How to Host Multiple Domains on One cPanel Account | iBuild.PH Knowledgebase

If you want to run multiple websites but only have one hosting account, cPanel makes it possible to do so without buying extra hosting. This guide will walk you through adding additional domains, setting up separate folders, and enabling SSL in the newest cPanel interface.

Example domains for this guide:

• Main site: example-main.com
• Additional site: example-addon.com

Step 1: Make sure your domains are ready

Before you start, ensure:

1. Your main domain (like example-main.com) is already hosted in your cPanel account.
2. Your additional domain (e.g., example-addon.com) is registered and its nameservers point to the same hosting account.
   DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 24 hours, so plan accordingly.

Step 2: Log in to cPanel

Access your account through your hosting provider. Common URLs include:

Step 3: Add the new domain

1. Go to Domains → Create Domain.
2. Select Registered Domain (ignore Temporary Domain unless you’re testing).
3. Enter the domain you want to add: example-addon.com.
4. Do not check “Share document root with main domain” unless you want the new site to show the same content.
5. Set the Document Root to:
   /public_html/example-addon.com
   This creates a dedicated folder for the new website.
6. cPanel will automatically create a subdomain (like example-addon.com.example-main.com) for internal management — you don’t need to worry about this.
7. Click Create.

Step 4: Upload the website files

• Open File Manager → public_html → example-addon.com.
• Upload all files for the new site here (HTML, PHP, WordPress, etc.).
• Keep each domain in its own folder to avoid conflicts.

Folder structure example:

Step 5: Make sure DNS is pointing correctly

• Check that example-addon.com points to the same server as your main domain.
• Without proper DNS, the new site will not load and SSL cannot be issued.

Step 6: Enable SSL for the new domain

1. Go to Security → SSL/TLS → Manage AutoSSL (or SSL/TLS Status).
2. Look for example-addon.com and run AutoSSL.
3. Wait a few minutes for the certificate to issue — this depends on DNS propagation.
4. Once the certificate is active, enable Force HTTPS Redirect via Domains → List Domains → Force HTTPS Redirect → On. This ensures all visitors automatically access https://example-addon.com.

Step 7: Verify your website

• Open your new domain in a browser: https://example-addon.com.
• Confirm that the site loads correctly and that the main domain (example-main.com) is unaffected.

Tips for managing multiple domains

• Always use separate folders per domain.
• You can create email accounts for each domain if needed.
• SSL certificates can usually be issued for free using AutoSSL or Let’s Encrypt.
• Avoid sharing document roots unless the intention is to mirror the main site.

Why this method works

This approach keeps your websites independent while using a single hosting account, which saves money and simplifies management. By keeping folders separate and properly configuring DNS and SSL, each domain behaves like it has its own hosting environment.