What is a subdomain? Extend your .at address with purpose
Learn what www, shop and help addresses mean, what a subdomain costs, and how to connect additional addresses under your .at domain without disrupting email.
Read guide ↗The essentials
A .at website can provide German and English content under one domain. Language structure belongs to website configuration and is not created by a DNS record. Give each version a clear address, connect corresponding pages and check forms, prices and confirmations in both languages.
1. Decide whom the translation serves
English content can help international guests, business contacts or people who would otherwise struggle with a German offer. Start with their tasks: what do they need to read, enquire about or order? A translated homepage is not enough when the next important step appears only in German. List the necessary pages and identify who is responsible for their accuracy. A bilingual website also does not automatically mean two different national offers. If services or conditions actually differ, describe and maintain those differences deliberately. Language and market are separate decisions to make before implementation.
2. Choose a clear address structure
One possible structure uses /de and /en directories under the same domain. Another uses subdomains. Your website system determines which structures the project supports. Do not buy multiple domains simply because you provide two languages. On atdomain.at, for example, you can switch between /de and /en while the domain stays the same. That is a practical example, not a mandatory template for every project. Before publication, decide where each version lives and what happens for untranslated pages. Avoid several ambiguous addresses for the same intended content.
Separate subdomains from page paths3. A DNS record does not translate a page
DNS connects names to the required services. Your website determines whether /en displays an English page. Do not change nameservers merely because a translation is missing. Ask the website service about language management, URL structure and supported language switches. If you use subdomains, additional DNS instructions may apply. Record the exact names and values and check HTTPS for each advertised address. Adding a subdomain in DNS does not automatically create translated text or its certificate. Test the complete connection through to the actual page displayed.
Check HTTPS for every address used
4. Connect corresponding pages
A visible language switch should help people at the point where they are reading. Someone viewing a service description should ideally reach its corresponding description rather than always returning to the other homepage. W3C recommends providing language links so users can choose their preferred language. Location does not reliably establish language preference. Also check that an English link already sent to someone remains accessible. Discuss correct HTML language declaration with the technical manager. Clear switch labels and consistent navigation are part of the same job as translating the page itself.
5. Check more than headings
Walk through a complete visit in each language: homepage, relevant information, contact or ordering, and the associated response. Look for remaining German error messages in the English version. Review dates, number formats and amounts without accidentally changing the offer. The same price can be formatted differently. Decide who will update both versions when wording changes later. Record missing translations as specific tasks. A short, fully maintained English journey is more useful than many pages whose essential buttons or required information remain unclear. Test with the kinds of devices your visitors actually use.
6. Separate domain costs from translation costs
A standard new .at domain costs €12.99 total for one year; annual renewal currently costs €15.99 total. The 3-year plan for new .at domains costs €39.00 total, including registration and two annual renewals. Save €5.97 against €44.97 with annual payments at today’s prices. No further payment for those renewals is needed during the included term. Afterwards, renewal uses the offer then available; there is no automatic card charge. Translation, website software and additional technical management are separate costs. A second language alone does not require a second domain registration.
Compare domain total prices
Before launch: approve both journeys
On a phone, check the German and English entry points and switch between corresponding pages in both directions. Check that internal links stay in the intended language. Keep the responsible person and approved structure with your domain records. If you launch one language first, plan the second so later changes can preserve existing links where possible. Registration establishes your address; clear bilingual use comes from maintained content and website configuration. Start with a structure your team can keep supporting over time.
Explore one .at address for your projectPlan primary addresses and redirects clearlyFurther sourcesW3C: multilingual and international websites ↗W3C: guiding users to translated pages ↗W3C: declaring language in HTML ↗
