What is a Virtual Domain (Addon Domain)

A virtual domain (also called an addon domain) lets you host a completely separate website on the same hosting account. Each virtual domain gets its own directory, its own email accounts, and its own set of files, but they all share the same cPanel and hosting plan resources. This is different from a domain pointer/alias, which just shows the same website under a different domain name.

01. What is a Virtual/Addon Domain

In cPanel terminology, a "virtual domain" is called an Addon Domain. It allows you to host an entirely separate website under a different domain name on the same hosting account. Visitors to each domain see a completely different site with no indication they share a server or account.

For example, if your primary domain is mybusiness.com, you could add mysecondproject.com as an addon domain. Each has its own web root directory, its own files, its own database, and its own email addresses.

The number of addon domains you can add depends on your hosting plan. Check your plan details in your client area or on our hosting plans page.

02. How to Add an Addon Domain

Prerequisites

The domain must be registered and its nameservers must point to Ultra Web Hosting:

ns1.ultranameservers.com
ns2.ultranameservers.com
ns3.ultranameservers.com

Steps

1. Log into cPanel > click Domains (in the Domains section)
2. Click "Create A New Domain"
3. Enter the domain name - e.g., mysecondsite.com
4. Set the document root - cPanel auto-suggests a folder name. You can change it or accept the default (usually public_html/mysecondsite.com)
5. Click Submit

cPanel creates the directory, sets up DNS records, and issues an SSL certificate via AutoSSL. Upload your website files to the new directory and your second site is live.

03. Addon Domain vs Domain Pointer vs Subdomain

Subdomains (blog.yourdomain.com) work like addon domains - they get their own directory and can host separate content - but they're part of your primary domain instead of a separate domain name.

04. Managing Multiple Domains

• Email - create email accounts for any addon domain in cPanel > Email Accounts. Select the addon domain from the domain dropdown
• Databases - addon domains can use their own databases or share with the primary. Most CMS installations need their own database
• SSL - AutoSSL automatically issues certificates for addon domains. Check cPanel > SSL/TLS Status
• Resource sharing - all addon domains share your plan's disk space, bandwidth, and CPU allocation. If one site gets heavy traffic, it can affect the others. Monitor usage in cPanel > Resource Usage

Quick Recap

If you only do 5 things from this guide, do these:

1. Addon domain = separate website on the same hosting account
2. Add in cPanel > Domains > Create A New Domain
3. Point nameservers first - ns1/ns2/ns3.ultranameservers.com
4. Upload files to the addon's directory - not your primary public_html
5. Resources are shared - all domains use the same plan limits

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all General articles