What does webmaster mean?
“Webmaster” is a noun for a person who manages or maintains a website. The role traditionally included overseeing content, coordinating contributors, handling basic administration, and ensuring that a site remained available and up to date. The word can also be used as a verb, as in “to webmaster a website,” although that form is especially associated with the early days of the web. In modern workplaces, a webmaster may still be understood as the person responsible for a site, but more specific titles such as website administrator, content manager, or web developer are generally preferred. The expression carries a slightly nostalgic or dated quality because it evokes a period when websites were often treated as individual publications managed by a recognizable person. It remains a useful word for discussing ownership, stewardship, and the practical work involved in publishing a website.
A person responsible for managing, maintaining, or publishing a website.
"The webmaster received reports about broken links and coordinated the site’s weekly updates."
The term is increasingly dated in professional contexts, where more specific job titles are preferred.
To act as or serve as the webmaster of a website.
"He webmastered the community archive and kept its collection available online."
This form is uncommon today and is chiefly associated with the early history of website administration.
The standard plural of the noun; “webmasters” can refer to several people responsible for one or more websites.
"The webmasters met to coordinate the site’s content calendar."
Before “webmaster” became a job title, the web was a place you visited—one that still needed a keeper.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does webmaster come from?
“Webmaster” is an English compound formed from “web” and “master.” The first element refers to the World Wide Web and ultimately to the older English word for a woven structure, while “master” contributes the sense of someone in charge or responsible for a domain. The title became established in the early 1990s, when websites were often administered by individuals described as their webmasters. Its meaning has since broadened and become less common as specialized technical and editorial roles have emerged.
Related word forms
How webmaster is actually used
The noun is now dated or formal in many contexts, although it remains familiar and understandable. In current organizations, titles such as website administrator, content manager, site manager, or web developer are often preferred because they specify the person’s responsibilities more precisely.
Easily confused with webmaster
A webmaster traditionally manages a website and its content or administration, while a web developer primarily creates and implements its code and technical features.