How to Create a CNAME Record

Date: 7/30/19 | Reading time: About 1 minute

Most people are not getting enough out of their domains. The Domain Name System is incredibly powerful, but if you’re not using it properly it’s not going to get you very far. For example, if you just have a domain pointing to a website, what can you do if you want the domain to be used for other purposes like email or pointing to a different server for different resources.

CNAMES to the rescue! CNAMES let you create alternative hostnames that turn your cPanel into a sort of traffic cop, redirecting traffic here and there and wherever you need it to go.

In this article, we’ll cover how to:

Learn The Various CNAME Options Available

Here’s an explanation of the CNAME options and a description of each:

OptionDescription
TypeCNAME
Nametest.example.com.
TTLThe default setting is 14400, or 4 hours.
CNAMEtestexample.wordpress.com

These are also the settings you will use when you follow the steps below.

How To Create a CNAME Record in Your cPanel

  1. Log into cPanel
  2. Click Zone Editor under the Domains section
    Zone Editor
  3. Select +CNAME Record for the domain
    +CNAME record
  4. Fill in the name and desired domain
    Add Record
  5. Click Add a CNAME Record
    Click Add Button

Adding a CNAME Record in WHM

  1. Login to WHM.
  2. Click the Edit DNS Zone link in the DNS Functions section.
    Edit DNS Zone
  3. Click the domain you want to create the CNAME for, then click the Edit button.
    Choose Domain and click enter
  4. Scroll to the bottom and you will see an Add New Entries Below this Line section. Click the Select drop-down menu, then click CNAME.
    Add New Entries
  5. In the first field enter your CNAME entry. In my example, I am entering: test
  6. Enter your Hostname in the available field, then click the Save button. In my example, I am entering example.com. (14400 will automatically be filled in the TTL section).
    Enter Hostname and save

Getting The Most Out Of Your Hosting

Well done! You now know how to create CNAMES in cPanel and WHM. CNAMES are yet another way for you to get the most out of your hosting account and take advantage of all the resources available to you. Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any further questions.

JB
John-Paul Briones Content Writer II

John-Paul is an Electronics Engineer that spent most of his career in IT. He has been a Technical Writer for InMotion since 2013.

More Articles by John-Paul

6 thoughts on “How to Create a CNAME Record

    1. Thanks for letting us know. We will be sure to review this and get it updated. We appreciate your feedback!

  1. Hi,

    We have account on inomotion. I have created subdomains but after past few days the subdomains is not working. An error displays on screen says:

     

    DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

    and

    err_network_changed

    1. That type of error occurs when a DNS (Domain Name System) lookup fails. If they were working and recently failed, check your DNS records in the Advanced DNS Zone Editor in cPanel. If they are there, contact the Live Support team so they can look into it further.

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