Webmaster Day: What It Is and How to Thank Your Webmaster

Webmaster Day is an informal day to thank the people who build, run and fix websites. Back in 2008 the domain registrar GoDaddy promoted April 29 as Webmasters’ Day and offered free eCards so site owners could thank their webmaster. This article explains what the day was, how it is marked now, and simple ways to say thanks to the person who keeps your site online.

Quick answer: Webmaster Day is not an official holiday. GoDaddy promoted April 29 as Webmasters’ Day in 2008 with free greeting eCards, and some online holiday calendars still list a Webmaster Day today. The better-known event for IT staff is System Administrator Appreciation Day, held on the last Friday of July. Any day is a good day to thank your webmaster with a note, a review or a fixed bug report.

What was GoDaddy’s Webmaster Day?

GoDaddy, one of the biggest domain name registrars, declared April 29 as Webmasters’ Day. The idea was simple: send a greeting card to your favorite webmaster and thank them for their untiring efforts to keep your site running and making money online for you.

To make sure the card arrived on the day, you had to complete your eCard by 11:59 PM Mountain Time on April 28. After all that publicity, I wished they had offered more variety in the greetings, but it was a nice gesture toward the people who usually only hear from users when something breaks.

The eCard campaign was a one-time promotion and is no longer running. The idea behind it still makes sense.

Is there still a Webmaster Day?

There is no official Webmaster Day set by any government or standards body. Some online holiday calendars still list a Webmaster Day, but they do not agree on the date, so treat it as an informal celebration rather than a fixed holiday.

If you want a recognized date, look at System Administrator Appreciation Day (external site) (SysAdmin Day). It is held every year on the last Friday of July and thanks the people who keep servers, networks and computers running. Many webmasters do exactly that kind of work.

What does a webmaster do today?

The title “webmaster” is less common than it was in the 2000s, but the job has not gone away. It is now often split between several roles:

• Site owner or editor: plans and publishes content and keeps it up to date.
• Developer: builds the site, its theme and plugins, and fixes bugs.
• System administrator or host: keeps the server fast, backed up and secure.
• SEO specialist: watches search traffic and Google updates, and fixes indexing problems.

On a small blog, one person often does all of these jobs. That person also renews the domain, keeps it safe from hijacking and watches for Google algorithm updates. If you want to help, our guide to domain name security is a good place to start.

Ways to celebrate Webmaster Day

• Say thank you. A short email or message to the person who runs your site means more than a generic eCard.
• Send useful bug reports. Note the page, the device and browser, and what you expected to happen.
• Leave a review or a comment. For a blog or a small business site, kind feedback is real encouragement.
• Help with the boring jobs. Check that backups work, renew the domain early and turn on two-factor sign-in for hosting and registrar accounts.
• Share free tools. Free services such as Ahrefs Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console help a webmaster find problems faster.

FAQ

When is Webmaster Day?

GoDaddy promoted April 29 as Webmasters’ Day in 2008. There is no official date today, and online calendars list different days.

Is Webmaster Day the same as SysAdmin Day?

No. System Administrator Appreciation Day is a separate, better-known event held on the last Friday of July.

Can I still send a GoDaddy Webmaster Day eCard?

No. The eCard offer was a past promotion and is no longer available. A personal message works just as well.

Who should I thank on Webmaster Day?

Anyone who builds or looks after a site you use or own: your web developer, hosting support team, site editor or the volunteer who runs your club’s website.