What Is A Web Ring?

Date First Published: 29th March 2024

Topic: Web Design & Development

Subtopic: Web Development

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 6/10

CONTENTS

Are Web Rings Still Used?

Learn about what a web ring is in this article.

A web ring is a group of websites linked together around a similar topic or theme. They are linked together in a "ring" as clicking through all the websites in the ring will eventually lead back to the originating website. Websites in the ring have an icon or graphic that is part of a specific web ring and visitors can choose the "next" or "previous" site in the ring, allowing them to browse backwards or forwards.

Web rings are usually run from a main website which uses a web scripting application to select random, related websites and keep the ring up to date. This includes removing any outdated pages and links and adding new ones. The main advantage of a web ring is that if the user is interested in the topic on one website, they can quickly connect to another website on the same topic.

Are Web Rings Still Used?

In the early days of the internet, web rings were a common way for websites to generate more traffic by encouraging users to visit the other websites in the ring. However, they are rarely used now because search engines and other more effective promotion strategies are more widely used to find related websites and increase website traffic. Most web rings that are still working are often found on outdated websites that haven't been updated for years. In addition, most internet users are unfamiliar with web rings and are unlikely to understand how to use a web ring navigation menu.