In contrast to affiliated sites, which have a sibling relationship, a microsite is a relatively small site that is a child of a larger parent site. In many cases, users may not even be aware that the microsite is a different site; it may appear to be a special area of the parent site.

Microsites can be used in a variety of ways. A microsite can promote a specific product line, seasonal items, or items associated with a specific event. For example, a site that sells flowers might have an associated microsite that is available only around Mother’s Day.

A microsite typically shares many resources with its parent site. Generally, a microsite will share user profiles and shopping carts with the parent site, and most if not all of its catalog content will be drawn from the parent site’s catalog.