What is a subdomain? Extend your .at address with purpose

Domain, subdomain or website page?

Your registered .at domain provides the common starting point. An additional name before it, separated by a dot, creates a subdomain. www is a familiar example; shop or help can serve other purposes. A website page appears after the slash in a web address, such as /contact. It belongs to the website structure and is not added as a separate DNS name. Before setting anything up, ask your website service whether you actually need another address. A single contact section will often work as an ordinary page. A subdomain becomes useful when a separate service needs an address of its own.

When does another address help your project?

Imagine an Austrian trade business whose main website explains its services while a separate appointment service handles bookings. A subdomain called termine could provide a useful address, provided the booking service supports custom domains. An association might use help for a genuinely separate member support area. Create these areas when there is a reason and keep the names short. Another address does not create content or improve search positions by itself. Before splitting a project into different areas, write down each area's purpose, the person responsible and the service it uses. This is particularly helpful when an agency or a new committee member later takes over maintenance.

What does a subdomain under a .at domain cost?

A new standard .at domain at atdomain.at currently costs €12.99 total price for the first year. Renewal costs €15.99 total price for each additional year. A subdomain is not another .at registration: adding its records through our included DNS management does not incur a second domain registration fee. Nevertheless, budget separately for the website, shop or appointment service you connect. That service's plan may limit or charge for custom domain connections. We currently do not sell hosting packages or email mailboxes. Buying a different, independent .at name would be a separate registration with its own renewal. Keep track of the main domain and its renewal date even when most visitors use a subdomain.

Prepare before changing any settings

Start with the service that should open at the new address. Add your chosen subdomain there and read its connection instructions. Note the full name, DNS record type and target value. Save a copy of your existing DNS records before changing anything. In your atdomain.at account, you can manage records for a domain using our default nameservers. If you use custom nameservers, make changes wherever the active DNS zone is managed. A single new subdomain normally does not require switching every nameserver. Avoid replacing the whole domain configuration simply because you want to add another part of your project.

• Choose the purpose and a short name for the subdomain.
• Check whether the chosen service supports custom domain names.
• Use the connection values supplied by that service, not example values.
• Document existing records and the person responsible for changes.

Add the record and enable the website address

Depending on the service, you might need an A record for an IPv4 address, an AAAA record for IPv6 or a CNAME record pointing to another name. Follow the supplied values precisely. A CNAME target is a hostname, not a complete web address containing https or a page path. Check whether the form's host field expects just the extra label, such as shop, or the full name; avoid appending the main domain twice. A CNAME must not share the same name with ordinary A, AAAA or MX records. Enable the address in the website service as well. A correct DNS record alone does not create a website or configure a page redirect.

Check HTTPS, the main website and email separately

After setup, open the complete new address in your browser and check that the intended content appears. Test HTTPS for this exact name; a working certificate on your primary address is not enough to prove that the subdomain is covered. DNS caches may continue returning earlier answers for a while. Follow your service's waiting guidance and avoid repeatedly changing working values back and forth. Also check the existing main website and receipt of a normal email. Adding a shop subdomain does not usually require deleting the main domain's existing MX records. The part before the @ in an email address is not a website subdomain either.

• New address: does the intended content appear rather than an error or setup page?
• HTTPS: is the full hostname free of certificate warnings?
• Do the main website and existing email still work?
• Have you recorded the configuration, purpose and owner for later changes?

Common questions before you launch

Do I need to buy www separately? No, www under your existing domain is not a second .at registration. Will every new name work automatically? Do not assume so: plan the connection and service configuration for each name you intend to use. Can a subdomain point to a different website service? Yes, when that service supports the connection and you follow its instructions. Can I remove a subdomain later? First document links, bookmarks and any services that still depend on it. Remove an unused connection promptly instead of leaving it pointing at an abandoned destination. If you do not yet own the main domain, start by searching for that name and plan additional areas afterwards.