Subdomain Multi-Region Setup for Bilingual Sites
Run en.yoursite.com and zh.yoursite.com on separate hosting regions to cut TTFB for each audience — without splitting SEO or breaking shared assets. Verified June 2026.
🌐 Domains, DNS & SSL
Picking a domain, A / CNAME records, SSL, root vs www, subdomain vs subdirectory.
Domain / DNS / SSL is the most overlooked yet highest-blast-radius part of building a site. This hub answers the eight most common questions: should you buy a domain, picking a TLD, A vs CNAME, certificate propagation, root vs www.
In-depth articles in this hub
WHOIS Privacy and SEO: Does Hiding the Owner Hurt Rankings?
WHOIS privacy hides your name, address, and email from public domain lookups. Google's own reps say it is not a ranking factor — and since RDAP replaced WHOIS in 2025, the data is mostly redacted anyway. Here is what is actually true in 2026.
DNS A vs CNAME — Explained in 5 Minutes
A records point to an IP. CNAMEs point to another name. That one sentence solves most indie DNS confusion. Here is the other 10%, with exact Vercel, Firebase, and Netlify values.
Will Changing Domains Hurt SEO? 301 Redirect Migration Playbook
A domain change costs short-term ranking but is recoverable. Use this 301 redirect playbook, Search Console Change of Address steps, and verification commands.
How Long a Domain Really Takes to Propagate (2026)
"24 to 48 hours" is folklore. Modern DNS record edits go live in minutes. If yours hasn't after 30 minutes, something is misconfigured — here's how to prove which.
.com vs .ai vs .dev vs .io: How to Pick a TLD Without Regret
TLDs are not interchangeable. June 2026 renewal pricing, the .io and .ai gotchas, WHOIS check commands, and a registrar lock-down checklist.
Root Domain or www: How to Pick (2026)
Root vs www is cosmetic until both serve the same content and split your SEO. Use this verified DNS table (Vercel, Firebase, Cloudflare), redirect config, and curl checks to lock it down in one pass.
Subdomain vs Subdirectory for SEO: Which Google Prefers in 2026
`blog.yoursite.com` or `yoursite.com/blog`? The data, the AI-citation angle, and the exact Vercel/Next/Cloudflare rewrite to keep authority on one domain.
What an SSL Certificate Actually Is (and Why You Don't Need to Buy One)
Free SSL is the 2026 default. Verify your cert, set auto-renew, and skip paid-CA upsells with these Caddy / Nginx / curl / openssl commands.
When an Indie Site Must Actually Buy a Domain
You can launch free on a `*.vercel.app` or `*.web.app` URL. So when does an indie project genuinely need a paid domain? Four hard triggers, plus real 2026 prices.