Creating Subdomains and Add-on Domains on Hostinger

Navigating the world of web hosting can sometimes feel like learning a new language. But whether you’re a seasoned developer or just launching your first website, understanding how to manage your domains effectively is crucial for expanding your online presence. Hostinger, known for its user-friendly hPanel and robust hosting solutions, makes this process surprisingly straightforward.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll demystify subdomains and add-on domains, exploring their unique benefits and walking you through the exact steps to create and manage them on your Hostinger account. By the end, you’ll be equipped to structure your websites more efficiently, whether it’s for a blog, an e-commerce store, a staging environment, or multiple independent projects.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the Basics: Main Domains, Subdomains, and Add-on Domains

  • What is a Main Domain?
  • What is a Subdomain?
  • What is an Add-on Domain?
  • Why Use Subdomains and Add-on Domains?

• Getting Started: Prerequisites for Hostinger Domain Management
• Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Subdomain on Hostinger

  • Accessing Your Hostinger hPanel
  • Navigating to the Subdomains Section
  • Defining Your Subdomain
  • Verifying Subdomain Creation
  • Pro Tip: Installing Applications on Your Subdomain

• Step-by-Step Guide: Creating an Add-on Domain (Adding a Website) on Hostinger

  • Accessing Your Hostinger hPanel
  • Initiating the “Add Website” Process
  • Connecting Your Domain to Hostinger
  • Setting Up Your New Website
  • Crucial Step: Pointing Your Domain’s Name Servers to Hostinger
  • Pro Tip: Installing Applications on Your Add-on Domain

• Managing Your Domains: Essential Tasks After Creation

  • File Management via Hostinger’s File Manager
  • Setting Up Email Accounts for Your Domains
  • Securing Your Domains with SSL Certificates
  • Removing Domains and Subdomains

• Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

  • When to Use Subdomains vs. Add-on Domains
  • SEO Considerations
  • Resource Management
  • Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Subdomain vs. Add-on Domain: A Quick Comparison
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Conclusion

Understanding the Basics: Main Domains, Subdomains, and Add-on Domains

Before we dive into the “how-to,” let’s clarify the fundamental concepts that will underpin our entire discussion. Understanding these will help you make informed decisions about your website architecture on Hostinger.

What is a Main Domain?

Your main domain is your primary website address, like yourdomain.com. This is the core identity of your online presence. When you purchase a hosting plan with Hostinger, you typically associate one main domain with it, under which all other subdomains and add-on domains are managed.

What is a Subdomain?

A subdomain is a secondary part of your main domain. Instead of yourdomain.com, a subdomain looks like blog.yourdomain.com or shop.yourdomain.com. It essentially creates a distinct section or separate website under your main domain, allowing you to organize content logically without registering a completely new domain name. Think of it as a separate branch of your primary website tree.

Common uses for subdomains include:

• Blogs: blog.yourdomain.com
• Online Stores: shop.yourdomain.com
• Staging Environments: dev.yourdomain.com (for testing changes before pushing live)
• Localized Content: fr.yourdomain.com for a French version of your site
• Separate functionalities: members.yourdomain.com for a membership portal

What is an Add-on Domain?

An add-on domain, often referred to as “adding a website” on Hostinger, is a completely separate, fully functional domain hosted on your existing Hostinger account. For example, if your main domain is yourdomain.com, you could add anothersite.com as an add-on domain. This means you can manage multiple, entirely independent websites from a single Hostinger hosting plan, provided your plan supports it and you have the necessary resources.

Common uses for add-on domains include:

• Managing multiple client websites.
• Running several personal projects/businesses.
• Launching new, unrelated ventures without needing a new hosting plan.

Why Use Subdomains and Add-on Domains?

Both options offer significant advantages for managing your web presence:

• Organization: Keep different sections or projects neatly separated.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Subdomains are free with your existing domain. Add-on domains allow you to host multiple distinct websites without buying separate hosting plans for each.
• Flexibility: Easily expand your online offerings or test new ideas without impacting your main site.
• Branding: Subdomains can extend your existing brand, while add-on domains allow for completely different brand identities.

