Creating a subdomain and its DNS records

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain, such as blog.example.com or shop.example.com, that lets you run a separate section or application under the same registered name. To make one work you create it in cPanel, then confirm the DNS record that points the hostname to a server. In standard cPanel (Jupiter) the subdomain tool usually adds that record for you automatically, so most of the job is a few clicks plus a short wait for DNS to update.

Create the subdomain in cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and open the Domains section.
2. Click Domains (or Subdomains on some builds), then choose Create A New Domain.
3. In the Domain field type the full hostname, for example blog.example.com. cPanel recognizes it as a subdomain of a domain you already own.
4. Set the Document Root, the folder that holds the files for this subdomain. cPanel proposes a path like /home/user/blog.example.com; keep it or adjust as needed.
5. Click Submit. cPanel creates the document root and the DNS entry for the new hostname.

Upload your files into that document root, or install an application there, and the subdomain will serve them.

Understand the DNS record behind it

A subdomain is just another hostname that DNS must resolve to an IP address. There are two common ways to publish it.

• A record: maps the hostname straight to an IPv4 address. Use this when the subdomain lives on the same server or a known IP.
• CNAME record: points the hostname at another hostname, which then resolves to an address. Use this when a third party service tells you to alias to their domain.

Example records for a subdomain served from your account:

blog.example.com.   3600   IN   A       203.0.113.25
cdn.example.com.    3600   IN   CNAME   assets.provider-network.com.

The number 3600 is the TTL in seconds, telling resolvers how long to cache the answer. A dedicated Class C IP means these records point to space you do not share, which helps footprint control rather than acting as a ranking boost. See our DNS and IP management guides for more on record types.

Edit or verify the record in the Zone Editor

1. Return to the Domains section and open Zone Editor.
2. Find the parent domain and click Manage to list its records.
3. Confirm an A or CNAME entry exists for your subdomain. If you need to change the target, click Edit, update the value, and save.
4. To add a record by hand, choose Add Record, pick the type, enter the name and value, then save.

Wait for propagation and test

New or changed records take time to spread across resolvers, typically minutes to a few hours depending on the TTL. Test resolution from a terminal:

dig blog.example.com A +short
nslookup blog.example.com

When the correct IP comes back, load the subdomain in a browser. If you plan to serve it over HTTPS, issue a certificate that covers the hostname; our SSL certificates page explains the options. For anything that will not resolve after propagation, or for help matching records to a dedicated IP, reach out through contact us. Full field reference lives in the official cPanel documentation.