What is an Addon Domain?

What Does an Addon Domain Do?

An addon domain is a separate domain name added to your existing hosting account. It allows you to run another website
with its own files, content and email accounts, without needing to purchase a completely separate hosting package.

For example, your main hosting account may be for example.com, but you may also want to host
anotherdomain.co.uk from the same cPanel account.

Key Features of an Addon Domain

How Addon Domains Work

Before an addon domain will work correctly, the domain must be registered, pointed to the correct hosting server,
and then added inside cPanel.

1. Register the domain.
   The domain must be registered with a domain registrar before it can be hosted.
2. Point the domain to your hosting.
   Update the domain nameservers or DNS records so the domain points to your Cheap Host server.
3. Add the domain in cPanel.
   Go to the cPanel Domains section and add the new domain to your hosting account.
4. Choose the document root.
   cPanel will create or assign a folder where the addon domain’s website files will be stored.
5. Upload or install the website.
   You can upload website files, install WordPress, create databases and configure email for the addon domain.

Addon Domain Example

A typical addon domain setup might look like this:

Common Uses for Addon Domains

Addon domains are useful when you want to manage several websites from one hosting account.

• Hosting multiple business websites under one package.
• Running personal projects or side websites.
• Managing client websites from one hosting control panel.
• Creating a separate website for a new product or service.
• Keeping different websites separate while using one hosting account.
• Testing a new website before moving it to its own hosting package.

Addon Domain vs Subdomain

An addon domain and a subdomain are not quite the same thing.

Things to Check Before Adding an Addon Domain

Before adding an addon domain to cPanel, it is worth checking the following:

• Your hosting package allows multiple domains.
• The domain is registered and active.
• The domain points to the correct nameservers or server IP.
• You know which folder the website files should go into.
• You have allowed time for DNS propagation if nameservers were recently changed.
• You have installed an SSL certificate before launching the site fully.

Can Each Addon Domain Have Its Own Email?

Yes. In most cases, you can create separate email accounts for each addon domain from the same cPanel account.

For example, if you add anotherdomain.co.uk, you can usually create email addresses such as
info@anotherdomain.co.uk or sales@anotherdomain.co.uk, provided your hosting package includes email.

Can Each Addon Domain Have WordPress?

Yes. Each addon domain can have its own WordPress installation, database, files, theme and plugins.
You can usually install WordPress using Softaculous or another one-click installer inside cPanel.

Summary

Addon domains provide a flexible way to host multiple websites from a single cPanel hosting account.
Each addon domain can have its own website files, email accounts, databases and SSL certificate, while still being managed
from the same control panel.

They are ideal for customers who need to run more than one website without managing separate hosting accounts for every domain.