain name that points to your primary domain’s website. It does not host its own content but instead shows the same content as your primary domain.
Purpose:
- Domain Aliasing: To allow multiple domain names to display the same website. For instance, if your main website is
example.com, you could parkexample.neton top of it so that both domains display the same website. - Brand Protection: To prevent others from using domain names similar to yours by redirecting those domains to your primary site.
Key Features:
- Shared Content: The parked domain displays the same website as the primary domain.
- No Separate Website: There’s no independent content or site; it’s just an alias.
- No Separate Email Accounts: Parked domains typically do not have their own email accounts; they use the email accounts of the primary domain.
Example Use Case:
- A business owns
brand.comas their main domain. They also purchasebrand.organdbrand.netto protect their brand. By parkingbrand.organdbrand.neton top ofbrand.com, visitors to any of these domains see the same website.
2. Addon Domain
Definition:
- An addon domain is an additional domain hosted within your main hosting account that has its own separate website and content. It’s essentially a way to host multiple independent websites on a single hosting account.
Purpose:
- Multiple Websites: To host completely separate websites, each with its own content and domain name, all within a single hosting account.
Key Features:
- Separate Content: Each addon domain can have its own unique website, independent of the primary domain.
- Separate Email Accounts: Addon domains can have their own email accounts, separate from those of the primary domain.
- Separate Directory: Each addon domain typically has its own directory or subdirectory within the hosting account, where its files are stored.
Example Use Case:
- A user has a hosting account with
mainwebsite.comas the primary domain. They want to host a second website,myblog.com, without purchasing additional hosting. By addingmyblog.comas an addon domain, they can create a completely separate website with its own content and email accounts.
3. Subdomain
Definition:
- A subdomain is a subdivision of your main domain that functions as an independent site but uses your main domain name. It is created by adding a prefix to your main domain (e.g.,
blog.example.com).
Purpose:
- Organizing Content: To create different sections of your website that are treated as separate sites but are still part of the main domain. For instance, you might have
store.example.comfor an online store andblog.example.comfor a blog.
Key Features:
- Separate Content: Each subdomain can have its own content, separate from the main domain.
- Uses Main Domain Name: Subdomains are part of the main domain and typically share resources like hosting space.
- Customizable: Subdomains are often used to create separate areas of a website, like forums, blogs, or regional versions of the site (e.g.,
us.example.comfor a U.S. site).
Example Use Case:
- A company has a main website
example.comand wants to create a blog. Instead of buying a new domain, they createblog.example.comas a subdomain where the blog content is hosted separately from the main website.
Comparison Summary
| Feature | Parked Domain | Addon Domain | Subdomain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Alias to the primary domain | Host multiple, separate websites within one account | Create subdivisions of the main domain |
| Content | Same content as the primary domain | Unique, independent content | Unique content, but part of the main domain |
| Website | No separate website | Creates a separate website | Functions as a separate section of the main site |
| Email Accounts | Uses email accounts of the primary domain | Can have separate email accounts | Typically uses main domain’s email accounts |
| Naming | example.net shows the same as example.com | anotherexample.com is separate from example.com | blog.example.com is part of example.com |
| Example Use | Brand protection or aliasing | Hosting multiple websites | Organizing website sections like blog, store, etc. |
Conclusion
- Parked Domains are ideal for situations where you want different domain names to lead to the same content as your primary domain, such as for brand protection or handling common misspellings.
- Addon Domains allow you to host completely separate websites on additional domains within a single hosting account, each with its own content and potentially its own email accounts.
- Subdomains are useful for organizing different sections or functions of your website under the main domain, often used for blogs, stores, or localized versions of a site.
Understanding the differences among parked domains, addon domains, and subdomains helps in efficiently managing multiple domains and organizing web content under a single hosting account.
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