How to Create a Subdomain in DirectAdmin

How to Create a Subdomain in DirectAdmin

A subdomain creates a separate section of your website under its own URL. Examples:

• shop.yourdomain.com — an online store separate from your main site
• blog.yourdomain.com — a blog running independently from your main site
• staging.yourdomain.com — a private test version of your site before going live
• mail.yourdomain.com — used automatically by Hostking for webmail access

Each subdomain has its own folder on your hosting account and can run a completely separate website or application.

Step-by-Step

Step 1 — Log into DirectAdmin via my.hostking.host → your service → Login to DirectAdmin.

Step 2 — Under Domain Settings, click Subdomain Management.

Step 3 — In the Create Subdomain field, type the prefix you want to use. For example:

• Type shop to create shop.yourdomain.com
• Type blog to create blog.yourdomain.com
• Type staging to create staging.yourdomain.com

Do not include the main domain — just the prefix.

Step 4 — Click Create.

DirectAdmin will create the subdomain and a matching folder in your hosting account. The folder will be at:

/domains/yourdomain.com/public_html/subdomain-name

For example, creating blog creates the folder /domains/yourdomain.com/public_html/blog.

Step 5 — Upload your website files to that folder, or install WordPress or another application into it using Softaculous.

Installing WordPress on a Subdomain

You can run a completely separate WordPress site on a subdomain. When installing via Softaculous in DirectAdmin, select the subdomain from the domain dropdown during setup. See: How to Install WordPress in DirectAdmin Using Softaculous

Does a Subdomain Need a Separate SSL Certificate?

Yes — each subdomain needs its own SSL certificate. After creating the subdomain, go to SSL Certificates in DirectAdmin and install a free Let's Encrypt certificate for it. See: How to Install a Free SSL Certificate in DirectAdmin

How Long Until It Works?

Subdomains created in DirectAdmin are usually active within a few minutes since the DNS record is added automatically. If your subdomain returns a 404 or "site cannot be reached" error after 30 minutes, check that files are present in the subdomain's folder.

Removing a Subdomain

If you need to remove a subdomain later, go back to Subdomain Management in DirectAdmin, find the subdomain in the list and click Delete. Note this removes the DNS record and the folder association but does not delete the files inside the folder — you will need to delete those manually via File Manager if required.

Need Help?

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