How to configure addon domains and aliases (parked domains) in cPanel

This article describes how to configure addon domains and aliases (parked domains) in cPanel.

Addon domains

Using addon domains, you can host multiple web sites with separate domain names on your A2 Hosting account. An addon domain is a domain that points to a subdirectory within your primary account. For example, if you own the example.com domain name, you can configure it as an addon domain so that its files are stored in your account. A visitor to the example.com web site cannot tell that it is hosted on the same server as your primary domain.

Creating an addon domain

To create an addon domain, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the Addon Domains tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Domains section, click Addon Domains:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the DOMAINS section, click Addon Domains:
     

     

3. Under Create an Addon Domain, type the domain name in the New Domain Name text box.
   

   When you press tab or click on the next field, cPanel automatically fills in the Subdomain text box and the Document Root text box based on the domain name that you specify. You can change these values if you want.

4. Optionally, you can create an FTP account with the addon domain.
   

   Continue to step 4 unless you have a specific need for an FTP account.
   • Check the Create an FTP account associated with this Addon Domain check box.
   • In the FTP Username text box, type a username for the account.
   • In the Password text box, type the account password that you want.
   • In the Password (Again) text box, retype the account password.
     You can click Password Generator and cPanel generates a random, strong password for you.

5. Click Add Domain. After cPanel creates the domain, you can add content pages in the document root directory specified in step 2.
   

   When you create a new addon domain, the DNS records change. These changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate across the internet (though the process is usually much faster). For information about how to access a domain before DNS propagation is complete, please see this article.

Modifying an addon domain

You can change the document root directory for an addon domain. You can also configure an addon domain to redirect to another domain. To make either of these modifications, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the Addon Domains tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Domains section, click Addon Domains:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the DOMAINS section, click Addon Domains:
     

     

3. Under Modify Addon Domain, locate the addon domain that you want to modify:
   

   • To change the addon domain's document root directory, click the (edit) icon, type the new document root directory, and then click Change.
   • To set up domain redirection, click Manage Redirection, type the domain to which you want the addon domain to redirect, and then click Save.

Removing an addon domain

To remove an addon domain that you no longer need, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the Addon Domains tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Domains section, click Addon Domains:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the DOMAINS section, click Addon Domains:
     

     

3. Under Modify Addon Domain, locate the addon domain that you want to remove, and then click Remove.
4. If you also want to remove the addon domain's FTP account, select the check box.

5. Click Remove to confirm the removal.
   

   When you delete an addon domain, its folder and files are not deleted. You must delete the folder and files manually.

Aliases (parked domains)

Aliases (which were referred to as Parked Domains in older versions of cPanel) are often used to reserve or “hold” a domain name that does not have an associated web site. Aliases can also be used as placeholders for existing web sites. For example, if you own the example.com domain name, you can alias the domain so it redirects to the primary domain of your A2 Hosting account.

Adding an alias

To add an alias, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the Aliases tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Domains section, click Aliases:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the DOMAINS section, click Aliases:
     

     

3. Under Create a New Alias, type the name of the alias in the Domain text box.

4. Click Add Domain.
   

   When you create a new alias, the DNS records change. These changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate across the internet (though the process is usually much faster). For information about how to access a domain before DNS propagation is complete, please see this article.

Removing an alias

You should remove an alias when you no longer own the domain name, or when you want to set up a separate web site for the domain.

To remove an alias, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the Aliases tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Domains section, click Aliases:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the DOMAINS section, click Aliases:
     

     

3. Under Remove Aliases, locate the alias that you want to remove, and then click Remove.
4. Click Remove Alias to confirm the removal.