What is a portal?
A portal (also called an internet portal) is a website on the internet that serves as a gateway to certain information. The content can be collected on the portal or the portal can link to other websites where the content can be found. A portal is typically aimed at a specific topic or target group.
In the late 1990s, the word "portal" was a buzzword and countless internet users used a portal as the starting point (i.e. homepage) for their internet browsing. Portals brought together news, weather forecasts, search engines and more on one homepage.
Examples of portals
There are many examples of portals. Here we mention just three different ones:
- Amino - The Entrepreneur Forum Amino can be considered an entrepreneurial portal, as entrepreneurs can find and share knowledge about entrepreneurship while also linking to other websites and services with specific content aimed at entrepreneurs.
- YouTube - Another example can be the popular media YouTubeas this access provides entertainment, information and learning. In this case, content is not similarly restricted.
- Borger.dk - One last example we'll include in this round is borger.dk, which not only contains information for citizens in Denmark who can make use of the site for different situations in life, but also links to relevant services.
COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER (Central Business Register) is an example of a portal.
Secondary meanings
The word portal has several secondary meanings:
- In architecture, an architectural entrance to a building, such as a castle, church or other large structure.
- In science fiction and fantasy, the word is also used to describe an entrance to another world or dimension.
- In computer games, a 3D puzzle game from computer manufacturer Valve.
Frequently asked questions
A portal is a website on the internet that provides access to a large amount of information. The information can be available directly on the portal or via link references to other websites.
The first portals were launched in the 1990s after the launch of the internet. The first portal was called World Wide Web virtual Library and dates from 1991.
An internet portal is the same as a portal and is also called a web portal.
