Knowledgebase

Adding a New Domain to Your Hosting (Firstserv Guide – cPanel & Plesk)

If you’d like to host an additional website on your Firstserv hosting, you can add it as a new domain within your control panel (cPanel or Plesk).

A new domain will function as a separate website, with its own files and email accounts.

Important Notes

• ✅ Each additional domain counts as a separate website within your hosting plan
• ✅ Each domain can have its own independent email accounts
• ✅ On shared hosting plans, all domains share the same server resources (CPU, RAM, disk space)

Hosting Plan Compatibility

• ⚠️ Some entry-level plans may not allow additional domains
• ✅ Most Cloud, Premium, and Business hosting plans support multiple domains

Adding a Domain in cPanel

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

• Access your cPanel account from your Client Area

Step 2: Open the Domains Section

1. Go to Domains → Domains
2. Click Create A New Domain

Step 3: Enter Domain Details

• Domain Name: Enter your domain (without www)
• ✅ Example:

  exampledomain.co.uk
  

Step 4: Configure Document Root

• Untick “Share document root”
• Choose where the website files will live

What is a Document Root?

The document root is the folder where your website files are stored.

✅ Recommended:

/exampledomain.co.uk

Instead of:

/public_html/exampledomain.co.uk

👉 Keeping domains in separate top-level folders helps avoid conflicts and keeps things organised.

Step 5: (Optional) Subdomain Name

cPanel automatically creates a technical subdomain (e.g. domain.primarydomain.com) for internal use—this is normal and can usually be left unchanged.

Step 6: Create the Domain

• Click Submit

✅ Your new site is now added

Uploading Your Website

Upload your files to the document root you selected.

Example:

/exampledomain.co.uk/index.html → https://exampledomain.co.uk

Adding a Domain in Plesk

Step 1: Log in to Plesk

• Access your Plesk control panel

Step 2: Add Domain

1. Go to Websites & Domains
2. Click Add Domain

Step 3: Enter Details

• Domain name
• Hosting type
• Document root (folder location)

Step 4: Save

• Click OK / Add Domain

✅ Your domain will be ready for use

Email with Additional Domains

• ✅ Each domain can have its own mailboxes
• ✅ Email services are managed independently per domain

Common Errors When Adding Domains

“Domain Already Exists” Error

This happens if the domain is already assigned:

• As a primary domain on another account
• As an addon/alias domain elsewhere

What to Do

• Make sure the domain isn’t already in use
• Remove it from any existing account first

👉 If unsure, contact Firstserv support for assistance

Subdomain / FTP User Conflict

If adding similar domain names (e.g. .com, .co.uk, .org):

• cPanel may try to reuse the same username
• You’ll need to manually adjust it

Summary

• Add new websites via Domains in cPanel or Plesk
• Each domain has its own:
  • Website files
  • Email accounts
• Always upload files to the correct document root
• Ensure the domain isn’t already assigned elsewhere

Need Help?

If you encounter issues adding a domain or need help structuring your hosting setup, the Firstserv support team is always happy to assist.