When you sign up for your own web hosting account you typically receive x number of free additional domains. This means you can host other websites (domains) on your one web hosting account. These are called Addon Domains or Sub Domains. We’ll be discussing Addon Domains for this post.
For example, with my HostGator account I pay for one site and get unlimited free additional sites (domains) that I can host on my one account.
So what does that mean? Well, let’s take for example a main website called www.mymainsite.com. When you install this site on your web hosting site, it can be located in the root folder which is /.
Control Panel (cpanel)
When you want to add another website to your hosting site, you would pick Addon Domain. I’m using HostGator and the management tool called cpanel or Control Panel as it’s called. Here is a screenshot of what the Addon Domain menu selection looks like.
After selecting Addon Domains you’ll be presented with the following screen.
After adding the my2ndsite.com to your main website, you’ll have a tree structure like this – /public_html/my2ndsite. This is where you can add WordPress if that’s what you’re wanting to do. So you have a WordPress installation in the root at / and one at /public_html/my2ndsite.
Fantastico
With cpanel under my HostGator account, I can use the Fantastico software tool to install another instance of WordPress.
Now that I’ve created an Addon Domain, when the WordPress install asks me what domain I want to install WordPress on, I can slect the my2ndsite.com domain. The install directory would be left blank after selecting the my2ndsite.com domain. This will install WordPress into the root of the Addon Domain my2ndsite.com.
The admin username and password asked for during the WordPress install is the username and password you will use when you want to administer WordPress on your my2ndsite.com/wp-admin.
The Site name is the blog title and the Description is the blog tag line that will show up under the blog title.
Name Servers
A Name Server is where you’re web hosting is located. Although there’s more to a name server than that, I’ll leave it at that since all you really need to know for this task is where your name servers should be pointing to.
Let’s say you used GoDaddy to register your new domain name my2ndsite.com. You need to go change the name servers from GoDaddy’s default name servers to your web hosting account name servers.
For example, let’s say the two default nameservers are nsx.godaddy.com where x is a number. You would edit the name servers and change them to your name servers that you get at your web hosting site, which could be for example nsxxx.hostgator.com.
Now you and the rest of the world can browse to your new website www.my2ndsite.com. Woo Hoo!!
Recap
- You have a main site called www.mymainsite.com and you want to start another website using your current web hosting site because you can add unlimited domains.
- You create an Addon Domain called my2ndsite.com.
- You installed WordPress into my2ndsite.com.
- You change your domain’s name server to point at your my2ndsite.com domain located at your web hosting site.
Capiche? I know, clear as a bell. Ask any questions if you need help in the comments or contact me using the contact form.
Very nice tutorial, addon domains make it so much easier!
Let say we create the new folder (newdomainfolder) for the new domain (http://new-domain) in the root. People can still access http://old-domain/newdomainfolder/.
Do you have any idea on how to avoid it?
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Sounds like a subdomain. That’s the way a subdomain would work.
It’s good to use a web host that’s not stingy with this sort of thing.
[From memory] One trick you may not know is that you can add on the subdomain * to your site’s public_html folder. This should then allow unlimited subdomains pointing to that folder, if it works. You’d need some script trickery to make use of this (making different sites appear when each subdomain is called), but it’s interesting.
The downside is that G00gle is _deeply_ suspicious of multiple subdomains with the same structure and similar content interlinking with each other, so be warned.
@TigerTom: Yes, I remember the Google thing about subdomains. In fact, I remember some folks saying that Google didn’t like subdomains at all. I thought certainly we’re not expected to go out and buy a hosting plan for each domain we create. IOW, Domain1 – $9.99/month, Domain2 – $9.99/month, etc. From my experience, seems like popular content wins the day over Google punishing for multiple subdomains. Now the interlinking stuff might be a different story – depending to what degree of interlinking between subdomains.
Thank you for this refresher tips. I missed wordpress installation step but you saved the day, when I had to add a new domain to my current one.
Interlinking: what if our sites are not used for the purpose to integrate other topics? For instance, if you have real estate, you might need another forum site for the customers. Is it not safe to interlink, especially if you are actually doing it to cater to the needs of your own customers?
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I’m trying to add subdomains to my main site but am wary about Google being stingy about stuff like this. Are they taking any actions on those who have subdomains?
@SGSE: I don’t think they’re “taking action” on subdomains, it’s been said that mydomain.com/subdomain is better than subdomain.mydomain.com. But it depends. If you think that content is more important and back links are important, then you’ll do fine.
Thanks for the very detailed explaination,adding a second domain is now much easier to understand.
Thanks
Jackie
Thanks for your top-notch, clear and correct instructions for adding an addon domain. It worked a treat, first try! I appreciate your site.
Cheers,
Debby
thanks it was quite useful as I was looking for add on domains configuration
Thanks!
I was scratching my head today, wondering my I couldn’t log into wp-admin after fresh wordpress install on my addon domains…
Turns how I hadn’t transfered my DNS names yet with my webhost!
Thanks for the tutorial, helped me out!!
Are you sure google punishing for multiple subdomains ? i don’t know about it.
Let’s say you have two add-on domains, hosted on your hostgator plan: my2ndsite.com, and my3rdsite.com
You want to install wordpress on both of these domains. If you do an auto install through fantastico, hostgator will neglect to create separate databases for the unique installations of wordpress. This is problematic for many reasons. For instance, should you choose to uninstall wordpress on my2ndsite.com, Fantastico will wipe out the previously created wordpress database, and both wordpress installations will be gone forever.