Getting Started: Prerequisites for Hostinger Domain Management

Before you can start creating subdomains or adding new websites, ensure you have the following:

1. An Active Hostinger Account: You need an active hosting plan (Shared, Cloud, or VPS) with Hostinger.
2. A Registered Main Domain: Your primary domain must be registered and pointing to Hostinger’s name servers. This is crucial for both subdomains and add-on domains.
3. Basic hPanel Familiarity: While we’ll guide you through each step, a general understanding of navigating Hostinger’s custom control panel (hPanel) will be helpful.
4. Available Resources: Ensure your hosting plan has sufficient disk space, bandwidth, and CPU/RAM to accommodate additional websites or subdomains, especially for add-on domains.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Subdomain on Hostinger

Creating a subdomain on Hostinger is a quick and straightforward process using their intuitive hPanel.

1. Accessing Your Hostinger hPanel

First, log in to your Hostinger account. Once logged in, you’ll be directed to your main dashboard. Locate and click on “Hosting” in the top navigation bar, then select the specific hosting plan you wish to manage. Click the “Manage” button next to your hosting plan. This will take you to your hPanel for that particular hosting account.

2. Navigating to the Subdomains Section

On your hPanel dashboard, scroll down until you find the “Domains” section. Within this section, you’ll see an option labeled “Subdomains.” Click on it to proceed. (Refer to the screenshot showing the “Domains” section with “Subdomains” highlighted).

3. Defining Your Subdomain

You’ll now see the “Subdomains” management page.

• Enter Subdomain Name: In the field provided, enter the desired name for your subdomain (e.g., blog, shop, dev). Do not include your main domain name here, as it will be automatically appended.
• Select Parent Domain: If you have multiple main domains associated with your hosting account, ensure the correct parent domain is selected from the dropdown menu. This is the domain under which your subdomain will be created.
• Custom Folder (Optional but Recommended): By default, Hostinger usually suggests creating a new folder with the subdomain’s name in your public_html directory. This is generally a good practice for organization. You can modify this if you have a specific directory structure in mind. For instance, public_html/blog.

After filling in the details, click the “Create” button.

(Imagine a screenshot displaying the “Create a New Subdomain” form with fields for “Subdomain Name” and “Parent Domain” selected.)

4. Verifying Subdomain Creation

Hostinger will process your request, and you should see a success message. Your new subdomain will now appear in the list of existing subdomains on that page. It might take a few minutes for the DNS changes to propagate globally, but often, it’s almost instantaneous within Hostinger’s network.

You can verify its creation by navigating to your “File Manager” on hPanel. You should see a new folder (e.g., blog.yourdomain.com or simply blog if you chose a custom folder) within your public_html directory, ready for you to upload your website files.

Pro Tip: Installing Applications on Your Subdomain

Once your subdomain is created, you can easily install content management systems (CMS) like WordPress on it. Go back to your hPanel, find the “Website” section, and click on “Auto Installer.” Select WordPress (or another CMS), and during the installation process, choose your newly created subdomain from the dropdown menu as the installation location. This will automatically set up your website on the subdomain.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating an Add-on Domain (Adding a Website) on Hostinger

Adding a completely new, independent website to your existing Hostinger account is also straightforward, though it involves an additional crucial step of pointing your domain’s name servers.

1. Accessing Your Hostinger hPanel

Just like with subdomains, begin by logging into your Hostinger account, going to “Hosting,” selecting your specific plan, and clicking “Manage” to access your hPanel.

2. Initiating the “Add Website” Process

On your hPanel dashboard, look for the “Domains” section. Instead of “Subdomains,” you’ll click on the option labeled “Add Website” or sometimes “Add Domain” (Hostinger’s hPanel primarily uses “Add Website”).

(Imagine a screenshot showing the “Domains” section with “Add Website” highlighted.)

3. Connecting Your Domain to Hostinger

You’ll be prompted to enter the domain name you wish to add (e.g., anothersite.com).

• Enter Domain Name: Type the full domain name you want to add.
• Assign to Hosting: Hostinger will automatically suggest connecting this new domain to your current hosting plan. Confirm this selection.
• Create New Website: Click the “Add Website” button.

Hostinger will now attempt to add this domain to your account. However, for it to properly load content from your Hostinger server, you must perform the next crucial step.

4. Crucial Step: Pointing Your Domain’s Name Servers to Hostinger

This is the most critical part of adding an external domain. If your new domain (e.g., anothersite.com) was not registered with Hostinger, you need to tell its current registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) to point its Name Servers to Hostinger. If it was registered with Hostinger, this step is often handled automatically or is very easy to configure within your Hostinger “Domains” section.

