So, you hosted a website on GoDaddy but you feel like using a subdomain would help you manage it better.

This article delves into how to create a subdomain in GoDaddy with or without cPanel. You will also learn about GoDaddy Subdomain pricing, and how to redirect a subdomain.

How to Create a Subdomain in GoDaddy without cPanel

You can create a Subdomain in GoDaddy without using a cPanel, via the DNS management page. We’ll walk you through the process below regardless of what type of domains you use.

Step 1: Log In to Your GoDaddy Account

To access the Domain Portfolio, a dashboard containing all domains you registered on GoDaddy, log in to your account.

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Step 2: Find a Domain Name for Which to Attach a Subdomain

Once in Domain Portfolio, find the domain for which you’d like to attach a Subdomain, select the three dots next to it, and select Edit DNS.

Source: godaddy.com

Step 3: Open the Domain Settings Page

This will open the Domain Settings Page from which you can add a new subdomain for the domain you registered.

Step 4: Create an “A” DNS Record for Your Subdomain in GoDaddy

Once in the Domain Settings Page, navigate to DNS Records. Select Add New Record and then select A from the Type menu.

Source: godaddy.com

Step 5: Add a CNAME Record to Point the Subdomain to a Domain Name in Your Hosting Account

The next step is to enter the details for your newly created A record subdomain. The details include:

• Name – includes the hostname or prefix of the record. For example, if your website has a blog or an online shop you can add a blog or shop respectively. You don’t need to add your full domain.
• Value – This is the IP address to which the record points to. Usually, this is the IP address for a hosting account for your website. You can add more IP addresses to the record by selecting Add another value option.
• TTL (Time to Live) – This specifies how long the information should be cached by DNS resolvers before being refreshed. The default value is 1 hour.

You can also create a subdomain by adding a CNAME entry that points the subdomain to the domain name in your hosting account.

An A record associates a name with a specific set of fixed and known IP addresses.

A CNAME entry associates a name with another name and should be employed only in the absence of any other records associated with that name. Here’s how to do it.

Instead of selecting A record from the Type menu, select CNAME.

Now you’ll need to specify the details for your CNAME.

• Name – the hostname or prefix of the word that is part of the domain name. Usually, this can be a blog, shop, gallery, and others. It cannot exceed 63 characters and you can’t use more than one period but not as the first or last character.
• Value – this is the URL you’ll set as the destination for the host. Make sure to type @ which will point the subdomain to your main domain name.
• TTL (Time to Live) – how long the information should be cached by DNS resolvers before being refreshed.

Select Save and you’ve successfully created a CNAME to point the subdomain to the root domain. It’s worth noting that you can add more DNS records at the same time by selecting Add More Records. After adding all the necessary values select Save All Records.

Step 6: Test and Use the Subdomain

Once you have saved all the settings, you can test your subdomain by entering it in a web browser. If everything was set up correctly it should take you to the intended destination.

Keep in mind that DNS changes can take effect anywhere from within an hour to up to 48 hours. With that in mind, if you can’t use your subdomain just yet, wait a few hours or two days. If changes you made don’t take effect within that time frame, contact GoDaddy support.

You can see the full process of how to create a subdomain in GoDaddy here.

How to Create a Subdomain in GoDaddy with CPanel?

If you are creating a subdomain in GoDaddy Linux hosting, here’s how to create a subdomain in GoDaddy using cPanel.

Source: godaddy.com

• Step 1: Navigate to the GoDaddy product page.
• Step 2: Navigate under Web Hosting find the Linux Hosting account you want to use and select Manage.
• Step 3: You’ll be taken to the account Dashboard from where you need to select cPanel Admin.
• Step 4: Once in the cPanel Home page, navigate to the Domains section and click Subdomains.
• Step 5: In the Subdomains page enter the Subdomain name – for example, pictures or something else and ensure that you select the main domain.
• Step 6: Make sure Document Root is set to the default. This will ensure that the subdomain files are kept in a separate directory from the files stored in the main domain files.
• Step 7: Finally, click Create. The cPanel will create the subdomain to your main domain which will appear in the Modify a Subdomain list.

This option also lets you modify, redirect, and delete subdomains.

