Change the primary domain of a hosting account

The primary domain identifies a cPanel account and determines several of its paths and settings. Changing it isn't the same as adding an addon domain, creating an alias or redirecting visitors: it's a change to the account itself that the Hostsuar team must carry out.

Decide what will happen to the current domain

Before requesting the change you must choose one of these outcomes:

• Discard the current primary domain: it's no longer configured on the account. Its mailboxes and email addresses cease to exist, so you must first save any messages you want to keep.
• Keep it as an addon domain: it stays hosted on the account with its own directory, website and email. This option is only possible if the domain is still active and needs to keep working.

If you only want to show the same content under another name, you may not need to change the primary domain. First see how to manage addon domains, aliases and subdomains.

What changes in the account

During the process, the domain's configuration, its DNS zone and several internal cPanel relationships are recreated. Depending on how the account is organised, it may also be necessary to:

• Move the new domain's website to public_html.
• Recreate its subdomains while keeping the existing directories.
• Re-add custom DNS records that cPanel doesn't regenerate, such as external MX, SPF, TXT verifications and DKIM selectors from external providers. cPanel's native DKIM must be regenerated with its new key, not restored by copying the old record.
• Restore email routing if Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or another external provider is used.
• Review the configured URL, redirects and absolute paths in WordPress or other applications.

There may be downtime for the website and email during the change. How long depends on the account and the work needed; confirm the expected window with support. DNS changes may keep propagating after the work is finished.

What to check before requesting it

1. The new domain is registered, active and not hosted on another cPanel account.
2. You know whether the old primary domain should disappear or be kept as an addon domain.
3. You've saved the old domain's email if you are going to discard it.
4. You know where the public DNS is managed and whether there are custom records or external email.
5. You have a recent backup of the website and its databases.

If the new domain is currently on another account, the right operation is to move the website and email between hosting accounts, not just a primary domain change.

Request the change

Contact us with the hosting account, the new primary domain and whether the old domain should be discarded or kept as an addon domain. We'll review the mailboxes, the domain layout, the DNS zone and the email routing beforehand to confirm that the change can be made without losing configuration.

Check the result

Test the website and email of both domains according to the outcome you agreed, the subdomains and any external email provider. Also check certificates, forms, scheduled tasks and the application's links.

Changing cPanel's primary domain doesn't transfer the domain's registration, doesn't change its registrant and doesn't replace an SEO redirect. Keep registered the names that need to keep bringing in visitors or receiving email, and set up redirects to equivalent pages when the public URL changes.