How to Create Email Addresses for Your Domain (cPanel and DirectAdmin)

Create an email address for your domain

You create email addresses for your domain in your hosting control panel, not through the domain registrar. Log in to cPanel or DirectAdmin, open the email accounts section, and create a new mailbox such as info@yourdomain.com. The steps below cover both control panels — use whichever one your plan includes.

Not sure which control panel you have? Check your Hostking welcome email or log in at my.hostking.host and look at your service details.

Create an email address in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel via my.hostking.host → your service → Login to cPanel.
2. In the Email section, click Email Accounts.
3. Click + Create.
4. If your account has more than one domain, use the Domain menu to choose the correct one. If you only have one domain, this field does not appear.
5. Enter the part before the @ symbol in the Username box, for example info or sales.
6. Enter a password under Password, or select Send login link to alternate email address so someone else can set their own password.
7. Optional: click Edit Settings under Optional Settings to set a mailbox storage quota.
8. Click Create to finish. The mailbox is ready immediately.

You cannot use cpanel as a username when creating an account. Email accounts can be created for primary domains, addon domains and subdomains, but not through scripts or SSH.

To open the mailbox straight away, find the account in the list and click Access Webmail under Actions.

Connecting the mailbox to a mail app

Next to each email account, cPanel shows a Connect Devices (or similar) link with the exact server address and ports to use for that mailbox. Use those details when setting up Outlook, a phone or Gmail, rather than guessing the server name.

Create an email address in DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin via my.hostking.host → your service → Login to DirectAdmin.
2. Under Email Manager, click Email Accounts.
3. If you have more than one domain on the account, click the domain name shown next to Domain: to switch to the one you want.
4. Click Create Account or the + button.
5. Enter a Username — the part before the @ symbol. The domain is added automatically, so info becomes info@yourdomain.com. Common choices are info, hello, sales, support, or your name.
6. Enter a Password, or use the generator icon next to the field. This is the password you'll use for webmail and for setting up email on your devices — keep it somewhere safe.
7. Set the Email Quota (MB) — the storage allowed for this account. Enter 0 for unlimited, or a figure such as 1024 for 1GB. 500MB–1GB is enough for most mailboxes.
8. Click Create Account. Your email account is now active.

You cannot create an account if the username is already used by an autoresponder, forwarder or mailing list on that domain.

Set up your email on your devices

• Use webmail — go to https://yourdomain.com/webmail and log in with your full email address and password.
• Set up on Outlook — see: How to Set Up Your Hostking Email in Microsoft Outlook (2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365)
• Set up on iPhone/iPad — see: How to Set Up Business Email on iPhone and iPad
• Set up on Android — see: How to Set Up Business Email on Android
• Set up in Gmail — see: How to Send and Receive Your Business Email Through Gmail

Email server settings

If you need to manually configure a mail app, use the settings below. For the exact server address, check the connection details shown next to the account in cPanel or DirectAdmin, or your Hostking welcome email — do not use a generic address without confirming it first.

Managing multiple email accounts

The number of mailboxes you can create depends on your hosting plan. Check your plan details in the client area at my.hostking.host if you're not sure of your limit, or see hostking.host/pricing for current plan features.

To manage existing accounts, go to Email Manager → Email Accounts in DirectAdmin, or Email → Email Accounts in cPanel. From there you can change passwords, adjust quotas, delete accounts and access webmail.

Common problems

Emails going to spam
Set up SPF and DKIM records for your domain. See: How to Set Up DKIM and SPF Records in DirectAdmin

Can't send emails from Outlook or phone
Check your SMTP settings — the port must match the encryption type (465 for SSL/TLS or 587 for STARTTLS), and authentication must be enabled. See the full troubleshooting guide: I Can Receive Emails But Cannot Send

New account can't send or receive mail at all
Check that your domain's MX records point to your Hostking hosting, especially if the domain was recently added or migrated. DNS changes can take time to propagate, so wait a little and try again before raising a ticket.

Forgot email account password
Go to Email Manager → Email Accounts in DirectAdmin, or Email → Email Accounts in cPanel, click the account, and set a new password.

Need help?

Our support team is available every day via live chat on the Hostking website, or by opening a support ticket at my.hostking.host.