startpagina

Startpagina is a Dutch term that literally means "start page." It is commonly used to refer to the homepage or the initial page loaded when opening a web browser. In a broader sense, it also designates a category of Dutch-language portals that serve as a central hub for links, news, weather, and various services. In practice, users often customize their start page to provide quick access to their favorite sites and tools.

Startpagina portals emerged as online directories or portals in the early days of the web. They organize links by topic or interest and may be maintained by volunteers or editors. Typical features include categorized lists of links, a search box, weather updates, headlines, and quick access to popular services such as email or social networks. Some sites allow users to customize the layout by adding modules or widgets. In the Netherlands, the portal startpagina.nl became a well-known example of this model.

Today, the use of dedicated startpagina portals has diminished in many regions due to browser home-page options and personalized feeds. Nevertheless, the concept persists in various forms, and the term remains part of everyday Dutch; it is also used in German and other languages with the equivalent meaning "start page."