Go to a website or go at a website [closed]

Question

I have an easy question about the correct usage of the prepositions after the verb "go" when we want to refer to a website.

Which of these is the more correct expression?

A) If you want to download that file, you have to go AT ThisIsATest.com

B) If you want to download that file, you have to go TO ThisIsATest.com

Is it true that the former sentence is used in American English and the latter is used in British English?

I've just found out on the Internet that some people use "go ON". Is this other alternative correct?

Answer 1

Use go to www.somelink.com

There is no occurrence of go on/at www(.whatever.domain) in any book. Whilst there are nearly 28 thousand for go to www. This Ngram also shows only one trend.

There is no variation in the searches between American English and British English.

Answer 2

Here are some definitions of go when used in different ways:

Go

verb 1.3 (go to) Attend or visit for a particular purpose: we went to the cinema

noun, informal 1 chiefly British An attempt or trial at something: have a go at answering the questions yourself

noun, informal 2 British A person’s turn to use or do something: I had a go on Nigel’s racing bike

- ODO

When you go at something, you're attacking it, attempting it (have a go at it), or otherwise doing something to it other than simply visiting it.

For the purpose of this discussion, we would consider a website to be a place, so you would direct people to go to the website.

It is also idiomatic to say, for example, "Go on Facebook". However, this carries the sense of logging onto the site or needing to go through some process of entering your credentials, rather than simply visiting it.

So to answer your specific questions:

• A or B: your sentence B ("go to ThisIsATest.com") would be preferred over sentence A ("go at ThisIsATest.com").

• BrE vs AmE: I usually favour British English, but I believe American English speakers would concur with this conclusion.

• to vs on: if you are directing people to a site, treating the site as the destination, use go to (or simply "visit ThisIsATest.com", leaving out go altogether). If you are including the notion of site access (passwords, etc), it could be argued that go on is in common use, but it would be better to say, "Go onto ThisIsATest.com", or better yet, "Log into ThisIsATest.com".