cPanel provides powerful tools to help manage various domain configurations within your hosting account. Two standard options are subdomains and domain aliases (also known as parked domains).
The Subdomains feature in cPanel allows you to create a subdomain, essentially a domain with an added prefix that functions independently from your primary domain. This is useful for setting up separate sections of your website, such as a blog (blog.example.com), a forum (forum.example.com), or a staging environment for testing.
On the other hand, a domain alias lets you point one domain to the content of another. This is especially helpful if you own multiple versions of your domain name, such as yourdomain.com and yourdomain.net, and want them to display the same website.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating both subdomains and parked domains in your cPanel hosting account.
Parked Domain
Domain aliases (also known as parked domains) allow you to display the same website using multiple domain names. For instance, if your main website is hosted on yourdomain.com and you want visitors to also access it via mydomain.com, you can set mydomain.com as an alias in your hosting account. When someone types mydomain.com into their browser, the server will load the website content from yourdomain.com.
Aliases are typically domains you own that don’t have their own content. Instead, they point to another domain or subdomain on your account. They’re useful for redirecting traffic, protecting your brand, or holding a domain you plan to use or sell later.
How Does a Domain Alias Work?
When you configure ggexample.org as an alias for ggexample.com, anyone visiting ggexample.org will be directed to the same website content as ggexample.com. However, the browser will continue to display ggexample.com in the address bar. In essence, multiple domain names are pointing to the same website location.
It’s worth noting that in earlier versions of cPanel, this feature was called “Parked Domains.” Although the name has changed to “Aliases,” the functionality remains the same.
How to add a Parked Domain (Alias) in cPanel
A parked domain (now called an alias in newer cPanel versions) points a different domain name to your main site (e.g., yourbrand.com points to yourmainbrand.com).
Steps:
Step 1: Go to your domain and log in to your cPanel
Step 2: Go to “Aliases” or “Domains.”
- In older versions, find and click Aliases
- In newer cPanel versions, go to the DOMAINS section and click Domains, then Create A New Domain.
Step 3: Enter the Domain Name
- Type the domain you want to park (e.g., yourbrand.com).
- Uncheck “Share document root” only if you want the domain to point to a different folder (rare for parked domains).
Step 4: Click “Submit” or “Add Domain.”
Step 5: Make Sure DNS is Set Properly
- Go to your domain registrar (where you bought the parked domain).
- Point its DNS (nameservers) to your hosting provider, or add an A record to your server’s IP address.
Subdomains
Subdomains function like extensions of your main domain, helping organize and direct users to different areas of your website. Examples include testing.yourdomain.com or login.yourdomain.com. They’re useful for separating parts of your site for instance, setting up a dedicated subdomain for an online store or for creating a staging environment to test changes before going live. Additionally, you can configure a subdomain’s A record to point to a different server entirely, if needed.
How to add a Subdomain in cPanel
A subdomain is a prefix added to your domain name (e.g., blog.example.com).
Steps:
Step 1: Click on your hosting plan
Step 2: Log in to your cPanel
Step3: In newer cPanel versions, go to the DOMAINS section and click Domains, then Create A New Domain.
Step 4: Enter your Subdomain
- In the Subdomain field, enter the name you want (e.g., blog).
- Choose the main domain (e.g., example.com) from the dropdown.
- Uncheck the share document root
Step 5: Click “Submit”
That’s it! Your subdomain will now appear in the list below, and you can upload files to its root folder using the File Manager or FTP.
Conclusion
Adding a subdomain or parked domain in cPanel is a straightforward process that allows you to expand your website's structure or manage additional domains with ease. Whether you're creating a blog, a shop section, or pointing multiple domains to the same website, cPanel provides the tools to do it efficiently. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively manage your domains and enhance your website’s accessibility and functionality.
