Understanding domain types in DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin supports several types of domains and domain configurations:

  • Primary domain: The main domain on your hosting account (set when the account is created)
  • Subdomains: Part of your primary domain (e.g., shop.yourdomain.co.za, blog.yourdomain.co.za)
  • Addon domains: Completely separate domain names hosted on your account (e.g., adding secondbusiness.co.za to an account that has yourdomain.co.za as primary)
  • Parked domains (Domain Pointers): Additional domains that show the same content as your primary domain
  • Redirects: Domains or subdomains that automatically redirect visitors to another URL

Creating a subdomain

Subdomains are useful for organising different sections of your website (e.g., shop.yourdomain.co.za, support.yourdomain.co.za, mail.yourdomain.co.za).

Step 1: Access Subdomain Management

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. On the dashboard, find Domain Setup or Account Manager
  3. Click Subdomain Management or Subdomains

Step 2: Create the subdomain

  1. Click Create Subdomain
  2. Enter the subdomain name (e.g., shop for shop.yourdomain.co.za)
  3. The subdomain will be created in a folder at /domains/yourdomain.co.za/public_html/shop (or similar path)
  4. Click Create

Step 3: Upload website files

  1. Go to the File Manager
  2. Navigate to the subdomain's folder (e.g., /domains/yourdomain.co.za/public_html/shop)
  3. Upload your website files to this folder
  4. Visit https://shop.yourdomain.co.za to see your subdomain

Creating an addon domain (hosting a second website)

Addon domains allow you to host multiple completely separate websites on one hosting account. For example, you can host both yourdomain.co.za and secondbusiness.co.za on the same account.

Requirements for addon domains

  • The domain must be registered and active
  • The domain's nameservers must point to 0724 Hosting
  • Your hosting plan must support multiple addon domains (most plans allow 5-unlimited)

Step 1: Point the domain to 0724 Hosting

Before adding the domain to DirectAdmin, update its nameservers to:

  • ns1.0724.co.za
  • ns2.0724.co.za

You can update nameservers through your domain registrar's control panel. See our nameservers guide for details.

Step 2: Add the addon domain in DirectAdmin

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. Go to Domain Setup
  3. Click Domain Pointers or Addon Domains
  4. Enter the domain name (e.g., secondbusiness.co.za)
  5. Choose whether to create a subdirectory or use a separate folder
  6. Click Add or Create

DirectAdmin will create a folder for the addon domain at /domains/secondbusiness.co.za/public_html.

Step 3: Upload website files

  1. Go to the File Manager
  2. Navigate to /domains/secondbusiness.co.za/public_html
  3. Upload your website files
  4. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 24 hours)
  5. Visit https://secondbusiness.co.za to see your website

Creating a parked domain (domain pointer)

A parked domain (also called domain pointer or domain alias) displays the same content as your primary domain. For example, if you own both yourbusiness.co.za and yourbusiness.com, you can park yourbusiness.com to show the same website as yourbusiness.co.za.

When to use parked domains

  • You own multiple domain extensions (.co.za, .com, .net) and want them all to show the same site
  • You want to redirect an old domain to your new domain without changing content
  • You want to protect your brand by registering similar domains

How to park a domain

  1. Ensure the domain's nameservers point to 0724 Hosting
  2. Log in to DirectAdmin
  3. Go to Domain Setup → Domain Pointers
  4. Enter the domain to park (e.g., yourbusiness.com)
  5. Select Point to your primary domain
  6. Click Add

The parked domain will now display the same content as your primary domain.

Creating domain redirects

Redirects automatically send visitors from one domain or URL to another. This is useful when you have moved your website or want to redirect an old domain to a new one.

Step 1: Access Site Redirection

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. Go to Domain Setup
  3. Click Site Redirection or Redirects

Step 2: Create the redirect

  1. Select the domain or subdomain you want to redirect from (e.g., olddomain.co.za)
  2. Enter the destination URL (e.g., https://newdomain.co.za)
  3. Choose redirect type:
    • 301 Permanent: For permanent moves (recommended for SEO)
    • 302 Temporary: For temporary redirects
  4. Click Create

Visitors to the old domain will now be automatically redirected to the new URL.

