Setting Up a New Domain
Before your website can go live, you need to add the domain to your DirectAdmin account and configure the document root. This guide walks you through the complete domain setup process.
Adding a Domain
- Log in to DirectAdmin.
- Navigate to Account Manager or Domain Setup.
- Click Add Another Domain (or Domain Setup if adding your first).
- Enter your domain name (e.g.,
example.com) in the domain field. - Set the bandwidth and disk space allocation if prompted.
- Ensure PHP is enabled for the domain.
- Click Create to add the domain.
Document Root Structure
Once the domain is created, DirectAdmin automatically creates the following directory structure:
/home/username/domains/example.com/
├── public_html/ (your website files go here)
├── private_html/ (SSL or private content)
├── logs/ (access and error logs)
├── stats/ (website statistics)
└── cgi-bin/ (CGI scripts)The
public_html directory is your document root. Any files placed here will be accessible via your domain name in a web browser.Uploading Your Website Files
After creating the domain, upload your website files to public_html using one of these methods:
- File Manager - Use the built-in DirectAdmin File Manager to upload files through your browser.
- FTP Client - Connect with an FTP client like FileZilla using your DirectAdmin credentials.
- SSH/SFTP - Use a terminal or SFTP client for secure file transfer (if SSH access is enabled).
DNS Configuration
For your domain to point to the server, ensure its DNS records are configured correctly:
- Set your domain's nameservers to the ones provided in your welcome email.
- Alternatively, create an A record pointing to your server's IP address.
- DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to propagate globally.
If you are transferring a domain from another host, update the nameservers only after you have fully uploaded and tested your website on the new server.