This page contains answers to questions that we get regularly or to problems that we find our clients encountering. It is updated as we find needs for more information.

What's the difference between a Domain Name and a Website?

It is a common misconception that a domain name IS a website. At a very basic level, a user will enter a domain name into a web browser and the browser will return files from a web server that are associated with that domain name. While it appears that the domain name and the files on the website are one entity, the domain name can do much more than just provide access to a website.

Domain names are simply pointers. Depending on the application you are using the domain name may yield different results. If you are using an email client, such as Outlook or Thunderbird, the domain name is used to send information to users that have been setup on that domain. Often times a domain name will also serve as an address that is referenced for a database.

Understanding this will help you to realize that many domain names can point to one "website" or web server and that the web server that hosts a website, can be completely seperate than a domain name. A domain name can also be used for email only, with no website files associated with it.