A subdomain is a separate section of your main domain that you can use for specific purposes. In this guide, we explain how to create subdomains in DirectAdmin.

What is a subdomain?

A subdomain is a prefix to your main domain that points to a separate section of your website. Examples:

  • blog.yoursite.com - for your blog
  • shop.yoursite.com - for your webshop
  • support.yoursite.com - for your helpdesk
  • staging.yoursite.com - for test versions

Benefits of subdomains

  • Organization: Keep different sections separate
  • SEO: Subdomains can rank separately in Google
  • Separate installations: Install WordPress, Magento or other software separately
  • Security: Isolate sensitive sections
  • Testing: Create staging environments without affecting production

Subdomain vs. Subfolder

Feature Subdomain Subfolder
URL blog.site.com site.com/blog
SEO Separate website Part of main site
Installation Own root folder Within public_html
SSL Own certificate Same as main site

Creating a subdomain

Step 1: Log in to DirectAdmin

  1. Go to Theory7's DirectAdmin login portal
  2. Enter your username and password
  3. Click Login

Step 2: Navigate to Subdomain Management

  1. Find Domain Setup or Subdomain Management in the menu
  2. Click on Subdomains
  3. You'll see an overview of existing subdomains

Step 3: Create new subdomain

  1. Click Create Subdomain
  2. Enter the subdomain name (e.g., blog, shop, test)
  3. Select the main domain if you have multiple
  4. Click Create

Step 4: Configure subdomain

After creation, a folder is automatically created:

  • Location: /domains/yourdomain.com/public_html/blog (for subdomain blog)
  • Or: /domains/blog.yourdomain.com/public_html (as separate domain)

Managing subdomains

Upload content

  1. Connect via FTP to your server
  2. Navigate to the subdomain folder
  3. Upload your files (index.html, WordPress, etc.)

Delete subdomain

  1. Go to Subdomain Management
  2. Find the subdomain in the list
  3. Click Delete
  4. Confirm the action

Note: Deleting also removes all files in the folder!

Redirect subdomain

You can redirect a subdomain to another URL:

  1. Go to Subdomain Management
  2. Click on the subdomain
  3. Choose Redirect
  4. Enter the target URL
  5. Click Save

Installing WordPress on subdomain

Via Installatron

  1. Go to Installatron in DirectAdmin
  2. Search for WordPress
  3. Click Install
  4. At Domain select your subdomain
  5. Follow the installation wizard

Manually

  1. Download WordPress from wordpress.org
  2. Upload to the subdomain folder via FTP
  3. Create a database in DirectAdmin
  4. Open the subdomain in your browser
  5. Follow the WordPress installation

SSL for subdomains

Let's Encrypt SSL

  1. Go to SSL Certificates in DirectAdmin
  2. Click Free & automatic certificate from Let's Encrypt
  3. Check your subdomain
  4. Click Save

Wildcard SSL

A wildcard SSL (*.yourdomain.com) automatically covers all subdomains. Contact support for configuration.

DNS settings

Subdomains automatically get the correct DNS records. Check in DNS Zone Editor:

blog    A     123.45.67.89    (same IP as main domain)
shop    A     123.45.67.89

External subdomain

Want to point a subdomain to an external service?

  1. Go to DNS Zone Editor
  2. Add an A or CNAME record:
    • A record: extern A 98.76.54.32 (external IP)
    • CNAME: extern CNAME example.com. (external domain name)

Common problems

Subdomain shows main site

  • Check if the subdomain folder exists
  • Verify there's an index.html or index.php in it
  • Wait for DNS propagation (up to 24 hours)

Cannot create subdomain

  • Check if the subdomain name is valid (only letters, numbers, hyphens)
  • Verify the subdomain doesn't already exist
  • Check your account limits

SSL not working on subdomain

  • Request a separate SSL certificate
  • Or configure a wildcard certificate
  • Wait 15-30 minutes after request

Tips for subdomains

  1. Short names: Use short, clear names (blog, shop, app)
  2. Consistent: Keep naming consistent across all projects
  3. Backup: Make backups before modifying subdomains
  4. Don't forget SSL: Each subdomain needs SSL
  5. Use staging: Test changes first on a staging subdomain

Need help?

We're here for you! Running into issues or have questions? Our support team is happy to help you personally. Drop us a message through the ticket system - we usually respond within a few hours and love helping you find the best solution.