How to Set Up Reseller/Subuser on DirectAdmin: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction: What Are Reseller and Subuser Accounts in DirectAdmin?

DirectAdmin is a popular web hosting control panel known for its three-tier permission model: Admin, Reseller, and User. This architecture makes it ideal for hosting businesses, development agencies, and teams that need to delegate access efficiently without compromising security.

A Reseller account sits between Admin and regular User. It is created by the Admin and allows a person or company to sell hosting services, create and manage multiple User accounts, and allocate resources within the limits set by the Admin. Resellers have their own control panel and can configure packages for their own clients.

A Subuser account is created by a regular User (or Reseller) to give limited access to team members. For example, a web developer might create a Subuser with FTP-only access, while a support agent might receive email management permissions only. Subusers share the resources of the parent account and cannot create further sub-accounts.

This guide covers every step: creating accounts, setting resource limits, configuring permissions, managing packages, and troubleshooting the most common issues.

Reseller vs Subuser: Key Differences

Understanding the distinction helps you choose the right account type for each scenario:

Feature	Reseller	Subuser
Created by	Admin	User or Reseller
Can create Users	Yes (within quota)	No
Manage Packages	Yes	No
Resource Limits	Set by Admin	Shared from parent
Separate login	Yes (own username)	Yes (own username)
Primary use case	Hosting business / reselling	Team access delegation

Creating a Reseller Account in DirectAdmin

Reseller creation requires Admin-level access. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Log In as Admin

Access the DirectAdmin Admin Panel at https://yourdomain.com:2222 and log in with your Admin credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to User Management

From the Admin Dashboard, click User Management in the main menu, then select Create Reseller.

Step 3: Fill in the Reseller Details

Complete the Create Reseller form with the following information:

• Username: Lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores; 2–10 characters
• Email: The Reseller's email address (login credentials will be sent here)
• Password: A strong password with at least 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, and numbers
• Domain: The Reseller's primary domain
• Package: Select a pre-configured Reseller Package or choose Custom to set resources manually
• IP Address: Shared or dedicated IP depending on your setup
• Notify User: Check this to send login credentials to the Reseller's email automatically

Step 4: Submit

Click Submit. DirectAdmin will create the Reseller account and optionally email the login details to the specified address.

Setting Resource Limits for Resellers

Resource limits define how much bandwidth, disk space, and how many accounts a Reseller can create. Proper configuration prevents resource abuse and ensures service quality.

Configuring a Reseller Package

Go to Admin Level → Reseller Packages → Add Package and configure the following:

• Bandwidth: Monthly traffic allowance in MB (or Unlimited)
• Disk Space: Total disk storage in MB (or Unlimited)
• Domains: Maximum number of domains the Reseller can host
• Subdomains: Maximum number of subdomains
• Email Accounts: Total email accounts across all users
• MySQL Databases: Total database count
• FTP Accounts: Total FTP accounts
• Number of Users: How many User accounts this Reseller can create

Modifying Resources for an Existing Reseller

Navigate to Admin Level → List Resellers → click the Reseller name → Modify Reseller. You can adjust resources directly without changing their package assignment.

Creating a Subuser Account

Subusers are created from the User or Reseller level. Here is how:

Step 1: Log In as the Main User

Access DirectAdmin with the credentials of the main account under which the Subuser will be created.

Step 2: Go to Advanced Features → User Accounts

In the User Dashboard, click Advanced Features, then select User Accounts (or Subaccounts in some DirectAdmin versions).

Step 3: Create User

Click Create User and provide the following details:

• Username: Will appear as [email protected] internally
• Password: Subuser's login password
• Email: Subuser's email address
• Domain: The domain this Subuser will have access to

Step 4: Assign Permissions

Select the permissions to grant (described in the next section), then click Create.

Configuring Subuser Permissions

DirectAdmin allows granular permission control for Subusers. Here are the main permission categories:

Permission Overview

Permission	Grants Access To	Typical Role
Email Management	Create/manage email accounts and forwarders	Support team
FTP Management	Create FTP accounts, upload files	Developer / Designer
MySQL Management	Create and manage databases	DBA / Developer
DNS Management	Edit DNS zone records	System Administrator
File Manager	Use DirectAdmin's built-in file manager	Web Designer
Statistics	View traffic and usage statistics	Marketing / Analytics

Common Permission Presets

• Email Only: Enable only Email Management — for support agents who manage email but nothing else
• FTP Only: Enable only FTP Management — for designers or developers who only need to upload files
• Full Access: Enable all permissions — for a trusted co-administrator

Managing Reseller Packages

Reseller Packages allow Admins to define standard resource bundles that can be assigned to multiple Resellers without manual entry each time.

Creating a New Package

1. Log in as Admin → go to Reseller Packages
2. Click Add Package
3. Name the package clearly (e.g., Reseller_Starter, Reseller_Business)
4. Set all resource limits
5. Click Add to save

Editing an Existing Package

Go to Reseller Packages → click the package name → Edit. Changes take effect immediately for all Resellers currently using that package.

Deleting a Package

A package can only be deleted when no Reseller is assigned to it. Migrate all Resellers to another package first.

Common Issues and Fixes

1. Reseller or Subuser Cannot Log In

Possible causes:

• Incorrect username or password
• Account suspended by Admin
• IP address blocked by DirectAdmin's firewall
• DirectAdmin service not running

Fix: Check /var/log/directadmin/error.log and /var/log/directadmin/login.log for specific error messages.

2. Quota Exceeded Errors

When a Reseller exceeds their disk or bandwidth quota, DirectAdmin may suspend affected accounts automatically and show "Quota Exceeded" errors.

Fix:

• Increase the resource limit in the Reseller Package or via Modify Reseller
• Remove unnecessary files or emails under the Reseller's users
• Identify high-usage accounts: Admin → Show All Users → sort by disk or bandwidth

3. Permission Denied for Subuser

A Subuser cannot perform an action because the relevant permission is disabled.

Fix: Log in as the main User → User Accounts → click the Subuser name → Modify → enable the missing permission.

4. Reseller Cannot Create New Users

The Reseller has reached the maximum number of User accounts allowed by their package.

Fix: Admin must increase the "Number of Users" limit in the Reseller's package, or modify the Reseller directly.

5. Domain Not Resolving After User Creation

After creating a new User, the domain may not work because DNS records haven't been updated yet.

Fix: Point the domain's nameservers or A record to the server's IP address. Allow 24–48 hours for DNS propagation.

Frequently Asked Questions