A CNAME record links a (sub)domain to another domain, instead of directly to an IP address. This is often used for external services, such as an email marketing tool or an external website builder. In this article, we explain how to create one in DirectAdmin.

Creating a CNAME record

1. Log in to DirectAdmin via yourwebsite.com:2222.
2. Navigate to DNS Management.
3. Choose the correct domain.
4. Click Add Record and choose the CNAME type.
5. Enter the subdomain under Name, for example mail or shop.
6. Enter the target domain provided by the external service under Value/Destination, usually ending in a period (.).
7. Click Add Record or Save.

Note: A CNAME record cannot exist alongside an A record for the same subdomain. First remove any existing A record for that subdomain before adding a CNAME.

Troubleshooting

• External service doesn't recognize the domain: check whether you entered exactly the value specified by the external service, including any trailing period.
• Subdomain doesn't work after adding: take DNS propagation into account, this can take some time.
• Error when saving: check whether another record (such as an A record) already exists for the same subdomain, and remove it first.

Still stuck? Feel free to reach out via Discord or create a support ticket.