Overview
An add-on domain (additional domain) allows you to host multiple sites in one cPanel account.
Each additional domain gets its own document root, so that the sites are kept separate from each other.
When you create an add-on domain, you can:
Manage multiple websites in the same account
Give each website its own folder
Manage all domains from one cPanel account
Install your own websites or CMS systems such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla on each domain
When you finish this guide, you will know how to create and configure an additional domain in cPanel.
Important information
⚠️ The domain must point to the server before the site becomes available.
This is usually done by:
Changing the name servers (NS)
Updating the DNS zone with your domain provider
DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to become visible globally.
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you:
Have access to cPanel
Are logged into cPanel
Own the domain you want to add
Have pointed the domain to the webhosting name servers or DNS zones
Have a hosting package that supports additional domains
Step 1: Log in to cPanel
If your hosting service supports direct login to cPanel, you can log in via the client area.
This is how you do it:
Find your hosting service under active products/services
Click Log in on cPanel
You are now automatically logged into cPanel
Step 2: Open Domains
Go to the Domains section and click on Domains
The system now opens the overview of the domains associated with the account.
Step 3: Create a new add-on domain
Click on Create A New Domain
Select Registered Domain
Fill in the domain you want to use
Uncheck the Share document root checkbox
Select Document Root
The document root is the folder that contains the files of the site. It is common to put this one to a subfolder of public_html, for example:
/public_html/example.com/
💡 Tip: We recommend that each website gets its own folder to keep the content organized and separate from other websites in the account.
5. Choose Subdomain
In order for the additional domain to be able to use a document root other than the main domain, it must have a subdomain (subdomain) of the main domain.
In this example, we set this to example.getmeasandwich.com, but the name of the subdomain is optional.
6. Click on Submit
The system now creates the domain and associated folder.
When the process is completed, the domain appears in the domain overview.
You can now upload files to this domain folder on the webhosting, and these will then become visible in your browser.
Troubleshooting
The domain cannot be added
Make sure that:
The domain has not already been added to another hosting account
The domain name is written correctly
The domain does not show the site
Make sure that:
The domain points to correct name servers
DNS zone is correctly configured
The files are in the correct document root
I get an empty page when I visit the domain
Make sure that:
There's an index file in the document root
The website's files are uploaded correctly
The PHP version is compatible with the website
The domain does not work after creation
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to be updated globally.
Wait and test it again later.
Summary
You have now learned how to create an addon domain in cPanel.
By using additional domains, you can host multiple websites on the same webhosting account, while each website gets its own document root and separate file structure.