LochStudios / Help Centre / cPanel / Create a Subdomain

Create a Subdomain

Create a subdomain such as blog.yourdomain.com on your shared hosting, give it its own folder, and point DNS so visitors can reach it.

Updated 2026-08-18 01:36:43

A subdomain is a branch of a name you already host, such as blog.yourdomain.com or shop.yourdomain.com. Each one can serve different content from its own folder on the same shared hosting account. That is different from an addon domain (a second full domain on the account) and from an alias (another name that shows the same site).

Every Beginner and Standard plan includes unlimited subdomains. Open cPanel from the portal. Do not guess a hostname.

Before you start

The parent domain (yourdomain.com) should already be on this hosting account.
Decide whether the subdomain is its own site (its own folder) or should show the same files as the parent.
Know how that domain's DNS is managed. Default is AtlasDNS in the portal (Domains → the domain → DNS). The Zone Editor applies only when the domain is in cPanel Hosting DNS mode.

Create the subdomain in cPanel

Sign in at /portal, open the hosting service, and click Log in to cPanel.
Open Domains. Current cPanel lists every domain, subdomain, and alias in one place.
Click Create A New Domain.
Enter the full subdomain (for example blog.yourdomain.com).
Clear Share document root if this subdomain should be its own site. If that box stays ticked, visitors see the same files as the parent domain.
Check the Document Root. cPanel usually suggests a folder under public_html named after the subdomain (for example public_html/blog). Keep that unless you have a reason to change it.
Click Submit.

If the account still shows a separate Subdomains icon, use that instead: type only the left-hand label (blog), choose the parent domain, accept or edit the document root, then click Create.

Adding the name in cPanel creates the folder and the site configuration. Public visitors still need a DNS record for that label. See below.

Point DNS at the subdomain

If the parent domain uses AtlasDNS (the usual case), open Domains → the domain → DNS in the portal and add a record for the new label:

A record: name blog (or whatever you chose), value = this account's shared IP. Copy the IP from cPanel (General Information → Shared IP Address).
Or a CNAME: name blog, target yourdomain.com. (include the trailing dot if the form asks for a fully qualified name).

If the domain is in cPanel Hosting DNS mode, creating the subdomain usually writes the A record for you. Confirm it in the Zone Editor. Do not add a second copy of the same name.

Do not send the subdomain to a third-party DNS host. AtlasDNS is the default. Keep the domain on:

ns1.atlasdns.net.au
ns2.atlasdns.net.au
ns3.atlasdns.net.au

Changes are often quick, but they can take a while to show everywhere. See DNS propagation explained. If you are unsure which DNS mode the domain uses, open a support ticket.

After it is created

Files: upload to the subdomain's document root with the File Manager or FTP. Do not drop those files into the main public_html folder unless that is the document root you chose.
WordPress: install from WordPress Toolkit or Installatron in cPanel and choose this subdomain. See Install WordPress.
SSL: AutoSSL (Let's Encrypt) issues a certificate once the name resolves to this account. Check SSL/TLS Status. Then test https://blog.yourdomain.com in the browser.
Email: you can create mailboxes on the subdomain (for example hello@blog.yourdomain.com) and read them in Webmail (Roundcube). Shared hosting email is separate from LochStudios Mail.

Removing a subdomain

In Domains, open the subdomain and choose Remove. That removes it from this hosting account. It does not delete the parent domain. Delete leftover files from the document root if you no longer need them.

If the subdomain will not add, the name does not resolve, or HTTPS stays unavailable after DNS should have updated, open a support ticket and we will sort it with you.

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