Plesk offers three ways to put another name on your hosting: an additional domain with its own website, a subdomain such as shop.example.com, and a domain alias that shows the same website under a different name. Choosing the right one saves time with email, SSL and SEO later.
Before you start
- Your subscription must allow more domains, subdomains or aliases. Check the limits on the subscription overview.
- Register the domain first, for example via MdmHost domain registration, and point its nameservers or
Arecord to the server.
Which option should you choose?
| Option | Own website files | Own email | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain | Yes | Yes | A separate website or business |
| Subdomain | Yes | Uses parent domain's mail | A blog, shop or staging site under your main name |
| Domain alias | No – same as main site | Optional mirror | Spelling variants, other TLDs pointing to one site |
Add a domain
- Go to Websites & Domains and click Add Domain.
- Choose Blank website (or a template, such as WordPress).
- Select Registered domain name and type the domain.
- Check the Document root, for example
example.org. Each domain gets its own folder in the subscription. - Tick Secure the domain with Let's Encrypt if DNS already points to the server.
- Click Add Domain.
Add a subdomain
- Click Add Subdomain in Websites & Domains.
- Enter the subdomain name, for example
blog, and choose the parent domain. - Set the Document root (default
blog.example.com). - Click OK. If Plesk manages the zone, it creates the DNS record automatically.
Add a domain alias
- Under the main domain, click Hosting & DNS → Domain Aliases (or Add Domain Alias).
- Enter the alias name, for example
example.net. - Choose options:
- Synchronize DNS zone with the primary domain – keeps records identical.
- Mail service – lets
info@example.netdeliver toinfo@example.com. - Redirect with HTTP 301 code – recommended for SEO, so search engines see one canonical domain.
- Click OK, then reissue the SSL certificate in SSL It! with the alias included.
Check the result
- Open the new name in your browser. A default Plesk page means the domain works but the folder is empty.
- Use
dig example.org Ato confirm DNS points to your server. - Confirm HTTPS in SSL It! for each name.
Troubleshooting
- "The domain already exists": it is in another subscription on the same server. Remove it there, or ask the administrator.
- Default page instead of your site: files are in the wrong folder. Compare with the document root under Hosting & DNS → Hosting.
- Limit reached: upgrade the subscription or plan.