To view all parked domains on your server, access the List Parked Domains interface in your cPanel or WHM control panel. This displays all domain aliases currently pointing to primary domains, along with their owners and available management actions. You can unpark domains or configure them to accept email directly from this interface.
What Are Parked Domains?
A parked domain (also called a domain alias) points to the content of another domain. This allows you to have multiple domain names display the same website content without creating duplicate sites.
For example, if you park example.com on example.net, visitors who type example.com into their browser will see the content from example.net. The browser's address bar will still show example.com, but the displayed content comes from the primary domain (example.net).
This is useful when you own multiple variations of your domain name and want them all to show the same website.
Understanding the Parked Domains List
The List Parked Domains interface displays important information about each parked domain on your server:
- Primary Domain: The main domain that hosts the actual content. This is the domain that the parked domain points to.
- User: The account owner of the parked domain. This helps you identify which customer or account created each alias.
- Parked Domains: The actual domain name that is parked (the alias).
- Action: Available management options for each parked domain.
Managing Parked Domains
You have two primary actions available for each parked domain in the list:
Unpark a Domain
Click the Unpark button to remove the domain alias. This breaks the connection between the parked domain and the primary domain. After unparking, the domain will no longer display the primary domain's content and can be used independently.
Add to Mail Configuration
Click Add to Mail Config to enable the parked domain to receive email. By default, parked domains may not accept incoming mail. This action configures your mail server to accept messages sent to addresses at the parked domain.
Blocking Domains from Being Parked
As a server administrator, you may want to prevent users from parking certain domains. To block specific domains from being parked on your server, add them to this file:
/usr/local/cpanel/etc/commondomains
Add one domain per line. Any domain listed in this file cannot be used as a parked domain by your users. This is particularly useful for preventing users from parking well-known domains they don't actually own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a parked domain and an addon domain?
A parked domain shows the exact same content as the primary domain and shares the same document root. An addon domain has its own separate content and directory. Use parked domains when you want multiple domains to display identical content, and use addon domains when you want to host different websites on the same hosting account.
Can parked domains receive email by default?
No, parked domains typically cannot receive email unless you specifically enable this feature. Use the Add to Mail Config action in the List Parked Domains interface to allow a parked domain to accept incoming mail messages.
How many domains can I park on my primary domain?
The number of parked domains you can create depends on your hosting plan with OBHost. Check your account's resource limits or contact your hosting provider to confirm your specific limitations.
Will parked domains affect my SEO?
Parked domains can potentially create duplicate content issues for search engines since they display the same content as your primary domain. Consider using 301 redirects instead if SEO is a concern, or ensure your primary domain is properly specified in your site's canonical tags.
If you need assistance managing parked domains or have questions about domain configuration, the OBHost support team is available 24/7. Visit our contact page or email support@obhost.org for help.
