How to Manage Domains in DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin gives you full control over the domains associated with your hosting account. Whether you want to add a second website, mirror an existing one, or precisely control where each domain points on your server, the Domain Management section in DirectAdmin handles it all. This guide walks you through every option step by step.

Understanding Your Primary Domain

When you sign up for hosting with AsiaGB, the main domain you register becomes your Primary Domain. This is the root domain tied to your hosting account — it cannot be deleted or changed through the control panel. All files for your primary domain should be placed inside the public_html folder.

To view your primary domain information, log in to DirectAdmin and go to Your Account → Domain Setup. You will see the domain name, its current IP address, and the document root path.

What Is an Addon Domain?

An Addon Domain is a completely separate website hosted under the same account. Each addon domain has its own folder, its own files, and its own web address — visitors to addon1.com and your primary site will see entirely different content. Addon domains are perfect when you want to run multiple websites without paying for multiple hosting accounts.

How to Add an Addon Domain (Step-by-Step)

1. Log in to DirectAdmin and navigate to Domain Setup under the Your Account section.
2. Click the Add Another Domain button at the top of the page.
3. Enter the full domain name in the field provided (e.g., myotherdomain.com).
4. DirectAdmin will automatically suggest a folder name under public_html/ — you can change this if you prefer a different directory.
5. Leave the DNS settings on default unless you need to customize them.
6. Click Add to confirm. The new domain folder will be created immediately.
7. Upload your website files into the newly created folder via FTP or the File Manager.

What Is a Parked Domain?

A Parked Domain (also called an Alias Domain) displays the exact same content as your primary domain. Unlike an addon domain, a parked domain does not have its own separate folder — it simply points to the same files. This is useful when you own multiple domain name variations (for example, both yourbusiness.com and yourbusiness.net) and want them all to show the same website.

Parked Domain vs Addon Domain — Key Differences

• Addon Domain — separate folder, separate content, separate website
• Parked Domain — no separate folder, shows the same content as primary domain
• Use an addon domain when you want two distinct websites on one account
• Use a parked domain when you want one website reachable under multiple domain names

How to Add a Parked Domain

1. In DirectAdmin, go to Domain Setup → Add Another Domain.
2. Enter the domain name you want to park.
3. Check the option labeled Pointer/Alias (parked) to flag it as a parked domain rather than an addon.
4. Click Add. The domain will now serve the same content as your primary domain.

Setting the Document Root

The Document Root is the folder path that a domain serves files from. By default, DirectAdmin sets the document root to public_html for the primary domain and public_html/domainname for addon domains. You can change this path if your application requires files to be served from a different directory.

How to Change the Document Root

1. Go to Domain Setup in DirectAdmin.
2. Click on the domain name whose document root you want to change.
3. Find the Document Root field and update the path to the desired folder.
4. Click Save. The change takes effect immediately.

Suspending and Resuming a Domain

DirectAdmin administrators and resellers can suspend a domain or entire hosting account — for example, when a client's payment is overdue or when a policy violation is detected. Understanding what suspension actually does helps you respond appropriately when a client's site goes down.

What Happens When a Domain Is Suspended

• Website traffic — visitors see an "Account Suspended" page instead of the actual site content.
• Email — all inbound and outbound email stops. Messages sent to the domain during suspension may bounce back to the sender.
• DNS records — the DNS zone itself remains unchanged. The domain still resolves to the server IP, but the web server returns no content.
• FTP and SSH access — both are disabled for the duration of the suspension.
• Databases — MySQL databases are still present and intact, but web applications cannot connect to them while the account is suspended.

How to Suspend and Unsuspend

As an administrator or reseller, navigate to User Management → List All Users, click the username, and use the Suspend Account or Unsuspend Account button. The change is immediate — no server restart is needed.

Transferring a Domain Between Hosting Accounts

Moving a domain from one hosting account to another (for example, from a shared account to a VPS, or between two users on the same server) is different from transferring a domain name between registrars. This process involves migrating files, databases, and configurations, not registrar ownership.

Step-by-Step Transfer Process

1. Create a full backup on the source account. Use DirectAdmin's Backup Manager to export all files, databases, and email data into a single archive.
2. Add the domain to the destination account as an Addon Domain via Domain Setup. The system will create a new directory for it automatically.
3. Transfer files via FTP or DirectAdmin's File Manager. Upload the site files into the new domain's document root directory.
4. Import databases via phpMyAdmin on the destination account. Create a new database and user, then import the SQL dump from the source.
5. Update configuration files — for WordPress, update wp-config.php with the new database name, user, and password. For other frameworks, update the equivalent configuration file.
6. Test before switching DNS — use a browser hosts-file override or a staging URL to verify the site works correctly on the new account before making the DNS change public.
7. Update the DNS A Record to point the domain to the new server's IP address. Wait for propagation to complete (usually 1–24 hours), then verify the site is loading from the new account.
8. Remove the domain from the old account only after confirming the migration is successful.

Things That Do Not Transfer Automatically

• Email messages — stored emails must be exported and re-imported manually. DirectAdmin's email backup option or an IMAP migration tool can assist.
• SSL certificates — Let's Encrypt certificates are tied to the account and server configuration. You will need to request a new certificate on the destination account after the DNS change propagates.
• Cron jobs — any scheduled tasks must be re-created in the destination account's Cron Manager.
• Subdomains — each subdomain must be re-added manually in the new account's Subdomain Manager.

Removing a Domain from Your Account

To remove an addon or parked domain, go to Domain Setup, select the domain by ticking its checkbox, and click Delete Selected. Note that deleting an addon domain will also remove the associated folder and all files inside it — always back up your data first.