Change account to a new domain

[GoWilkes]

I have an account set up on WHM for a .CO domain, and I have 100+ other domains parked on top of it. I never market the .CO, though, so it's mainly just been for internal usage.

I was recently able to buy the .NET version of my domain, and I would like to set it up to be the main domain for the account and park the .co on top of it. Then next year I can just let the .co go.

Is there an easy way to change the main domain for the account? Or am I going to have to create a new account manually and then move all of the parked domains?

 

[GOT]

Modify account in whm will let you change the domain name.

I do not recommend changing the user name though even though you can.

 

[GoWilkes]

Awesome, thanks! I didn't see the "Modify Account" option before

 

[GoWilkes]

Just for clarity...

When I change the domain for the account and then park the original domain to the account, is there going to be any propagation time?

I'm 90% sure that the answer is no since the domains themselves won't be changing, but I wanted to make 100% sure before I risk any major down time!

 

[GOT]

Shouldn't be no as long as the IP is not changing.

 

[cPanelMichael]

When I change the domain for the account and then park the original domain to the account, is there going to be any propagation time?

Hello @GoWilkes,

DNS propagation isn't needed in this scenario because the IP addresses the domains resolve to isn't changing.

Thank you.

 

[GoWilkes]

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I'm just now getting around to doing this.

Can you guys let me know of any potential errors or pitfalls that I need to look for after making this change? My plan is to unpark the .NET from the .CO, then change the primary domain from the .CO to the .NET while unselecting "Rename prefixed databases and database users", then immediately parking the .CO on top of the .NET.

I'm pretty sure that I'll have to modify my email account usernames to the .NET (not a big deal), and all of the FTP accounts will need to change the Host to the .NET. Is there anything else I should check after changing it to make sure all is well?

 

[cPanelMichael]

Hello @GoWilkes,

Here are some items to consider:

1. Read the the email account section of the document below for information about what happens when you remove and re-add an alias:

Aliases - Version 82 Documentation - cPanel Documentation

documentation.cpanel.net

2. If you use PHP applications (e.g. WordPress), be mindful of any configuration settings or .htaccess rules that rely on specific domains. Here's an example of one potential issue:

Changing primary domain to parked domain issue

I had a customer request to change his domain from domain.cl to domain.net, and the old domain to the new one. I looked through the forums and it seemed pretty straight forward. In WHM, I went to modify an account, changed the domain name to domain.net, and parked domain.cl. I thought this...

forums.cpanel.net

3. Consider creating an example/testing account with similar configuration settings and data and perform the action on the testing account first. The following document is helpful if you want to avoid registering real domains for testing:

How to Modify Your Hosts File - cPanel Knowledge Base - cPanel Documentation

documentation.cpanel.net

4. Always backup the account prior to making this type of change. This way, if something goes wrong, you can restore the account to it's earlier state.

If you encounter any problems, let us know.

Thanks!