What does WWW mean?
Author: Domeny.ForSale editorial team Published Updated
In brief: WWW stands for World Wide Web, a system of pages and resources connected by links that we access over the internet, usually through a browser. WWW is not the same as the internet: the internet provides the infrastructure, while WWW is one of the services running on it. Meanwhile, www at the beginning of a website address is a conventional hostname — it is not compulsory and does not, by itself, indicate that a website is safe.
What does World Wide Web mean?
The name World Wide Web describes a worldwide web or network. This web is formed by connections between pages: clicking a link takes you to another document, image, video or application available online.
WWW is based on URLs, which are addresses indicating the location of resources, and HTTP and HTTPS — protocols that define how a browser communicates with a server. A server is a computer or system that makes a website available, while the browser downloads its elements and displays them to the user. HTTPS also encrypts this communication.
WWW is not limited to simple pages containing text. It also includes online shops, news websites and applications that run in a browser. Nor does it require every page to be public: some resources are only available after logging in.
How does WWW differ from the internet?
The internet is a network of interconnected computer networks that enables data transmission. WWW uses this infrastructure to make pages and other resources available. This distinction is similar to the difference between roads and transport: a road makes travel possible, but it is neither a car nor the cargo being carried.
Other services, such as email, also operate over the internet. When you open your mailbox in a browser, you use a WWW interface to manage your email. When you download messages in an email program using the IMAP protocol, you are still using the internet, but this method of receiving messages is not WWW.
This is why an outage affecting one website does not mean the internet is down. If other websites open, the problem may concern a particular server, domain or application rather than the entire connection.
What does www mean in a website address?
In the address https://www.przyklad.pl/oferta, the individual parts serve different functions:
https://indicates the communication protocol;www.przyklad.plis the hostname under which the service is available;wwwis a subdomain of the domainprzyklad.pl, meaning a separate name within it;/ofertais the path to a specific resource or subpage.
The name www became established as a label for a host serving a website. However, it is neither a command for the browser nor a technical requirement for a website to work. A website can be available at przyklad.pl, www.przyklad.pl or another subdomain, such as sklep.przyklad.pl.
An address with www and an address without www are two different hostnames. They may lead to the same website or to different services, or one of them may not work. Simply registering a domain does not guarantee that both versions will be handled correctly — this depends on the configuration of DNS, the system that links domain names to the information needed to establish a connection, and of the server or hosting platform.
Do you need to type www, and does it indicate security?
You do not need to add www if the website owner has enabled the address without this prefix. Many websites support both versions and automatically redirect users to the chosen one. However, this is not a universal rule, so it is best to use the address provided by the website owner.
When you type an address, the browser’s address bar may also interpret the text as a search query. Entering a full address, such as https://przyklad.pl, clearly indicates that you intend to open a website.
The presence of www says nothing about encryption or the trustworthiness of the site. HTTPS and a properly functioning certificate are responsible for encrypting the connection, not the hostname prefix. Even a website using HTTPS can be used for fraud, so before logging in or making a payment, check the exact domain and do not ignore browser warnings.
How do you choose an address for your own website?
For a typical business website, you can choose either the version with www or the one without it. A shorter address is easier to put on a business card; the version with www may be required or more convenient when configuring a particular platform. This is a matter of how it will be used, rather than one form having a universal advantage.
For example, if you want to promote przyklad.pl, set it as the main address and redirect www.przyklad.pl to it. A redirect is a server response that directs the browser to another address. For a permanent choice, a 301 or 308 redirect that preserves the path is usually used — visiting www.przyklad.pl/oferta should lead to przyklad.pl/oferta, not to the homepage.
In your hosting control panel, check support for both names, the HTTPS certificate for each of them and how to set up the redirect; the exact procedure depends on the provider. Then test both versions on the homepage and one subpage, and consistently use your chosen address in your business materials.
See also: What is Apache?
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