Adding Extra Domains and Changing the Main Domain

Adding Extra Domains and Changing the Main Domain

One website can answer to more than one domain. You might want a .com alongside a .co.za, a shop. subdomain, or a rebrand that needs a new main domain. All of this happens on the website's Domains tab.

The three types of extra domain

• Addon has its own folder and shows different content. Use it to run a second site under the same website.
• Subdomain is a prefix on one of your other domains, such as blog.example.co.za. It can have its own folder too.
• Alias uses the same folder as the main domain and shows the same content. Use it for spelling variations or a second extension.

Every website already answers on www as well, so you don't need to add www as an alias. How many of each type you can add depends on the package.

Step 1: open the website's Domains tab

1. Click Websites in the left-hand menu and click the website. If it belongs to a customer, the panel logs you in as them automatically, and you'll see the yellow bar.
2. Click Domains along the top.

The list shows each domain, its type (PRIMARY or ALIAS, for example), a DNS status and its folder (Document root). A warning triangle under DNS status usually means the domain isn't pointing at our servers yet.

Step 2: add a domain

1. Click Add domain.
2. Choose Addon, Subdomain or Alias at the top of the form. The panel shows how many of that type the package allows.
3. Type the domain. For a subdomain, type just the first part, such as blog. The rest of the domain is filled in for you.
4. For an addon or subdomain, you can change the Document root folder if you want to.
5. For an alias, tick Redirect to the primary domain if visitors should be sent to the main domain rather than stay on the alias.
6. Click Add.

Step 3: point the new domain at us

Adding a domain in the panel doesn't change anything at the domain registrar. Update the domain's nameservers or DNS records so it points at us, and the warning triangle will clear once that change has spread across the internet.

Changing the main (primary) domain

The primary domain is the name the panel uses for the website everywhere. To change it:

1. On the Domains tab, add the new domain first if it isn't there already.
2. Click the three dots (⋮) on the domain you want as the main one, and choose Make primary.
3. Check the window. It shows the old primary domain and the new one.
4. Click Make primary.

Important: your other domains won't automatically redirect to the new primary domain. If the old domain should send visitors to the new one, set up a redirect.

Troubleshooting

• You can't add any more of a type. The form shows how many are used and allowed (for example "0 of 5 Domain aliases used"). If none are left, the package has run out. Upgrade the package or edit it.
• The warning triangle won't go away. Check the domain's nameservers at the registrar. Changes can take a few hours to spread.