How to terminate a reseller's hosting accounts and keep DNS on the server

You can terminate all the hosting accounts owned by a reseller and keep their DNS zones on the server. This article covers the cPanel method in WHM (the web host manager, cPanel's server control area) and the DirectAdmin method. Back up every account before you start, because termination permanently deletes account data.

Before you start

Termination permanently deletes each account's files, databases and email. Take a full backup of every account first.

Check the MX records (the DNS settings that route email) for each domain. If DNS stays on this server, email for those domains keeps relying on these records.

Terminate reseller accounts in cPanel

cPanel and WHM

1. Log in to WHM as the root administrator.
2. In the WHM search box, type Terminate, or go to Account Functions > Terminate Accounts.
3. Find the accounts owned by the reseller and tick the checkbox next to each one.
4. In the Keep DNS Zone column, tick the box for each account whose DNS zone you want to keep.
5. Click Remove selected accounts.
6. Click Yes, delete these accounts to confirm.

If the Keep DNS Zone option does not appear when you work from the reseller login, use the root login in WHM instead.

Command line (advanced users)

Use this method only if you are comfortable working in a root SSH session (a secure remote command line). It removes one account at a time.

Run the command below, replacing username with the account's username:

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/removeacct username --keepdns

The --keepdns option keeps the account's zone files on the DNS server.

Terminate reseller accounts in DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin as an administrator. The option is set at admin level, not reseller level.
2. Go to Admin Level > Show All Users.
3. Select the checkbox for the user you want to remove.
4. Before you click Delete, make sure the Leave DNS checkbox is ticked. On the Evolution skin, this checkbox appears on the confirmation page.
5. Click Delete.
6. Repeat for each account owned by the reseller.

If you do not see the Leave DNS option, it may only appear on servers with clustering turned on. Contact support to check.

Troubleshooting

The DNS zone was deleted. The Keep DNS option was not ticked. Restore the zone from a backup if you have one, or add the DNS records again by hand.

Email has stopped working. If DNS stayed on this server, the MX records stayed with it. Check the MX records for each domain.

The site shows a blank or default page. The account files have been removed, but DNS still points to this server. This is expected.

You cannot create a new account on the same domain. The DNS zone still exists on the server. Delete the zone before you create the new account.

If you need help, contact Hostking support by live chat on the website or by a support ticket from the client area at https://my.hostking.host. To check which control panel your plan uses, see your welcome email or the client area.