A website may look like a single page on your screen, but several systems work together to deliver it.
Step 1: You request a website
When you enter a web address into a browser, the browser needs to find the computer that hosts the website. A domain name provides a human-friendly address.
Step 2: DNS helps find the server
DNS, or the Domain Name System, translates a domain name into an IP address that computers can use to locate the relevant server.
Step 3: The server sends files
The web server responds to the browser's request. It can send files such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and images.
Step 4: The browser builds the page
The browser reads those files and turns them into the page you see. HTML provides structure, CSS controls presentation, and JavaScript can add interactive behavior.
What is hosting?
Web hosting is a service that provides a place for website files to be stored and delivered to visitors over the internet.
What is a domain?
A domain is the readable address people use to reach a website. It is easier to remember than a numerical IP address.
Putting it all together
A simple way to picture the process is: the domain identifies the destination, DNS helps locate it, hosting provides the files, and the browser turns those files into a usable webpage.
Once you understand this flow, terms such as DNS, hosting, HTML and web server become much less mysterious.