Issues with Merging cPanel Accounts

If you have a Reseller, VPS, or Dedicated Server plan, the method described below allows you to merge cPanel accounts. While we are glad to assist in this process, merging cPanel accounts is not a native function of cPanel and may produce undesired results.

Data Backup

Ensure that you have a full data backup prior to beginning or requesting a cPanel merge. If you need a backup of your website file(s) and database(s), you can do so by following the steps in How to Backup Website Files in cPanel.

Potential Security Risks Hosting Multiple Sites in a Single cPanel

The more domains that are running under one cPanel account, the greater the risk of cross-site attacks. A single compromised domain has the potential to become a gateway to the files of additional domains on the same cPanel. This allows the attacker potential access to all domain(s), email(s), and other account data.

What is Affected in Combining cPanel Accounts?

  • The individual cPanel users and accounts will no longer be accessible.
  • Any development or staging sites that used a temporary URL referencing the previous cPanel username will no longer work. Those sites will need to be manually updated. (e.g. in WordPress, by updating the site URL and performing a search/replace)
  • If your site references any hardcoded paths, those would be impacted and will need updating.
  • Any FTP accounts associated with the previous cPanel username will no longer exist. You will need to recreate FTP accounts.
  • Additional new FTP Accounts and DNS Zone entries will be created under the primary cPanel account as a result of combining accounts.
  • We recommend not merging a cPanel account that has a Dedicated IP address. Only one IP address can be assigned to a single cPanel account.
  • As the number of websites, databases, and emails increases under one cPanel account, your disk quota limit will need to be adjusted accordingly.
  • Custom cron jobs and PHP scripts will need to be reviewed and, in some cases, recreated after the cPanel Merge is completed.
  • New databases and database usernames will need to be created and associated with the corresponding configuration files after the merge.

Before You Proceed with the cPanel Merge

It is recommended that you customize the cPanel packages from within the Web Host Manager (WHM), to ensure the primary cPanel account has ample resources allocated to the primary cPanel account. Resources include items such as addon/subdomain, domains, disk quota, and MySQL database slots.

Shared Reseller Hosting Specific

For users of our Shared Reseller Hosting (R-1000S, R-2000S, R-3000S), merging multiple cPanel accounts together will mean that more websites will be sharing a finite amount of resources allocated to each cPanel account. Hosting numerous sites in one cPanel may lower performance across all of the websites, as a cPanel user nears allocated limits.

Get Started

Review our reference guides which detail how to move websites files and databases between cPanel Accounts, create new DNS Zone records and more. Additionally, we have included links to self-guided tutorials to assist you or your developer with the cPanel merge:

What are cPanel Accounts?

Understanding the Differences Between cPanel Accounts and Addon Domains

How to Consolidate and Remove cPanel Accounts in WHM

How do I merge multiple cPanel accounts into one?

Merge multiple cPanel accounts into one account using SSH

Using the Zone Editor in cPanel

We Can Help 

Customers requesting assistance with performing cPanel account merges for the websites from secondary cPanel accounts to a primary cPanel account, should submit the Website Transfer Request Form within their AMP.  The Website Transfer Team will review all the details provided in the transfer request and communicate any cost directly to the customer before moving forward.  

To submit a request via the Website Transfer Request Form within AMP:

  1. Log into your Account Management Panel (AMP)
  2. Click Website Transfer Request
    The website transfer request button in AMP
  3. Click Transfer A Website
    Create a new website transfer request in amp
  4. Fill out the form

    – Please select InMotion Hosting as the Hosting provider
    – In the Additional Information text box, please provide the necessary information to ensure we are able to move the websites into the correct Primary cPanel account
    – In the Website(s) Being Transferred text box, provide the website names that will be moved during this process

    Providing necessary and complete details can limit the delay in completing your request.

    Fill out the website transfer form
InMotion Hosting Contributor
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