Chapter 1 · 1.9
Terms explained: domain, subdomain, pointer, DNS, mailbox and database
You'll come across a number of terms often in DirectAdmin and in this manual. Below, we explain them in plain language, with a link to the article where you can read more.
Domains and websites
| Term | What is it? |
|---|---|
| Domain (domain name) | The address of your website and e-mail, such as yourcompany.co.uk. A domain in your hosting package has its own website and e-mail addresses. See Viewing the domains in your package. |
| Main domain | The domain your package was created with. You'll find it on your dashboard under My Account Info. |
| Subdomain | An address placed before your domain name, such as shop.yourcompany.co.uk or test.yourcompany.co.uk. It has its own folder and therefore its own website. See Creating and deleting subdomains. |
| Domain pointer (alias) | A second domain name that shows the same website as your main domain, for example yourcompany.com alongside yourcompany.co.uk. See Domain pointers: a second domain name for the same site. |
| Redirect (forwarding) | Automatically sending visitors from one address to another. In DirectAdmin, this is called Site Redirects. See Site Redirects: forwarding a domain or page. |
| public_html | The folder that contains your website's files. Anything in here is visible on the internet. See Opening File Manager: the directories in your package. |
| private_html | The folder for the https version of your website. This is usually a link to public_html, so that http and https show the same website. See Domain settings: SSL, PHP, www and private_html. |
| Document root | The folder that a domain or subdomain shows its website from. See A different folder for your website (document root). |
| SSL certificate | Makes sure your website works over https, with a padlock in the browser. Free with WebOké via Let's Encrypt. See What is SSL and how does WebOké arrange it?. |
DNS
| Term | What is it? |
|---|---|
| DNS | The address book of the internet. It tells computers which server your website is on and where your e-mail should go. See What is DNS and when do you change it?. |
| Name servers | The servers that keep track of your domain's DNS. If they're with WebOké, you manage the DNS with us. If they're elsewhere (for example Cloudflare), you manage it there. See DNS in My WebOké and with external name servers such as Cloudflare. |
| A record and AAAA record | Link a name to a server's IP address: A for IPv4, AAAA for IPv6. See Adding or changing an A or AAAA record. |
| CNAME record | Points a name to another name, for example www to your domain. See CNAME records and the trailing dot. |
| MX record | Determines which server receives e-mail for your domain. See MX records: where does your e-mail arrive?. |
| TXT record | A line of text in the DNS, for example to prove that a domain belongs to you. See TXT records for verification (Google, Microsoft and others). |
| SPF, DKIM and DMARC | Three DNS settings that show that mail from your domain really comes from you. They help prevent spam and misuse of your address. See Setting up and adding to SPF, Turning on and checking DKIM and Setting up DMARC. |
| TTL | How long other computers remember a DNS record before checking again. This partly determines how quickly a change works everywhere. See When does a change take effect? Waiting time and TTL. |
| Term | What is it? |
|---|---|
| Mailbox (e-mail account) | An e-mail address with its own storage and password, which you use to receive and read mail. In DirectAdmin, this is called E-mail Accounts. See Creating an e-mail address. |
| Forwarder | An address that only forwards mail to one or more other addresses, without storing any mail itself. See Forwarders: forwarding mail to another address. |
| Catch-all | Determines what happens to mail sent to addresses on your domain that don't exist. See Catch-All E-mail: mail to non-existent addresses. |
| Autoresponder and out-of-office message | Automatic replies to incoming mail. See Autoresponder or holiday message: which should you choose?. |
| Quota | The maximum storage of a mailbox. See Storage per mailbox and what happens when it's full. |
| IMAP, POP3 and SMTP | The ways your mail program retrieves mail (IMAP or POP3) and sends it (SMTP). See All settings at a glance: servers, ports and security and IMAP or POP3: what's the difference?. |
| Webmail | Reading your mail in the browser, without a mail program. See Opening webmail. |
Databases, files and technical terms
| Term | What is it? |
|---|---|
| Database | Storage for your website's data, such as WordPress posts and settings. In the menu, this is called Databases. See Creating a database. |
| Database user | The username and password that your website uses to access the database. See Database users, privileges and passwords. |
| phpMyAdmin | A program for viewing, exporting and importing your database. See Opening and using phpMyAdmin. |
| FTP | A way to transfer files between your computer and your package, for example with FileZilla. See Creating and managing FTP accounts. |
| PHP | The programming language that WordPress, among other things, is written in. You choose which version your package uses. See Selecting the PHP version (Select PHP version). |
| Cron job | A task that runs automatically at set times. In DirectAdmin, this is called Cron Jobs. See Cron Jobs: running tasks automatically. |
| Disk space, bandwidth and inodes | Your package's storage, the monthly data traffic and the number of files. See Tour: the dashboard and your limits. |
| Server and DA user | The computer your package is on (such as linux2023.webawere.nl) and your username in DirectAdmin. See Finding your server name and DA user name. |