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Domains, DNS & SSL

Point domains to cPanel hosting, understand addon domains and subdomains, and fix SSL or DNS issues.

Domains, DNS, and nameservers

A domain must point to the correct hosting target before visitors can reach the site. For classic cPanel hosting, that can mean using the service nameservers or managing DNS records where your domain is registered.

Nameservers
If the service shows nameservers, set them at the registrar when the cPanel account should manage DNS for the domain.
Addon domain
Use when your plan allows an extra domain on the same cPanel account. The portal domain-request flow can request this for review.
Subdomain
Use for addresses like app.example.com or staging.example.com.
Redirect
Use when one domain or path should forward visitors to another URL.
DNS zone
Use for A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and other records when DNS is managed in cPanel.
Propagation
DNS changes can take time to update globally. Recheck records before opening duplicate tickets.

Requesting a domain on hosting

  1. 1Open Domains in the customer portal.
  2. 2Click Request a domain when you have a hosting account available.
  3. 3Enter the domain and choose the hosting account.
  4. 4Submit the request for review.
  5. 5After approval, the domain can be added to the cPanel account and tracked in the portal.

Addon domain vs subdomain

Addon domain
Use for a separate domain such as secondsite.com on the same cPanel account when your plan allows it.
Subdomain
Use for a name under an existing domain, such as blog.example.com or staging.example.com.
Alias
Use when a second domain should show the same site as the primary domain.
Redirect
Use when visitors should be sent to a different URL instead of serving a separate site.
Document root
Addon domains and subdomains usually point to a folder. That folder is where File Manager changes need to happen.

Create a subdomain

Subdomains are useful for staging sites, apps, documentation, class projects, and separate sections of a site. They still need DNS and a document root.

  1. 1Open cPanel and find the Domains or Subdomains tool.
  2. 2Enter the subdomain label, such as app, staging, docs, or blog.
  3. 3Confirm the parent domain is correct.
  4. 4Review the document root cPanel suggests and adjust it only if you understand the folder structure.
  5. 5Create the subdomain.
  6. 6Upload files into that document root or point the app to that folder.
  7. 7Check SSL after DNS resolves to the hosting account.

DNS record cheat sheet

A
Points a name to an IPv4 address. Often used for root domains like example.com.
AAAA
Points a name to an IPv6 address. Use only when the provider gives you an IPv6 value.
CNAME
Points one hostname to another hostname. Common for subdomains like app.example.com.
MX
Controls where email for the domain is delivered.
TXT
Used for verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and other text-based proofs.
TTL
How long DNS resolvers may cache a record. Lower values can make planned changes easier.
Conflicts
Do not keep two contradictory records for the same name and type unless your DNS provider explicitly supports that setup.

Redirects and aliases

Redirects send visitors somewhere else. Aliases show the same site under another domain. They are different tools and should not be mixed unless you know the desired behavior.

Temporary redirect
Use for short-term moves or testing. Browsers and search engines should not treat it as permanent.
Permanent redirect
Use when the old URL should permanently move to the new URL.
www redirect
Choose one canonical version: www.example.com or example.com, then redirect the other.
HTTPS redirect
Enable only after SSL is valid, or visitors may hit browser security errors.
Redirect loop
Happens when cPanel, .htaccess, WordPress, or another app redirects back and forth.

SSL and HTTPS

HTTPS depends on both DNS and certificate issuance. If the domain is not pointing to the cPanel account, SSL tools may fail or issue a certificate for the wrong target.

  • Confirm the domain points to the cPanel hosting account before troubleshooting SSL.
  • Use SSL/TLS or AutoSSL in cPanel when available to review certificate status.
  • Wait after DNS changes before retrying certificate checks.
  • If HTTPS still fails, include the domain, current DNS records, and browser error in a support ticket.

AutoSSL checklist

AutoSSL can issue or renew domain-validated certificates when the domain points correctly and the hosting account is allowed to issue certificates for that hostname.

  1. 1Confirm the domain or subdomain points to the cPanel hosting account.
  2. 2Wait for DNS propagation after record or nameserver changes.
  3. 3Open SSL/TLS Status or the available SSL tool in cPanel.
  4. 4Review which domains are covered and which are pending or failing.
  5. 5Retry AutoSSL only after DNS is correct.
  6. 6If it still fails, open a support ticket with the domain, current DNS records, and SSL status message.

DNS troubleshooting

Domain not loading
Confirm nameservers or A records point to the hosting account.
Subdomain fails
Check the subdomain exists and points to the intended folder or DNS record.
Redirect loop
Check cPanel redirects, .htaccess, app settings, and HTTPS redirects.
SSL not issued
Wait for DNS propagation, then recheck AutoSSL or open support with the current records.
External email broke
Check MX records before changing nameservers or DNS zones.