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In short
A subdomain is a prefix added to your domain, such as shop.yourbusiness.co.za or portal.yourbusiness.co.za. It works like a separate website address, costs nothing extra, and you create as many as you need in cPanel.
How a subdomain looks
In shop.yourbusiness.co.za, shop is the subdomain, yourbusiness.co.za is your domain. Even www is technically a subdomain.
What businesses use them for
- shop. an online store separate from the main site.
- portal. or app. a customer login or web app.
- blog. a blog on its own platform.
- staging. or test. a private copy of your site to test changes.
- mail. your webmail login.
- elearning. a Moodle site for a school (see Moodle hosting).
Subdomain vs a folder
yourbusiness.co.za/shop is a folder; shop.yourbusiness.co.za is a subdomain. A folder shares your main site’s setup; a subdomain can run completely different software. For a blog that is part of your main site, a folder is usually better for SEO; for a separate app, use a subdomain.
How to create one in cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Domains.
- Click Create a New Domain, type shop.yourbusiness.co.za.
- Choose a folder for its files (cPanel suggests one) and save.
- Free SSL is issued for it automatically within a few minutes.
- Install an app with Softaculous or upload your files into that folder.
Pointing a subdomain elsewhere
To send a subdomain to another service (a store builder, a CRM), add a CNAME or A record for it in the DNS zone editor, using the value the service gives you. See what is DNS?
Do subdomains cost extra?
No. Subdomains are free on every Hostnali hosting plan. A subdomain uses your plan’s storage and resources, so a busy app may need a bigger plan or a VPS.