GoDaddy Subdomain Pricing

Adding a subdomain to your website is completely free. There are no hidden fees or expenses, and you can add up to 500 subdomains when registering a domain at GoDaddy. If you decide to purchase some hosting plan offered by GoDaddy you can create an unlimited number of subdomains at no additional cost.

GoDaddy also allows you to purchase a Wildcard subdomain SSL encryption which helps protect your website data on all domains and subdomains.

Are Some Subdomains Free on GoDaddy?

All subdomains on GoDaddy are free. Even if your subdomain has multiple levels, it’ll still be free. There’s one condition, however. You need to have a GoDaddy account and already use some of its services.

For example, in order to use a subdomain on GoDaddy, you have to register a domain which costs $0.99 for the first year.

Additionally, you can also add up to 500 subdomains if you use GoDaddy’s web hosting services for free. You can’t add a subdomain without already owning a domain name, so it makes sense to register a paid domain in GoDaddy before creating a subdomain.

How to Create a Free Subdomain on GoDaddy?

Creating a free subdomain on GoDaddy is an easy and quick process. You can create it by adding an “A” DNS record which points to an IP address of your main domain name. Alternatively, you can create a subdomain as a CNAME which points to your main domain name.

Do note that a CNAME can’t point to an IP address. To see how to create a subdomain using a CNAME or an “A” record, check out the guides we detailed above.

You can add multiple levels of subdomains, up to 500, as mentioned earlier. Keep in mind that while a subdomain can hold up to 255 characters, each level, separated by dots, can only be 63 characters long.

GoDaddy Subdomain Forwarding: How to Redirect a Subdomain

Subdomain forwarding, also known as subdomain redirection or subdomain forwarding, is a web hosting feature that allows you to redirect traffic from a subdomain to another website or web page.

This is typically done by configuring a specific subdomain to point to a different URL, where the content or information for that subdomain is actually hosted.

Here’s how to redirect a subdomain:

• Step 1: Step 1: Log in to your existing GoDaddy account and select My Products from the drop-down menu in GoDaddy homepage.
• Step 2: Now that you’re on the Products page, on the sidebar select Domain
• Step 3: In your Domains menu select the domain which you want to manage and click Manage DNS.
• Step 4: Scroll down to the forwarding section, navigate to the Subdomains list and click Add forwarding.
• Step 5: Enter the subdomain name you created for your website such as blog, shop, news, or info. In the next text box, enter the forwarding address.
• Step 6: Next, you’ll need to select the Forward Type. Choose Permanent, Temporary, or Forward with a masking option.
• Step 7: Click Save to update the changes you made.

Now, your subdomain should be redirected to the web address you typed in when setting up the domain forwarding. Enter the subdomain and domain in the browser. It should take you to a new address.

GoDaddy Alternative: How to Create a Subdomain in Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a powerful GoDaddy alternative used by many big companies. This section delves into how to create a subdomain in Cloudflare. Keep in mind that you can’t create a subdomain using an A record. Instead, you can use AAAA or CNAME records to add a subdomain to your website.

The steps below show how to create a subdomain with a CNAME record that points to the main registered domain.

• Step 1: Log in to your Cloudflare account and click on the domain you want to add a subdomain for.
• Step 2: Navigate to DNS records and click Add record.
• Step 3: Select CNAME from the menu.
• Step 4: Enter the subdomain for your website.
• Step 5: In the Target textbox type in your registered domain name that the subdomain will target.
• Step 6: Click Save to update the changes.

Test your subdomain by typing it in the browser. The subdomain should be active immediately and there are no long wait times like with GoDaddy.

You can see the full subdomain creation process here.

Final Word

GoDaddy allows you to create a subdomain for your website completely free of charge, as long as you use its web hosting, or you registered a domain through them.

You can easily add a subdomain through an “A” or “CNAME” record, or Linux Hosting cPanel.

If you still need to make a website here are the best website builders for you to use. If you don’t want to use GoDaddy’s hosting, our guide will help you choose the best web hosting for your needs.

Next Steps: What Now?

• What is a second-level domain (TLD)? Choose the right second-level domain for your website.
• Learn how to create a subdomain using cPanel
• Redirect your domain – Learn how to redirect your domain without changing the URL.