What is a subdomain in cPanel?
A subdomain is a hostname under a domain already on the account, such as blog.example.com under example.com. It has its own folder and can hold a blog, a shop, or a staging copy. It is not a new name you register at a registrar.
Use a subdomain when that section needs its own address. Use a path such as example.com/blog when it should stay inside the main site. Use an addon domain when the name is a different registered domain, such as otherbrand.com, on the same account.
The www subdomain is the main site's public hostname, such as www.example.com. Do not create it again from this screen. It is a DNS label the main site already uses, not a second website.
| Kind | Example | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Subdomain | blog.example.com | The section needs its own hostname and folder |
| Addon domain | otherbrand.com | A second registered domain shares this account |
| Subdirectory | example.com/blog | The section stays on the main site |
| www subdomain | www.example.com | You mean the main site. Do not create it again |
- A subdomain is a label on a domain the account already hosts.
- An addon domain is a separate registered domain on that account.
- A subdirectory stays on the main hostname. The www subdomain is not a new site.
Linux shared and WordPress plans at WebJi® use cPanel. Windows plans use Plesk and do not show this Domains screen. Open the account from your cPanel hosting welcome mail, not the client area where invoices are paid.
How do you create a subdomain in cPanel?
Current cPanel puts the control under Domains. Older themes used a Subdomains icon for the same job. If Domains is missing, you are in the wrong panel or the feature is disabled. Email support@webji.services with the account name. The office phone is not a support line.
The create is finished when the new folder exists. A browser that cannot find the hostname yet is a DNS delay, not a failed click.
- Sign in to cPanel for the parent domain, using the panel address in the welcome email.
- Open Domains and click Create a New Domain.
- Type the full hostname, such as blog.example.com. The label can use letters, numbers, and hyphens only.
- Clear Share document root. If it stays on, the new name shows the main site.
- Check the document root. cPanel usually offers public_html/blog.example.com or public_html/blog. Edit it only when that folder should already hold your files.
- Click Submit. cPanel creates the folder and a DNS record in the zone this account controls.
If the domain's nameservers are not this account, that DNS record never becomes public. Add an A record for the subdomain where DNS is actually hosted, using the same IP as the main site.
What document root should you use?
The document root is the folder that hostname reads. For a separate site it must not be public_html alone, because that folder is the main site. Share document root forces the new name onto those same files. Clear it unless both names should show one site.
The folder cPanel suggests is a safe default. A shorter path such as public_html/blog is fine when you type it and the folder is empty or already has the files you mean to publish. Two hostnames may share a folder only when they should show the same pages.
You have the right root when File Manager opens that folder and the files are the ones for this hostname, not the main site's home page.
How do you know the subdomain was created?
In File Manager, open public_html and find the folder named in the document root field. That folder is the proof. Loading the hostname in a browser is the next check, and it can fail while DNS is still catching up.
On the host's nameservers the name often answers within a few minutes. Some networks keep a not found answer longer. You cannot clear every resolver. If one network opens the folder and another does not, the create succeeded.
If the name never resolves, the live nameservers are not this cPanel zone. Add the A record at that DNS host. Creating the subdomain a second time does not publish a zone the internet is not using.
How do you add SSL to the subdomain?
The main site's certificate does not cover the new hostname. Browsers warn until a certificate includes that exact name. After the hostname resolves to this server, open SSL/TLS Status and run AutoSSL for it.
If AutoSSL does not issue, the name is still pointing elsewhere, or the certificate has to be installed by hand. Use the steps to install an SSL certificate in cPanel only after the hostname resolves here. A certificate on the wrong server leaves the warning in place.
How do you install WordPress on a subdomain?
Wait until the folder exists and the hostname resolves. In the installer, set the domain to the subdomain and the directory to that folder. Leaving the directory as public_html replaces the main site.
The rest of the clicks match a normal install. Follow install WordPress in cPanel and change only the domain and the folder. Do not install into a folder that still holds the main site's files.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a subdomain in cPanel?
Sign in to cPanel, open Domains, and click Create a New Domain. Enter the full hostname, clear Share document root, check the folder, and click Submit. The new folder in File Manager means it was created.
What document root should a subdomain use?
A folder of its own, usually under public_html, not the main site's public_html root. Clear Share document root. Leave www alone. www already serves the main site.
How long before a new subdomain loads?
The folder is immediate. Public DNS is often a few minutes on the host's nameservers and can be longer on other networks. If the name never resolves, add an A record at the DNS host the domain actually uses.
Do subdomains need their own SSL?
Yes. The main site's certificate does not cover the new hostname. After it resolves to this server, run AutoSSL from SSL/TLS Status, or install a certificate for that exact name.
Can I install WordPress on a subdomain?
Yes, after the subdomain and its folder exist. In the installer, pick the subdomain as the domain and its folder as the directory. Do not install into public_html or you overwrite the main site.
What is the difference between a subdomain and an addon domain?
A subdomain is a label under a domain already on the account, such as blog.example.com. An addon domain is a different registered domain, such as otherbrand.com, added to the same cPanel account.
Is adding a subdomain free?
The Domains screen does not add a separate charge for the click. The account still has to allow another hostname. WebJi® does not publish a separate per-subdomain fee. If the button fails, email support@webji.services and ask whether the plan limit is the reason.