Understanding Sharepoint Managed Paths

When we create Site Collections in Sharepoint web applications, they are created with URL as 

http://servername:port/sites/

To have a specific URL other than /sites we would have to create a Managed Path.

When we create a Managed Path, we have two options:   Explicit Inclusion

                                                                                    Wildcard Inclusion

So what is the difference? I am going to explain you on what is a managed path. Please be my guest ;-)

1) Browse to Central Administration -> Applications Management -> Manage Web Application

2) Choose the web application where you want to implement managed paths.

3) Select Managed Paths from the ribbon

4) I am adding two new paths      - fahadexplicit (for type Explicit inclusion)

                                                 - fahadwildcard (for type Wildcard inclusion)

5) Now browse back to Application Management -> Create Site Collections.

6) You would see your custom Managed paths there.

Explicit Inclusion:

When we are not planning to create further site collections under a specified managed path, then we use this option. Explicit Inclusion Managed paths allows in creation of only one site collection at the exact given URL.

In our case fahadexplicit would be the only site collection that can be created. SharePoint will allow creating only one site collection within this Managed Path.

The URL would be: http://servername:port/fahadexplicit

Wildcard Inclusion:

When we want to create more than one site collection under a specific managed path, we use this option. Wildcard Inclusion Managed Paths allow unlimited site collection to be created under a given URL.

In our case under fahadwildcard, we can create any number of site collections.

The URL of these site collections would be as below:

http://servername:port/fahadwildcard/sitecollection1

http://servername:port/fahadwildcard/sitecollection2

http://servername:port/fahadwildcard/sitecollection3

http://servername:port/fahadwildcard/sitecollection4

and so on.