Hostinger’s Name Servers are typically:

• ns1.dns-parking.com
• ns2.dns-parking.com

How to change Name Servers (if registered elsewhere):

1. Log in to Your Domain Registrar: Go to the website where you purchased anothersite.com (e.g., GoDaddy).
2. Find DNS Settings: Navigate to the domain management or DNS settings for anothersite.com.
3. Update Name Servers: Locate the “Name Servers” section. Change the existing name servers to Hostinger’s: ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com.
4. Save Changes: Save the updated settings.

What to expect: DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to up to 24-48 hours worldwide. During this period, your new domain might not be accessible or may show an old website. You can check the propagation status using online tools like DNS Checker.

Once propagation is complete, your anothersite.com will correctly point to your Hostinger account, and you can then manage its content via your hPanel.

Pro Tip: Installing Applications on Your Add-on Domain

After your add-on domain has propagated and is successfully connected to Hostinger, you can install any CMS or application on it. Similar to subdomains, go to your hPanel, navigate to the “Auto Installer,” select your desired application (e.g., WordPress), and choose your newly added domain from the dropdown menu as the installation target.

Managing Your Domains: Essential Tasks After Creation

Once your subdomains and add-on domains are up and running, there are several key management tasks to ensure they function optimally.

File Management via Hostinger’s File Manager

Every domain and subdomain you create on Hostinger gets its own dedicated folder within your hosting account, typically inside the public_html directory.

• Access File Manager: On your hPanel, find the “Files” section and click on “File Manager.”
• Locate Domain Folders: You’ll see folders like yourdomain.com, blog.yourdomain.com, or anothersite.com. These are the root directories for each of your sites.
• Upload/Edit Files: You can upload your website files (HTML, CSS, images, etc.) directly into these folders, create new subdirectories, or edit existing files.

(Imagine a screenshot of the Hostinger File Manager showing public_html and subdirectories for different domains.)

Setting Up Email Accounts for Your Domains

One of the benefits of hosting multiple domains on Hostinger is the ability to create custom email addresses for each.

• Access Email Accounts: From your hPanel, go to the “Emails” section and click on “Email Accounts.”
• Create New Email: Select the desired domain from the dropdown list (e.g., anothersite.com), enter your desired email prefix (e.g., info), and set a strong password.
• Manage Accounts: You can create multiple email accounts for each domain and manage their settings from this section.

Securing Your Domains with SSL Certificates

An SSL certificate is crucial for website security, encrypting data, and building trust with your visitors. Hostinger offers free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt for all your domains and subdomains.

• Access SSL Section: On your hPanel, locate the “Security” section and click on “SSL.”
• Install SSL: You’ll see a list of your domains and subdomains. For any that don’t have an active SSL, click the “Install” button. Hostinger will automatically generate and install the certificate. This process usually takes a few minutes.
• Force HTTPS: After installation, ensure you toggle the “Force HTTPS” option to redirect all traffic to the secure HTTPS version of your site.

Removing Domains and Subdomains

If you no longer need a subdomain or an add-on domain, you can easily remove it from your Hostinger account.

• For Subdomains: Go to “Subdomains” under the “Domains” section in hPanel. Find the subdomain you wish to remove and click the “Delete” button next to it.
• For Add-on Domains (Websites): Go to “Add Website” or “Manage Websites” (under “Domains” or “Website” sections) in hPanel. Select the domain, and there should be an option to “Delete” or “Remove” the website. Be cautious: Removing a domain/website will delete all its associated files and databases, so make sure you have backups if needed.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

To ensure a smooth experience with your Hostinger subdomains and add-on domains, consider these best practices and common issues.

When to Use Subdomains vs. Add-on Domains

Choosing between a subdomain and an add-on domain depends heavily on your project’s goals:

• Use a Subdomain when:

  • You want to create a distinct section of an existing website (e.g., blog.yourdomain.com).
  • You need a staging environment for your main site (dev.yourdomain.com).
  • You’re launching a related service or feature that shares brand identity with your main domain.
  • You want to host a separate version of your site for a different language or region.

• Use an Add-on Domain when:

  • You need to host an entirely separate and independent website with its own brand (e.g., anothersite.com).
  • You’re managing multiple distinct client websites on one hosting plan.
  • You want to launch a new project that has no direct relation to your existing main domain.

