How to Create Subdomains and Addon Domains in cPanel

One of the most useful features of cPanel hosting is the ability to host multiple websites or sections of a website on a single account. You can create subdomains like shop.yoursite.com or blog.yoursite.com, and addon domains to host completely separate websites like anotherbusiness.com — all from the same cPanel account, without paying for additional hosting.

This guide explains the difference between subdomains and addon domains, and shows you how to create both on your SNBD HOST cPanel hosting.

Subdomains vs. Addon Domains: What's the Difference?

Subdomains

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain. Examples:

• blog.yoursite.com
• shop.yoursite.com
• staging.yoursite.com (for testing before going live)
• api.yoursite.com (for API endpoints)

Subdomains are part of your existing domain — you don't need to register or pay for a new domain name. They're commonly used for different sections of the same brand or for testing environments.

Addon Domains

An addon domain is a completely separate domain name hosted on the same cPanel account. Examples:

• Your main domain: yourcompany.com
• Addon domain 1: yourshop.com.bd
• Addon domain 2: clientsite.net

Each addon domain is completely independent — it has its own folder, can have its own WordPress installation, and visitors see it as a separate website. You do need to have registered that domain name separately before adding it to cPanel.

Creating a Subdomain in cPanel

Step 1: Open the Subdomains section

1. Log into cPanel and scroll to the Domains section
2. Click Subdomains

Step 2: Fill in the subdomain form

You'll see a form with three fields:

1. Subdomain: Type the prefix you want. For blog.yoursite.com, type blog. For shop.yoursite.com, type shop.
2. Domain: If you have multiple domains on the account, use the dropdown to select the right one. Your main domain should be selected by default.
3. Document Root: cPanel automatically fills this with a suggested path like public_html/blog. This is the folder where the subdomain's files will live. You can change this, but the auto-generated path is usually fine.

Click Create. You'll see a success message confirming the subdomain was created.

Step 3: Add content to your subdomain

cPanel automatically creates the document root folder. To add content to your subdomain:

• Go to File Manager and navigate to the subdomain's folder (e.g., public_html/blog)
• Upload your HTML files, or install WordPress there for a separate blog
• Visit blog.yoursite.com in your browser — it should load the content from that folder

Installing WordPress on a subdomain

1. In cPanel, go to Softaculous Apps Installer or WordPress under the Software section
2. Click Install
3. Under "Choose Protocol," select https://
4. Under "Choose Domain," select your subdomain from the dropdown (e.g., blog.yoursite.com)
5. Leave the "In Directory" field empty (you want it at the root of the subdomain, not in a subfolder)
6. Fill in site name, admin username, and password
7. Click Install

DNS for subdomains

Subdomains on the same domain don't usually require any DNS changes — cPanel handles this automatically. However, if your domain uses external nameservers (not cPanel's), you may need to add an A record for the subdomain pointing to your server's IP address. Contact SNBD HOST support if you're unsure.

Creating an Addon Domain in cPanel

Before you start

You need to have already registered the domain you want to add. The domain must be pointed to SNBD HOST's nameservers (just like your main domain — see our DNS guide for instructions).

Step 1: Open Addon Domains

1. In cPanel, scroll to the Domains section
2. Click Addon Domains

Step 2: Fill in the addon domain form

1. New Domain Name: Type the full domain name you're adding (e.g., yourshop.com.bd)
2. Subdomain: cPanel auto-fills this — ignore it, it's a technical requirement in the background
3. Document Root: cPanel auto-fills a suggested folder path. You can keep the default or choose your own. This folder is where the website files for this domain will live.
4. Password (optional): You can set a separate FTP password for this domain if you want to give a client FTP access to only their site

Click Add Domain. You'll see a success message.

Step 3: Verify and add content

After adding the domain:

• Go to File Manager and navigate to the document root folder you set for this addon domain
• Upload the website files, or install WordPress using Softaculous (selecting the addon domain from the dropdown)
• Wait for DNS propagation if you just updated nameservers, then visit the domain in a browser to verify

Managing Your Subdomains and Addon Domains

Viewing all subdomains:

Go to cPanel → Domains → Subdomains. You'll see a list of all subdomains. From here you can:

• See which folder each subdomain points to
• Click the document root path to open that folder in File Manager
• Click Remove to delete a subdomain (the files remain, only the subdomain routing is removed)

Viewing all domains:

Go to cPanel → Domains → Domains. This shows all domains on your account — your main domain, addon domains, and subdomains. Each domain shows its document root and lets you manage settings.

Common Use Cases

Subdomain for staging/testing:

Create staging.yoursite.com and install a copy of your live website there. Test changes in staging before applying them to your live site. This is a professional workflow that prevents breaking your live site during updates.

Addon domain for client work:

If you're a freelancer, you can host multiple client websites on a single SNBD HOST account. Each client gets their own addon domain and folder. This is much more cost-effective than buying separate hosting for each client.

Subdomain for mobile site:

Some businesses run m.yoursite.com as a mobile-optimized version of their site (though responsive design is usually a better approach today).

Subdomain for an online store:

If your main site is a portfolio or information site, you can add shop.yoursite.com with a separate WooCommerce installation, keeping your store separate from your main content.

SSL Certificates for Subdomains and Addon Domains

Each subdomain and addon domain needs its own SSL certificate. The AutoSSL feature in cPanel handles this automatically — after you create a subdomain or addon domain, AutoSSL will issue a certificate for it within 24 hours. You can also trigger it manually:

1. Go to Security → SSL/TLS Status
2. Find your new subdomain or addon domain in the list
3. If it shows no SSL, click Run AutoSSL

On SNBD HOST BDIX shared hosting plans, you can create multiple subdomains and addon domains depending on your plan tier. Check your plan details or contact support to see how many addon domains are included.