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ConveyThis: Easy Steps to Set Up Subdomains and Subdirectories
Subdomain vs Subdirectory (simple explanation)
When creating a multilingual website, your URL structure determines how each language is accessed. Subdirectories and subdomains work in very different ways—especially when it comes to DNS, hosting, and website routing. Understanding this distinction helps you avoid setup errors and ensures your translated pages load correctly for both users and search engines.
- Subdomain means each language is on its own hostname:
fr.example.com,nl.example.com - Subdirectory means languages live under folders on the same domain:
example.com/fr/,example.com/nl/
Why this is important for SEO
- Indexing and crawl efficiency: Search engines treat subdomains and subdirectories differently, which can influence how quickly your translated pages are crawled and indexed.
- Authority and ranking signals: With subdirectories, SEO signals (like backlinks and domain authority) are typically consolidated under one domain. With subdomains, signals may be split across hostnames, depending on how they’re linked and managed.
- Clear language targeting: A consistent structure makes it easier to implement hreflang, avoid duplicate-content issues, and help Google show the right language page to the right user.
- User experience and tracking: A clean, predictable URL structure improves navigation, trust, and analytics reporting across language versions.
Subdomain vs Subdirectory: Key Differences
| Feature | Subdomain | Subdirectory |
|---|---|---|
| URL example | fr.example.com |
example.com/fr/ |
| Server setup | Often treated as a separate site | Handled within the same site/app |
| SEO authority | May be split across subdomains | Shared under one main domain |
| Crawling & indexing | Search engines may crawl separately | Crawled as part of the main site |
| hreflang implementation | Supported | Supported |
| Analytics & tracking | Can require cross-subdomain tracking | Simpler tracking setup |
| Use case | Large, independent language sites | Most multilingual websites |
| SEO recommendation | Situational | Commonly preferred for SEO |
If you choose Subdomains → add CNAME records
Use this option when you want to set up language-specific subdomains, such as fr.example.com, nl.example.com, etc.
For location-based setup, this configuration treats each version as an independent website. For example, the French version (fr.example.com) is tailored specifically for the France region, with its own localized content and settings.
How to set it up:
- In your ConveyThis dashboard, open your domain and go to:
General Settings → Settings → URL Structure
Select Sub-domain (great for SEO) - ConveyThis will display the required DNS target (the “ConveyThis server name”) for your language subdomains
- In your DNS manager, add one CNAME record per language:
- Name / Host: the language code (example:
nl) - Type: CNAME
- Points to / Target: the ConveyThis server name (example:
dns2.conveythis.com)
Official guide (recommended): https://www.conveythis.com/help/add-cname-records-in-dns-manager
After saving DNS changes: DNS can take a few minutes up to 24 hours to propagate. Once it’s propagated, return to the ConveyThis dashboard and verify the connection. If you have any questions, contact support@conveythis.com or use the contact form
Subdomain URL structure selected — add a CNAME record for each language
If you choose Subdirectories → add an A (IPv4) record
Use this when you want URLs like example.com/fr, example.com/nl, etc.
This approach keeps all languages under one domain, which can be beneficial for SEO and domain authority
- In your ConveyThis dashboard, open your domain and go to:
General Settings → Settings → URL Structure
Select Sub-directory (great for SEO) - In your DNS manager, add an A record for the main domain:
- Type: A
- Name / Host:
@ - Value: 178.156.132.155
After saving the DNS changes, wait for DNS propagation, then go back to ConveyThis and use the DNS test / connection check in your dashboard to confirm it’s connected. If anything doesn’t work as expected, contact support@conveythis.com or use the ConveyThis contact form.
DNS configuration screen confirming a successful A record connection with the sub-directory URL structure selected
WordPress websites
Subdirectory mode is enabled by default in WordPress, and WordPress/ConveyThis typically handles the /fr/, /es/ style URLs automatically.
Squarespace note (important)
Squarespace normally requires specific DNS records for @ (and www). Do not remove or replace Squarespace-required records. If your setup requires changes that might conflict with Squarespace DNS, we recommend using the Subdomain option (CNAME per language) or contacting support@conveythis.com before changing @ records.
www vs non-www (important)
Your site can live on either example.com (non-www / apex, shown as @ in DNS) or www.example.com. Redirects decide which one is primary, but DNS still must resolve both, otherwise visitors/bots may fail before a redirect happens.
- If your primary site is non-www, your subdirectories will be
example.com/fr/ - If your primary site is www, your subdirectories will be
www.example.com/fr/
After you apply the DNS updates, the changes won’t appear instantly—DNS needs time to propagate across the internet. Once propagation is complete, open your ConveyThis dashboard and run the DNS check to confirm the setup. If your translated URLs don’t load yet, verify you edited the correct record (for @ vs www) and that your hosting platform’s required DNS entries are still in place (for example, Squarespace records). If you’re stuck, email support@conveythis.com with your domain and the DNS records you currently have, and our team will guide you through the fix.