An addon domain lets you host a completely separate website — with its own domain name — from within your existing hosting account. If your plan allows multiple domains, this is how you run several sites without paying for several hosting accounts. Here’s how to set one up.
Addon domain vs subdomain vs alias
It’s worth being clear on the difference. A subdomain is a section of an existing domain (blog.yourdomain.com). An alias points an extra domain at your existing site. An addon domain is a genuinely separate website with its own domain, its own folder and its own content — the right choice when you want to run distinct sites.
Before you start
You need to own the domain you’re adding, and its nameservers (or DNS) should point to our servers — the values are in your welcome email. Without that, the addon domain won’t resolve to your account even after you add it. If you registered the domain elsewhere, update its nameservers first.
Adding the domain
- In cPanel, open Domains (or Addon Domains) under the Domains section.
- Enter the New Domain Name.
- cPanel auto-fills the subdomain and document root — the folder the new site will use. The default is usually fine.
- Click Add Domain.
Building the new site
Your addon domain now has its own folder. From here you can upload a site via File Manager, or install WordPress into it with Softaculous by choosing the addon domain as the install target. It behaves exactly like a standalone site.
Email for the addon domain
Addon domains can have their own email accounts too. Head to Email Accounts, and you’ll be able to create mailboxes on the new domain just as you would on your main one.
SSL coverage
Check SSL/TLS Status to confirm AutoSSL has issued a certificate for the addon domain. It usually happens automatically once DNS points to us, but if not, run AutoSSL manually.
Keep an eye on resources
Every addon domain shares your account’s disk space, bandwidth and resources. Running several busy sites on one account can strain a smaller plan. If your sites grow, it may be worth moving up a tier or splitting them across accounts — we’re happy to advise on the right setup.
Addon domains make it easy to manage a small portfolio of sites in one place. Let us know if you’d like a hand adding one.
