Control Panels

Parked Domains (Aliases) in cPanel: How to Add Them and Avoid Duplicate Content

Parked domains let you point multiple domains to your primary website without separate hosting. This UnderHost tutorial reveals professional techniques for managing them efficiently in cPanel.

Short answer: A parked domain, now called an alias in cPanel, shows the same website as your main domain. To add one, point the domain’s nameservers to your hosting, then open Domains > Domains in cPanel, click Create A New Domain, enter the domain and keep Share document root ticked. To avoid duplicate content in search engines, redirect the alias to your main domain with a 301 redirect.

What a parked domain (alias) is

An alias is a second domain name that opens the same files as your main domain. Nothing is copied and no extra disk space is used. cPanel used to call this a parked domain; newer versions call it an alias, and the Domains page creates one when the new domain shares the main domain’s document root.

Type Shows Use it for
Alias (parked domain) The same site as the main domain Spelling variants, other extensions such as .net, old brand names
Addon domain A separate site in its own folder A second, different website on the same account
Subdomain A separate site at shop.example.com A section or app with its own address

For a separate website, see our addon domains guide instead.

Common reasons to use an alias

  • Brand protection: own example.net and example.co and send them to the main site.
  • Typos: catch common misspellings of your domain.
  • Rebrands: keep an old domain working after you change your name.
  • Email: receive mail at the alias domain, forwarded to your main mailboxes.

Step 1: point the domain to your hosting

At the registrar where the domain is registered, set its nameservers to the ones in your hosting welcome email. If you manage DNS elsewhere, for example at Cloudflare, add an A record for the alias that points to your hosting IP address instead. cPanel may refuse to add a domain that does not point to the server yet, so do this first.

Step 2: add the alias in cPanel

  1. Log in to cPanel and open Domains > Domains.
  2. Click Create A New Domain.
  3. Enter the domain name, for example example.net.
  4. Keep Share document root (/home/user/public_html) with “example.com” ticked. This makes it an alias.
  5. Click Submit.

Some cPanel themes still show a separate Aliases page under Domains, which does the same thing. The number of aliases you can add depends on your hosting plan.

Step 3: add SSL

AutoSSL adds a free certificate for the alias automatically once its DNS points to the server. To check, open Security > SSL/TLS Status and run AutoSSL. Without a certificate, visitors who type https:// with the alias see a warning.

Step 4: avoid duplicate content

If the alias shows the same pages at a different address, search engines see two copies of your site. Redirect the alias to the main domain with a 301 redirect, so visitors and search engines end up on one address. Add this to public_html/.htaccess, above any WordPress rules:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www\.)?example\.net$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Replace example\.net with the alias and example.com with your main domain. You can also use cPanel’s Domains > Redirects page and choose the alias as the domain to redirect.

Email on an alias

An alias can receive email. In Email > Forwarders, add a domain forwarder that sends all mail for the alias to your main domain, or create forwarders for single addresses. Remember to keep the alias’s MX record pointing to the server.

For server administrators

On a server with WHM, root can add an alias for any account with the WHM API:

whmapi1 create_parked_domain_for_user domain=example.net username=cpaneluser web_vhost_domain=example.com

The old /scripts/park script is no longer the recommended way. Use the API or the cPanel interface.

Troubleshooting

Problem Likely cause Fix
cPanel refuses to add the domain The domain does not point to the server, or it exists on another account Check the nameservers or A record, and remove the domain from the other account.
The alias shows a default page DNS still points somewhere else Check DNS with an online lookup tool and wait for it to update.
Certificate warning on the alias AutoSSL has not run since DNS changed Run AutoSSL in SSL/TLS Status.
Redirect loop The redirect rule also matches the main domain Make sure the condition names only the alias domain.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a parked domain and an addon domain?

A parked domain (alias) shows the same website as the main domain. An addon domain is a separate website in its own folder.

Where are parked domains in the new cPanel?

They are called aliases. Create one in Domains > Domains with Share document root ticked, or on the Aliases page if your theme shows it.

Do parked domains hurt SEO?

They can create duplicate content if both addresses show the same pages. Redirect the alias to the main domain with a 301.

Can I receive email on a parked domain?

Yes. Use a domain forwarder in cPanel to send the alias’s mail to your main domain.

Does a parked domain need its own SSL certificate?

Yes. AutoSSL adds one automatically once the alias points to the server.


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