Language subdomain: a translated site the count cannot reach
A language subdomain puts each language version on its own hostname. Those pages are real localisation work, and the rule used here counts only alternates on the host being read, so a vendor organised this way is counted at one. As of 2026-09-22.
| Arrangement | Where the language lives | Counted here |
|---|---|---|
| Path on the same host | A folder under the host being read | Yes |
| Parameter on the same host | A query on the host being read | Yes |
| Its own subdomain | A different hostname | No |
| Its own country domain | A different domain entirely | No |
Inclusion rule. The arrangements that appear among the vendors read here, with the effect of the same-host rule on each. Two vendors use the third arrangement. Order. Same-host arrangements first.
1A narrow rule, applied without exceptions
Counting alternates on other hostnames would let a company running many properties outscore one that translated its own pages. Counting only the host being read is harsh, uniform, and reproducible by anyone.
The alternative rules are defensible too. What is not defensible is choosing per vendor, so the rule is fixed, written down, and stated on every page carrying a count produced by it.
2The raw figure is printed, not hidden
Two vendors here declare twelve and sixteen alternates and serve nearly all of them from subdomains. Both are counted at one, and both raw figures appear on their own pages beside the counted one.
A reader looking for a localised interface should follow the raw number. A reader comparing how much of its own site each vendor translated should follow the counted one. Printing both is the only way to serve either.
3Why companies choose this arrangement
Subdomains can be run by separate teams, hosted separately and deployed on separate schedules. For a company with regional offices that is an organisational advantage rather than a technical accident.
It also means the pages can diverge, which is exactly why a cross-host declaration is weaker evidence than a same-host one. What sits on another hostname may not be the same product offer at all.
A definition, not a measurement: no vendor figure appears here that is not also in the register. Both subdomain vendors are read together on their own pairing page.
Nearby terms: Machine-swapped page, Country-code domain. The whole vocabulary is at terms; nothing on this page is a claim about a named product.