What is a Parked Domain (Alias Domain)?
Parked Domains, also called Alias Domains or Domain Alias, are often used by businesses that want to have more than one web address for advertising purposes. Parked domains are additional domains hosted on your account, displaying the same website as your primary domain and sharing the same web statistics. Like a regular domain, parked domains can also have their email boxes.
For example, if you own domain1.com and your cPanel account's primary domain, you can set up domain2.com as an alias domain. When you visit domain2.com, you will notice that although the content of domain1.com is loading in the browser, the address bar will display http://domain2.com/. This is similar to a masked forward, except it does not require any custom coding, and our support team can assist you with adding or removing a parked domain.
Difference Between Addon and Parked Domains
Another type of domain you can add to your cPanel is an Addon domain. Unlike a parked domain, an addon domain can display an entirely different site than your primary domain.
If you have a Shared Hatchling plan, you can only have a primary domain. You cannot add any Addon or Parked domains because the Hatchling plans are limited to hosting only one website.
In contrast, with a Shared Baby or Business plan, you would be able to park domains and add multiple Addon domains because they can host multiple websites, each with its website content.
When purchasing domains, most domain registrars offer domain parking. They are offering to park your domain on their servers and direct traffic to a page of their choice. This is an excellent temporary solution if you don't have a web hosting account, but it is very restrictive because you do not control the content while it is parked with them.
Alternatively, suppose you do not yet have content for a domain you have purchased. In that case, you can add it as an alias in your cPanel for the time being. Once you've developed the content for your new site, you can remove the parked domain and add it as an Addon domain when you're ready to launch the new site. Below we will go over the process of adding and removing a parked domain.
How to Park a Domain
Domains must be registered with a valid registrar before they can be set as an alias. Also, a domain will not be functional unless configured to point to the same name servers as your primary domain.
To park a domain on your account:
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the Domains section, click the Aliases icon.
- Under Create a New Alias Domain, enter the domain name you would like to park on top of your primary domain.
- Click Add Domain.
Tada! You have just parked your domain!
How to Remove a Parked Domain
Removing a parked domain is just as easy as adding one.
To remove an alias domain from your account:
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the Domains section, click the Aliases icon.
- Under Remove Alias Domains, find the domain you wish to remove.
- In the Actions column for that domain, click Remove.
And just like that, the domain is no longer parked!