Managing existing domains

View all domains

To see all domains, subdomains, and pointers on your account:

  1. Go to DirectAdmin dashboard
  2. Click Domain Setup
  3. You will see a list of all domains, subdomains, and domain pointers

Delete a subdomain or addon domain

  1. Go to Domain Setup → Subdomains (or Addon Domains)
  2. Find the domain you want to remove
  3. Click Delete or the trash icon
  4. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deleting a domain also deletes its files and email accounts. Back up any important data before deleting.

Change subdomain or addon domain folder

You cannot directly change the folder for an existing subdomain. To move a domain to a different folder:

  1. Delete the existing subdomain/addon domain
  2. Create a new one with the desired folder location
  3. Move files to the new folder via File Manager or FTP

DNS management for domains

Each domain on your account has its own DNS records. To manage DNS:

  1. Go to Advanced Features → DNS Management
  2. Select the domain you want to manage
  3. You can add, edit, or delete DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.)

See our DNS records guide for details on managing DNS.

Email for subdomains and addon domains

Email for subdomains

Subdomains use the same email accounts as your primary domain. You cannot create email addresses like info@shop.yourdomain.co.za for a subdomain. Email addresses are always @yourdomain.co.za.

Email for addon domains

Addon domains have their own email accounts. You can create email addresses like info@secondbusiness.co.za separately from your primary domain.

  1. Go to Email Manager → Email Accounts
  2. Select the addon domain from the dropdown
  3. Create email accounts as normal

SSL certificates for multiple domains

Each domain and subdomain can have its own SSL certificate. To secure a subdomain or addon domain:

  1. Go to SSL Certificates
  2. Request a Let's Encrypt certificate
  3. Select the domain or subdomain you want to secure
  4. Click Request Certificate

See our SSL certificates guide for detailed instructions.

Troubleshooting domain issues

Addon domain shows "domain already exists"

If you get this error when adding a domain:

  • The domain may already be added to another hosting account on the server
  • The domain may be added as a subdomain or pointer elsewhere on your account
  • Contact support to remove the domain from the other account or location

Subdomain or addon domain not loading

If your domain does not load:

  • Verify the domain's nameservers are set to ns1.0724.co.za and ns2.0724.co.za
  • Wait for DNS propagation (can take up to 24-48 hours)
  • Ensure you uploaded files to the correct folder (/domains/domain.com/public_html)
  • Check that an index file exists (e.g., index.html or index.php)
  • Clear your browser cache and try again

Subdomain shows 404 error

If the subdomain shows a 404 Not Found error:

  • Verify files are uploaded to the correct subdomain folder
  • Ensure an index file exists in the subdomain folder
  • Check .htaccess for rewrite rules that may be causing issues
  • Wait a few minutes for DirectAdmin to fully configure the subdomain

Domain shows the primary domain's content

If an addon domain displays your primary domain's website:

  • Verify the domain was added as an addon domain, not a parked domain
  • Upload separate website files to the addon domain's folder
  • Clear browser cache and DNS cache
  • Wait for DNS propagation to complete

Domain limits and quotas

Your hosting plan determines how many addon domains and subdomains you can create:

  • Basic plans: Typically 1-5 addon domains
  • Business plans: 10-25 addon domains
  • Advanced plans: Unlimited addon domains
  • Subdomains: Unlimited on all plans

Check your hosting plan details in the client area or contact support to confirm your domain limits.

Best practices for managing multiple domains

  • Organise folder structure: Keep each domain's files in its own folder for easy management
  • Use descriptive subdomain names: Choose clear subdomain names (e.g., shop, blog, support)
  • Set up SSL for all domains: Secure each domain and subdomain with Let's Encrypt SSL
  • Create separate databases: Give each website its own database to avoid conflicts
  • Monitor disk space: Multiple websites can quickly use disk space. Monitor usage in DirectAdmin
  • Back up each domain separately: Keep separate backups for each website
  • Use consistent naming: Name databases, FTP accounts, and folders consistently with each domain

Getting help with domain management

If you need assistance adding domains, configuring subdomains, troubleshooting domain issues, or migrating multiple websites to your hosting account, contact 0724 Hosting support. We can help with:

  • Adding and configuring addon domains and subdomains
  • Updating nameservers and DNS records
  • Troubleshooting domain resolution issues
  • Setting up redirects and domain pointers
  • Migrating multiple websites to your account