Introduction to Websites
Discovering how digital spaces are created on the web
Introduction
A website is a collection of connected webpages containing text, images, and videos, stored on a computer called a Server that anyone in the world can access through the Internet.
Every Website you visit - from Google to your school portal - is a set of files living on a remote computer. Your browser downloads those files and assembles them into the pages you see.
In this chapter, you will learn what a Website is, the difference between the Internet and the Web, and how your browser brings content to your screen.
How It Works
Websites are built using code that web browsers (like Chrome or Safari) translate into visual pages. The code describes where text goes, what color buttons are, and how images load. When you visit a Website, your computer downloads these code files from a Server and displays them on your screen.
Everyday Object Analogy
Think of a Website as a digital book. The domain name is the book title, each Webpage is a page in the book, and Hyperlink are the table of contents that connects everything. Just as a book binds pages of text and pictures under one title, a Website binds Webpage under one domain name.
How Users Access Websites
Every time you visit a Website, a chain of events happens in seconds:
1. Request
You type a URL or click a link. Your browser sends a request across the internet to the Server hosting the Website.
2. Response
The Server sends back HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files. These are the raw building blocks of the page.
3. Render
The browser reads the code, builds the layout, applies styles, and paints the final visual page on your screen.
What Makes Up a Website
HTML - Structure
HyperText Markup Language defines the content hierarchy — headings, paragraphs, images, and links.
CSS - Design
Cascading Style Sheets control colors, fonts, spacing, and the overall visual presentation of the page.
JavaScript - Behavior
JavaScript adds interactivity — animations, form validation, and dynamic content updates without reloading.
Deeper Dive
At the core of every Website are three languages: HTML for structure, CSS for design, and JavaScript for behavior. Together, these files define the content, look, and interactive features of a Webpage. Browsers read these text files and compile them into a layout in milliseconds.
The Internet is the physical network of connected computers. The World Wide Web is the system of Webpage and Website that run on top of that network. A Website is not the same as the Internet — it is one of many services that use it.
Key Insight
Browsers do not "contain" Website. Website live on remote Server. Your browser only downloads and displays a temporary copy each time you visit.
Advanced
Website are delivered over HTTP/HTTPS protocols. Modern web development utilizes frontend frameworks (like React, Vue, or Angular) to build dynamic interfaces, while backend Server process database transactions. Static Website serve pre-built files directly, whereas dynamic sites generate pages on-demand using server-side languages like Node.js or Python.
The website's address is officially called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), which acts like a postal address for finding resources on the web. DNS Server translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to locate Server.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Website | A collection of related webpages hosted under a single domain name. |
| Webpage | A single document on the web that can display text, graphics, and links. |
| Web Browser | A software application used to access and view websites on the Internet. |
| Hyperlink | A clickable link that connects one webpage to another. |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator — the unique address of a resource on the web. |
| Server | A powerful computer that stores website files and delivers them to users on request. |
| DNS | Domain Name System — translates domain names (like google.com) into IP addresses. |
| HTML | HyperText Markup Language — the standard code used to structure a webpage. |
| CSS | Cascading Style Sheets — the language used to style and lay out webpages. |
| HTTP/HTTPS | Protocols used to transfer data between a browser and a web server. |
Fun Facts
The first website ever built went live on August 6, 1991, and was created by Tim Berners-Lee to explain the World Wide Web.
There are over 1.8 billion websites online today, but only about 200 million are actively maintained.
A website's address is officially called a URL, which stands for Uniform Resource Locator.
The Internet and the Web are not the same — the Internet is the network, and the Web is a service that runs on it.
The first image ever uploaded to the web was a photo of the comedy band Les Horribles Cernettes in 1992.
Interactive Diagram
Launch the interactive diagram to see this in action.
Open Interactive DiagramThe interactive diagram for this chapter demonstrates Introduction to Websites. It shows the basic structure of a website with its components: pages, links, navigation, and content.
What to explore:
- click different parts of the website to see their purpose; watch how navigation connects pages; see the underlying structure
- a website is a collection of linked web pages that share a common domain and are accessible through a browser
Knowledge Check
1. What is the main function of a web browser?
Answer: To translate code files into visual webpages
2. Who created the first website?
Answer: Tim Berners-Lee
3. True or False: The Internet and the Web are the same thing.
Answer: False