How to create and use subdomains

Subdomains

Subdomains allow you to separate your website into several distinct sections. A subdomain looks like this: subdomain.yourdomain.com, where subdomain is the name of the subdomain, and yourdomain is your domain name.

Examples

Here are some common subdomains:

• http://forum.yourdomain.com (to install a forum application)
• https://secure.yourdomain.com (for secure access)
• http://private.yourdomain.com (for private access to a section of your hosting account)

Why create a subdomain?

1. Subdomains allow you to physically separate your website into multiple sections.
2. Each subdomain can have its own FTP access, separate from the main FTP access.
3. Secure transactions can be completed on a subdomain that has an SSL certificate.
4. Each subdomain can have its own DNS entries, allowing advanced configurations.

How to create a subdomain

1. Sign in to cPanel.
2. Under Domains, click SubDomains.
3. Under Create a subdomain, enter the subdomain's name and select the main domain in the drop-down menu.
4. The Document Root box will be automatically filled with the value public_html/subdomain, where subdomain is the name of the subdomain chosen in step 3. This is the folder that will hold the subdomain's files. For example, say you upload a file test.html to the public_html/subdomain/ folder. This file will then be accessible on the internet at this address: http://subdomain.yourdomain.com/test.html.
   We recommend keeping the suggested document root, unless you have a good reason to change it.
5. Click Create to create the subdomain.

Please note that a subdomain can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate on the internet.

How to manage subdomains

You can manage your subdomains from the same cPanel page, under SubDomains and Modify a Subdomain. It lists all created subdomains, with their management tools on the right.

The Document Root column contains a link which allows you to directly modify a subdomain's files with cPanel's File Manager.

In the Actions column, you will find two tools: Manage Redirection and Delete. The Manage Redirection option will allow you to redirect the subdomain to another address. For example, you could create a subdomain m that provides access to the mobile version of your site. The address m.mydomain.com would then take you to an interface designed to be viewed on mobile devices. The Delete link allows you to delete the selected subdomain.

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