SEO Considerations

Both subdomains and add-on domains have SEO implications:

• Subdomains: Search engines generally treat subdomains as separate entities from the main domain, though some SEO experts argue they still pass some authority from the root. They require their own SEO strategy, sitemap, and Google Search Console property.
• Add-on Domains: These are completely separate websites, and search engines treat them as such. Each add-on domain will need its own robust SEO strategy, content, and Google Search Console setup.
• SSL is a Must: Always install SSL certificates for all your domains and subdomains. Google favors secure websites, and visitors trust them more.

Resource Management

While Hostinger allows you to host multiple websites, remember that they all share the resources of your single hosting plan (CPU, RAM, disk space, bandwidth).

• Monitor Usage: Keep an eye on your resource usage from your Hostinger hPanel.
• Upgrade if Needed: If your websites grow significantly in traffic or content, you might need to upgrade your hosting plan (e.g., from Shared to Cloud hosting) to prevent performance issues. This is especially true if you’re running several resource-intensive add-on domains.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Domain Not Loading / “Site Not Found”:

  • DNS Propagation: Wait 24-48 hours after changing name servers.
  • Incorrect Name Servers: Double-check that your domain registrar’s name servers are set to Hostinger’s.
  • No Content: Ensure you’ve uploaded website files to the correct domain folder in the File Manager.

• Website Not Secure / SSL Error:

  • Install SSL: Make sure you’ve installed an SSL certificate via the Hostinger hPanel.
  • Force HTTPS: Ensure “Force HTTPS” is enabled.
  • Mixed Content: If some resources (images, scripts) are still loading over HTTP, you might see mixed content warnings. Use plugins (for WordPress) or manual adjustments to update all URLs to HTTPS.

• Internal Server Error: This often indicates an issue with your website’s code (e.g., .htaccess file, PHP errors). Check your error logs or temporarily enable WordPress debugging to identify the problem.

Subdomain vs. Add-on Domain: A Quick Comparison

To help you decide which option is best for your needs, here’s a quick comparison:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can I create unlimited subdomains on Hostinger?

Most Hostinger plans allow for a generous number of subdomains, often “unlimited,” though practical limits may apply based on your hosting plan’s resources. Always refer to your specific plan details for exact numbers.

Q2: Do I need to buy a new hosting plan for an add-on domain?

No, that’s the primary benefit of add-on domains! You can host multiple distinct websites on a single Hostinger hosting plan, provided your plan supports it and you have enough resources.

Q3: How long does DNS propagation take for add-on domains?

DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24-48 hours. It depends on your ISP and location, but most updates resolve within a few hours.

Q4: Will creating subdomains or add-on domains affect my main website’s performance?

Yes, potentially. All domains and subdomains on your hosting account share the same server resources (CPU, RAM, disk space). If one site experiences high traffic or is resource-intensive, it could impact the performance of your other sites.

Q5: Can I have an email address for my subdomain (e.g., info@blog.yourdomain.com)?

Absolutely! Hostinger allows you to create email accounts for any domain or subdomain you have set up on your hosting plan.

Q6: What if my add-on domain is registered with another provider?

You’ll need to update its name servers at your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) to point to Hostinger’s name servers (ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com).

Q7: Is it possible to migrate an existing website to a subdomain or add-on domain on Hostinger?

Yes, you can migrate an existing website. For a subdomain, you’d usually copy the site files and database into the subdomain’s folder. For an add-on domain, it’s a full site migration process, often done using Hostinger’s migration tool or manually.

Q8: Do I need a separate SSL certificate for each subdomain and add-on domain?

Hostinger provides free SSL certificates (via Let’s Encrypt) for all domains and subdomains hosted on your account, which you can easily install from your hPanel.

Conclusion

Mastering the creation and management of subdomains and add-on domains on Hostinger is a powerful skill for anyone looking to expand their online presence efficiently. Whether you’re segmenting your main website with a subdomain for a blog or launching entirely new ventures with add-on domains, Hostinger’s hPanel offers a user-friendly path to achieve your goals. By following the step-by-step instructions and adhering to best practices, you can ensure a well-organized, secure, and high-performing collection of websites.

Start exploring the possibilities today and take your Hostinger hosting to the next level!

Did you find this guide helpful? Share your experiences or ask any further questions in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.

Fash ViRal

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