Work around?
well great presentation for doing your subdomain / addomain . already did it and went good!
But how if I want to change main domain that have installed with addon domain, because i want sell my primary domain
The best instruction to get a subdomanin. thx for tips!
Very tutorial it is i was not awire about the ADDON DOMAIN !
this will really helpful for managing my domain in a good manner.
Thanks for this fantastic post.
Thanks for you tips, because I’ll buy hosting that offered unlimited domain and I want to use addon domain to register my others domain,
Can you tell me, what if i don’t renew domain that i registered at hostgator as primary domain, then what happen with my addon
thanks
Nice, i host at hostgator and till now i have 10 addon and so far so good
I always find your tutorials extremely easy to follow. Thank you for this. What I would like to know is whether you’ll be doing a tutorial on this for use with WordPress 3.0 multi-sites?
I have a second blog set up through my primary domain, which I did using WP 3.0. I set up wildcard subdomains on Hostgator, and then just modified my wp-config.php and .htaccess files. So I have my main site: “maindom.com” and I just set up “subdom.maindom.com”.
I have also just purchased a second domain “seconddom.com” via GoDaddy and am hosting it via Hostgator. I want this to also run through the single installation of WP 3.0. I know that are domain mapping plugins for separate domains, but if I add the domain through Added Domains, it is effectively creating a subdomain: /public_html/seconddom.com, so I’m not sure how I would go about setting up a new blog on “seconddom.com”.
I have just added two new domains and found this very helpful. But I wish I had understood this when I set-up my hosting account as I would have used a different domain name as “mymainsite”.
@AndyN: A feeling shared among many. You can always start over, depending on how long your site has been up, or open up another hosting account on a different host, move your current site to that and do 301 redirects.
Thank you for the tutorial, I kept wondering about it every time I login to my website panel.
I also used HostGator and Fantastico tool to create my new website. An add on with wordpress will be place as a domain too. I like your tut. I was guide for someone else in creating my own but now i know where i can take some more information on. Thank you Bill!
Thanks for manual. It’s simply.
Thank you very much to showing how to create an add on domain. I tries this out and it worked! It was a success, all thanks to your post. You have saved me time! Much appreciated and hope to read more of your blogs.
I am also using Hostgator with Cpanel, I must say that your tutorial gave me a confidence to implement new domain with my existing domain.
Thanks a lot for clear and organized document.
I worked with russian hostings before. Now, I’m in states. And this article very interesting for me. Good information. Thank’s.
Wow. Thanks so much. I actually have hostgator and am paying for one domain, but I want to upgrade to the baby plan so I can have unlimited domains. Now I know how. Thanks again!
So that’s how easy it is to create add-on domains in your cPanel account. So once you create an add-on domain, then you just need to upload the files to the correct folder that matches your add-on domain.
Am also hosting with Hostgator and I didn’t even know that I can have more than 1 domain for the same price! Just added a new domain. Thanks.
I got two additional domains with the hosting i purchased for my site. In truth i had no idea what to do with them until I read this article. They’ve been say dormant for nearly three months. I know what i’m doing this afternoon now!
When I add a domain, why is a subdomain also created for my default domain
I recently bought a domain on hostgator. So far, I didn’t encountered any problem yet. I really like their quick support and service.
Thanks, exactly what I need it! Did I say thanks!?
This is a great way to give a buddy a free website for something like his lawn care business or their food blog without any cost to them or you.
Fantastico with wordpress is really ease me to install wordpress for my new domain. In the past, I usually set up it manually. My bad.
and no instructions for htaccess ?
Thank you for the method
Each of the add on domains will have a separate .htaccess file. I do not really care about the .htaccess of the main domain. It may affect the addon domain if not properly configured. What I do is not to use the root folder.
Also don’t forget to set you stats program for the new domain.
I use add on domains for all but one of my website and many of them are the first page of google. host gator is also very reliable hosting provider.
I try this on my site+blog. No changes.
addon/Subdomain is good when you need a way to organize content sections within a large website and large content website. like for example http://www.cnn.com uses subdomains extensively in their website.
wow thanks you:) very informative post.. gonna share this on my fb wall
Man – thanks for putting this up. I am brand new to affiliate marketing, brand spanking new, and anything involving a website. Truthfully learning as the days pass. I had no idea your web host night host more than one site. I am broke as is the rest of America so when I purchased a year of hosting from bluehost I thought that was about all I needed to do even though I had another site I wanted to start working on (couldn’t afford anohter year long hosting subscription.) Off to that cpanel to see if they host more than one. Thanks again. Here is my one site link, ha ha. Just like they told me to.
Steve
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It is really great to see a clear & step-by-step guide on how to create an add-on domain. It will be a great help to the new entrants in the web publishing space.
Wow, thanks for this blog, this what Im looking for 1 account then add sub domain or add on domain so that I can manage my site in one account.
Also keep in mind that every new add on domain creates automatically another subdomain as well. So do not wonder why you have new subodmains and do not try to remove them. Also know that the folder for the new add on domain is not treated as a root folder for the new website. So it has its own .htaccess file and its own robots.txt file.
Regards.