webmaster

IPA/ˈwebmɑːstə(r)/
KK[wˈɛbmˌæstɚ]IPA/ˈwebmæstər/

webmaster — noun

1. a person whose job is to take care of a website, for example by fixing problems,

1.nounB1
Definition

a person whose job is to take care of a website, for example by fixing problems, adding new content, and making sure the site runs well.

Example

Quan, the company's webmaster, fixed the broken links on the homepage overnight.

role as job title before a name

The school hired a new webmaster to redesign their online course pages.

webmaster + infinitive of purpose

Common collocations
  • serve as webmaster
  • work as a webmaster
  • the company webmaster
  • the site webmaster
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

webmaster + of + [organisation]

Usage Note

This job title has become less common since the early 2000s. In modern workplaces, more specific titles such as web developer, site administrator, or web designer are often preferred.

Common Mistakes

The webmaster built the website from scratch in two days.' (when the role is maintenance only).
The webmaster updated the site's security certificate before it expired.
'webmaster' originally emphasised ongoing maintenance rather than initial creation, though the two overlap today.

Word family

  • web
    nounA1
  • website
    nounA2
  • web designer
    nounB1
  • web developer
    nounB1
  • web hosting
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Webmaster, web administrator, and site administrator all refer to someone who manages a website, but they differ in scope and currency. Webmaster was the original term from the 1990s and covered everything from design to server upkeep; it now sounds somewhat dated and is less common in job postings. Web administrator is a more modern title that usually focuses on technical maintenance — databases, security, and server configuration — rather than content or design. Site administrator is broader still: it can include managing user accounts and permissions on a content management system, and may overlap with system administration. For example, a web administrator might install security patches, while a site administrator could add new users to the platform. If you are applying for a job, 'webmaster' on your CV may seem old-fashioned; 'web administrator' or 'site administrator' are safer choices.

webmaster ↗web administratorsite administrator

Common collocations

Nouns

  • webmaster role
  • webmaster position
  • webmaster duties

Phrases

  • contact the webmaster
  • the webmaster's address
  • the webmaster tools

Prepositions

  • webmaster of [a site / an organisation]

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Formed in the mid-1990s by combining 'web' (short for World Wide Web) with 'master' (from Old English mægester, via Latin magister meaning 'chief' or 'leader'). The word appeared as the Internet became widely accessible, when many organisations needed a single person to manage their online presence.