Knowledgebase

Subdomains vs Subdirectories (Firstserv Guide)

When your Firstserv hosting account is created, it is linked to your primary domain (e.g. example.co.uk).

At this stage, your domain appears without anything added before or after it:

example.co.uk

What is a Subdomain? (Before the Domain)

A subdomain is the part that appears before your main domain.

✅ Examples:

blog.example.co.uk  
staging.example.co.uk  
shop.example.co.uk

How to Create a Subdomain

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Go to Domains → Subdomains
3. Create your chosen subdomain name

How Subdomains Work

• Each subdomain has its own separate folder (web root)
• You can upload a completely independent website or application

✅ Common uses:

• Staging or development sites
• Blogs or support areas
• Forums or apps

Note About “www”

• www is technically a subdomain
• However, it is usually just a DNS record (CNAME) pointing back to your main domain

What is a Subdirectory? (After the Domain)

A subdirectory is the part that appears after your domain name.

✅ Example:

example.co.uk/blog
example.co.uk/shop

How to Create a Subdirectory

• Use cPanel → File Manager
• Create a folder inside your main site directory (public_html)

How Subdirectories Work

• They are part of your main website
• Files are stored within your existing site structure

✅ Good for:

• Sections of the same website
• Content like blogs, guides, or product pages

Subdomains vs Subdirectories

Subdomain

• Separate website or application
• Own folder outside the main site structure
• Accessed via:

  blog.example.co.uk
  

Subdirectory

• Part of your main website
• Stored inside your main site directory
• Accessed via:

  example.co.uk/blog
  

Are Subdomains Just Folders?

They are similar—but not exactly the same.

✅ Yes:

• Creating a subdomain does create a folder for its files

❌ But:

• This folder exists outside your main website directory
• It behaves as a separate site, not just a section

Example Setup

If your primary site is:

example.co.uk → /public_html

You could:

✅ Create a subdirectory:

/public_html/blog → example.co.uk/blog

✅ Create a subdomain:

/blog.example.co.uk → blog.example.co.uk

👉 Even though both use folders, they behave differently in how they are accessed and managed.

Summary

• Subdomain:

  • Separate site or environment
  • Appears before your domain
  • Example: blog.example.co.uk

• Subdirectory:

  • Part of your existing website
  • Appears after your domain
  • Example: example.co.uk/blog

Need Help?

If you’re unsure whether to use a subdomain or subdirectory for your project, the Firstserv support team is happy to help you choose the best option.