Managing various domains from one hosting account is practically easy but may ask you to have a correct configuration on some DNS setting and make addon domains. In this post, we’ll have to assume that you have already registered few domains and have access with your hosting interface through your main domain. Before going far, let us first specify some important information about addon domain.
What’s An Addon Domain?
Addon domains are virtual hosting that would permit you to manage several domains out of a single hosting account. Technically, Addon domains share the hosting accounts resources from the main domain.
What Are The Benefits of Addon Domains?
From a web design and SEO management company perspective, using addon domains may save you from wasting money. With the aid of addon domains, you may no longer need to buy an extra hosting account in each domain that you operate. You just simply make addon domains and then split your current and existing account’s resources.
How It Works?
Addon domains are considered as sub domains with their own, sole domain names. Just like various sub domains, addon domains are kept on a sub directory in your home directory. Technically, every visitor that goes to your addon domain will be redirected into this particular category. You may have to specify the precise location as well as the name of this category when having to create the addon domain. Note that it is not necessarily a necessity that a particular addon domain’s directory is in public_html, however it is actually considered by most as a better practice.
How To Create An Addon Domain?
In creating an addon domain, you can utilize cPanel’s Addon Domains feature, it’s in the domains sections of the cPanel’s interface. Here’s a detailed steps on how you can add an addon domain:
1. Login to cPanel. (example.com/cpanel)
2. Click on Addon Domains
3. Type in your new domain name and Type in a username (This will become the FTP user for this domain)
4. Click on the “Document Root” field and the path will be automatically set.
5. Type in a password (this will become the FTP password for this account)
6. Click Add Domain
The web files for the addon domain will be hosted in the path specified in “Document Root” field.
Please make sure that nameservers of these addon domains are set up at the registrar, same as that of the main domain. Setting up your nameservers will depend on your hosting company. For this example. Here’s how you can do it.
Ask for your DNS from your hosting provider. It should be 2 addresses. Regular DNS Format for Shared hosting are ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com. For VPS and Dedicated accounts. It should be an IP Address or the actual domain name as some companies will provide free dedicated IP designated to a specific server by then, you can use it as your DNS. For images purposes we’ll use my Domain host.
1. Go to “My Domains”
2. Look for the domain that you wanted to update the DNS. Then look for a gear logo and click “Manage DNS”
3. Once prompted to the Nameservers page. Click “Change” button
4. Once you’re here. Add your new DNS and then click “Add Nameservers” to save the information in your domain then save. You’ll be prompted to the congratulations page for successfully changing the DNS.
You will be able to manage this addon domain using FTP. The cPanel access will be only for the main domain. You can manage email accounts or databases for your addon domains as well.