Difference between subdomains, parked domains and redirects in Hostinger

Distinguish between subdomains and parked domains to choose structure for your websites

Updated 2 weeks ago

Understanding the difference between subdomains and parked domains helps you manage how visitors access your content. This guide explains their unique purposes and use cases within your hosting plan.

Subdomains

A subdomain is an extension of your primary domain name. It allows you to organize your website into different sections under a single domain. For example, if your domain is domain.tld, you can create:

  • blog.domain.tld for a WordPress blog.
  • store.domain.tld for an e-commerce shop.

Subdomains are ideal when you want to keep different types of content separate while maintaining a consistent brand name.

Here is a detailed guide: How to create a subdomain in Hostinger.

Parked domains

A parked domain or alias domain is an additional domain that displays the exact same content from your primary domain. When to park a domain:

  • You want one website to have multiple web addresses.
  • The new domain will not have separate content.
  • You want changes made on the primary domain to reflect on the parked domain immediately.

If you park website.tld to domain.tld, a visitor typing website.tld will see the content of domain.tld, but the address in their browser bar will remain website.tld. You can find more information here: How to park a domain on Hostinger.

A subdomain creates a new, distinct site area, while a parked domain duplicates access to the same site under another domain name.

Redirects

A redirect is a mechanism that automatically sends a user from one URL to another URL. When someone tries to access the original address, they are immediately forwarded to a different destination without needing to click anything. For example: visiting domain.tld takes you to website.tld.

Redirects can be temporary or permanent and are commonly used to:

  • Guide users to the correct or updated page
  • Consolidate traffic under one domain
  • Handle moved or deleted content

 

By choosing correctly between subdomains, parked domains or redirects, you can effectively manage your online presence and ensure your visitors reach the right content under the address you prefer.

NOTES

  • You must purchase and own a domain name before you can use it as a parked domain or redirect.
  • Ensure your domain names are pointed to Hostinger nameservers for these features to function correctly.