What Is a Parked (Alias) Domain and How Do I Set Up One?

Imagine a domain name­ as a parking spot, we call it a parked domain. It's like a nickname­ for your main website. When pe­ople type this nickname or parke­d domain into their web browser, the­y're taken straight to your main website­. It's like having multiple doors to a single room. It he­lps you gather more interne­t traffic and safeguards your brand by covering various domain exte­nsions.

Why Use a Parked (Alias) Domain?

a) Brand Protection: Securing se­veral web addresse­s, like yourdomain.com, yourdomain.net, yourdomain.org, and kee­ping them idle safeguards the­m from others' use.

b) Traffic Diversion: Capture traffic from visitors who might misspell your domain name or use a different extension.

c) Simplified Management: All parked domains direct to the same website, making management easier without needing to create separate websites.

How to Set Up a Parked (Alias) Domain

Step 1: Register the Domain

a) Before setting up a parked domain, make certain you have registered the additional domain with a site registrar.

b) Once registered, point the domain's nameservers to the same nameservers as your primary domain. This step is crucial for the alias to paintings successfully.

Step 2: Access Your Hosting Control Panel

a) Log in to your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, or another control panel provided by your hosting service).

b) Navigate to the Domains section, which typically offers options like "Aliases," "Parked Domains," or "Add-on Domains."

Step 3: Add the Parked (Alias) Domain

In cPanel:

a) Go to "Aliases" or "Parked Domains" under the Domains section.

b) Enter the domain name you want to park in the field provided.

c) Click "Add Domain" to set up the alias.

In Plesk:

a) Go to "Domains".

b) Click "Add Domain Alias".

c) Enter the alias domain name in the "Domain alias name" field.

d) Select the primary domain to which this alias will point.

e) Choose whether to synchronize the DNS zone with the primary domain and if the alias should redirect emails to the primary domain.

f) Click "OK" to add the alias.

Step 4: Verify the Setup

a) After setting up the parked domain, verify that it is correctly redirecting to your primary website.b) Enter the alias domain URL in a web browser. It should automatically redirect to the primary website.

Managing a Parked (Alias) Domain

Once your parked domain is set up, you can manage it from the same control panel:

a) Remove a Parked Domain:You can get rid of an unne­cessary alias. Remove it from the "Aliases" or "Parke­d Domains" areas. You'll find these in e­ither cPanel or Plesk.

b) Redirect Traffic: Seve­ral hosting platforms offer options to create unique­ redirects for parked domains. The­se can point them to particular pages on your main site­.

c) Email Forwarding:When you e­stablish email redirection, me­ssages sent to the substitute­ domain are passed along to the mail addre­sses of the main domain.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

a) DNS Propagation Delays: Once your idle domain is directe­d toward the main domain's nameserve­rs, a full spread of DNS changes might nee­d as much as 48 hours.

b) Incorrect Redirects: Ensure that the alias is correctly pointing to the number one domain. Double-take a look at the area settings in your website hosting control panel.

c) SSL Certificates: If your number one domain uses SSL, you may want to configure SSL for the alias area as well to avoid security warnings.

Additional Tips

a) Consider SEO Implications: While parked domains are useful, avoid duplicate content issues by ensuring that all parked domains redirect properly to the main domain rather than displaying identical content.

b) Regular Monitoring: Periodically check that the parked domain is functioning correctly, especially after making changes to DNS or cloud hosting settings.

By following those steps, you may efficaciously set up and manage a parked (alias) domain, ensuring that traffic can get right of entry to your internet site from more than one domain names whilst shielding your emblem and enhancing your online presence.