Home page
The homepage or home page is the name of the main page of a website where visitors can find hyperlinks to other pages on the site. By default, the homepage on all web servers is index.html; however, it can also be index.htm, index.php, or whatever the developer decides.
Some improperly refer to the computer's desktop as the home page and a smartphone home screen as a home page.
A home page may also be called a "front page," "welcome page," or "landing page."
Website homepage vs. browser homepage
If you have never created a website or blog, the above definition of a homepage may be confused with a browser homepage (home).
A browser home is a default document displayed when you first open your browser. It can display a specific website in the browser's preferences. For example, you may have Google as your browser's home to open a search when you first open the browser. If you were to search for "Computer Help" from your browser's home and click the Computer Hope link, you would be directed to our website homepage.
How to get back to the browser homepage
As you browse the Internet, there may come a time when you want to get back to your browser's home. Below are the steps and keyboard shortcuts to return to your browser's home.
- Click the browser home button that should resemble one of the home buttons on this page.
- Most Internet browsers support the Alt+Home keyboard shortcut to go to your homepage.
- In Mac web browsers, try Command+Home or Option+Home.
- Finally, you can also close your browser and all open tabs. Once re-opened, the browser opens the home page.
How to get to a website homepage
Typically, when you search for something on the Internet and visit a web page (like this one), you visiting a sub-page, not the website's homepage. Getting to the homepage of a website depends on how each web page is designed. Most web pages (including this one) allow visitors to return to the homepage by clicking the company logo in the page's top-left corner. Other pages may have a hyperlink to the homepage in the header or footer of the page.
Unfortunately, some poorly designed web pages may not allow visitors to return to the homepage. For these pages, you'll need to edit the webpage's address, also known as its URL (uniform resource locator). Below is an example of how you could get back to the Computer Hope page by manipulating this page's address.
The URL for this page is:
https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/homepage.htm
In the address bar, erase everything after the website's domain (as shown below) or determine the domain (e.g., computerhope.com) and enter that into the address bar. Once either of these options is done, pressing Enter opens the homepage.
https://www.computerhope.com
Why does a website need a homepage?
For most websites, most visitors who visit never visit the homepage. However, it's still an important part of a website because those visitors who visit the homepage need a way to understand what your website offers. Ideally, your website homepage should include a link to all pages or for a big website (over 100 pages), all main sections. Other important things to consider are including a company phone number, contact information, and the website's popular web pages.
Why does a browser need a home?
When the Internet and browsers were introduced, finding things on the Internet was not as straightforward or fast as it is today. The browser home was created so people could open their browser to web portals or their favorite websites to get to what interests them. Although many people still use their browser's homepage every day, more people use a search engine (e.g., Google) as their homepage and search for what interests them or visit a bookmark.
What is the homepage of a computer?
Some users may refer to the opening screen they see after booting a computer as the homepage. However, this screen is more properly called the desktop.
Should I use "homepage" or "home page" in my writing?
Generally, both versions are correct. However, most people and style guides today use "homepage" (one word) when discussing the main page of a website.
Style guides that use "homepage" include the International Literacy Association, The Associated Press Stylebook, and The Guardian. Style guides that use "home page" include the Microsoft Manual of Style and Oxford Dictionary of Computing.