How does website hosting work?

Hosting is where your website's files live and the service that sends them to each visitor. It is separate from your domain name, which only points people to it.

Every website is made of files: pages, photos, styles and code. Hosting is the service that stores those files on servers that are always on and connected to the internet. When someone visits your site, the hosting servers send them the pages. Without hosting, your domain would point to nothing.

Domain and hosting are two different things

A simple way to picture it:

Your domain is your street address.
Your hosting is the building at that address.
DNS is the map that connects the address to the building.

You can move to a new building (new hosting) and keep the same address (your domain). You only update the map. This is why your domain can be registered in one place while your website is hosted somewhere else.

What good hosting does for you

Keeps your site up. The servers stay online day and night so visitors can reach you.
Keeps it fast. Many hosts use a network of servers around the world, called a CDN, that keep copies of your site close to each visitor.
Keeps it secure. Hosting provides the SSL certificate that puts the padlock in the address bar, and applies security updates.
Keeps copies. Good hosting keeps backups, so a mistake can be undone.

What we handle

When we build and run your website, we take care of the hosting, the SSL certificate and keeping the site online. You do not need a separate hosting account for the site we manage.

We can do this for you. If you are moving an existing site to us, or you are not sure where your site is hosted today, open a request in your client portal and our team will sort it out.

Common problems

If you are still paying an old hosting company after moving your site to us, ask us before you cancel. We can confirm nothing still depends on it, like old email.
If your site is down on every page, it may be a hosting problem. See our guide to website errors and open a request.
If someone offers to "renew your hosting" by surprise letter or email, be careful. Check with us before paying anyone.

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