Knowledgebase

What is a Subdomain

A subdomain is a subsection of your website that exists as a subdirectory in your public_html (Document Root) directory. Subdomains use a prefix in conjunction with the domain name. For example, if the registered domain name was example.com, the subdomain will be prefix.example.com.

It is important to remember that it takes time for the subdomain to become recognized by other computers on the web. Visitors will not be able to view your subdomain immediately; the process takes anywhere from 2 days to a week.

Subdomains can be useful for creating unique user accounts for “vanity domains.” This is helpful if, for example, you have a blog, or any other type of website that uses a domain specifically titled for a user.

How to Add a Subdomain

To create a subdomain:

1. Enter the desired prefix in the Subdomain field.
2. Select the desired main domain from the pull-down menu.
3. Enter the home directory for the subdomain into the Document Rootfield.
   • This directory will be where files pertaining to the subdomain will be placed.
4. Click Create.

Warning: Due to the order in which Apache processes its configuration file, wildcard subdomains may disrupt the functionality of proxy subdomains.
We strongly recommend that you use wildcard subdomains only when absolutely necessary, or when you do not need to use proxy subdomains.

To open the subdomain’s main directory with the File Manager:

• Click the link under Document Root that corresponds to the subdomain you would like to view in the File Manager.

How to Modify the document root for a subdomain

To modify the document root for a subdomain:

1. Click the notepad icon corresponding to the subdomain you wish to manage. cPanel displays a new screen.
2. Enter the new file path you would like to use as the document root in the available text field.
3. Click Change.

Enable or disable subdomain redirection

To enable or disable redirection of a subdomain:

1. Click the Manage Redirection link corresponding to the subdomain you wish to manage. cPanel displays a new screen.
2. If you wish to redirect the subdomain, enter the link you would like to redirect the subdomain to in the available text field.
3. Click Save.
4. To disable the redirect, click Disable Redirection.

Remove a subdomain

To remove an existing subdomain:

1. Click the Remove link corresponding to the subdomain you would like to remove. cPanel displays a new screen.
2. Confirm that you would like to remove the subdomain by clicking Yes.
3. To keep the subdomain, click No.