What are aliases and addon domains?
An alias is a special domain name configuration that will allow a secondary domain name (called alias) to display the same website as the first domain (called the main domain). Aliases can also use redirections so that the domain name in the browser's address bar is explicitly changed to your main domain. This is recommended to avoid being potentially penalized for content duplication by Google and other search engines. Aliases are the right choice if you have registered multiple domains that you would like linked to the same website.
An addon domain allows you to actually host an entirely separate website on the same account. Your addon domain can have its own email addresses, statistics and FTP accounts, but shares a single cPanel login. Addon domains are great for users managing multiple websites, but are not recommended for websites with heavy usage or for websites that need to be managed by someone other than the primary account holder.
Addon domains are not available with the Starter hosting package; consider upgrading to the Pro hositng if this is a feature you need.
How to add an alias
Please ensure that the domain name in question is already registered prior to adding the alias.
- In the cPanel, in the Domains category, click on Aliases.
- Under Create Alias, enter the domain name you would like to park on top of your main domain and click Add Domain
- Once added, it is recommended to create a redirection towards your main domain in order to avoid penalties in Search Engines caused by content duplication. You may configure a redirection by returning to the Aliases screen in the cPanel, and clicking on Manage Redirectsin the Aliases list at the bottom. There, enter the full URL (including the http://) of your main domain and click Save.
How to add an addon domain?
Please ensure that the domain name in question is already registered prior to adding an addon domain.
Addon domains are not available with all packages; contact us if you do not see this option and would like to upgrade to a hosting package that supports Addon domains.
- In the cPanel, in the Domains category, click on Addon Domains
- Under Create An Addon Domain, enter the new domain name you would like to add. The username and document root home fields will automatically fill up with recommended values based on your selected domain name, and we recommend you keep these default values. You will also be asked to select a password with which you will be able to log in exclusively to this domain's home directory. We recommend you click on the Password Generator and let the system create a secure password for you.
- Click Add Domain and you are done! In certain cases, a short propagation delay will be required before the new domain is functional.
Once your addon domain is working properly, you can publish its content either by connecting directly to its own FTP account (created automatically when you create the addon domain) or by connecting to the main FTP account and placing all your addon site's files in the new folder that was created for your addon domain.
