Adding Domain Aliases

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Domain aliases allow you to point several domain names to the same
website. This can be useful, for example, for branding purposes.

To set up a domain alias in Plesk:

1. Go to Websites & Domains and run the Add Domain Alias wizard.

   

2. Specify the domain for which you are creating an alias (the primary
   domain) and the alias’s domain name, for example alias.tld, and
   set up the following:

• Synchronization of DNS zone with the primary domain

  If this option is enabled, the DNS zone of the domain alias will be
  in sync with the zone of the primary domain. Any changes made in the
  DNS zone of the primary domain will be automatically applied to the
  DNS zone of the alias. For example, if you create the CNAME record
  like blog.primary_domain.tld, the corresponding
  blog.alias.tld record will be added to the zone of the alias.

  Note: If a domain alias’s DNS zone is synced with the primary domain,
  you cannot modify resource records in the alias’s DNS zone.

• Mail service

  Plesk does not allow creating mailboxes under domain aliases.
  Instead, the mailboxes of the primary domain are used. If you select
  the Mail service option, the mailboxes created under the primary
  domain will also be available under the alias. To enable users to
  read mail sent to mailboxes under the alias, Plesk redirects it to
  the corresponding mailboxes under the primary domain.

  For example:

  You have an email address mail@domain.tld. Then you set up an
  alias for domain.tld, for example, alias.tld. If you select
  the Mail service option, all mail sent to mail@alias.tld will
  be available at mail@domain.tld. Otherwise, the mailbox
  mail@domain.tld will not receive mail sent to mail@alias.tld.

• Web service

  If this option is turned on, the website will open in the browser at
  the alias’s URL. If you clear the Web service check box, the
  alias will be used for mail only provided that Mail service is
  selected.

• Redirect with the HTTP 301 code

  By default, Plesk uses web server external redirection for aliases.
  In this case, the alias appears to be a separate website for visitors
  and for web search engines. This causes a problem because search
  engines index the content of the alias separately, so your primary
  domain loses search engine rankings.

  To avoid this, you can use redirection with the HTTP 301 code (Moved
  permanently) by selecting Redirect with the HTTP 301 code. In
  this case, only the primary domain will rank in search engines. Learn
  more at
  http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=93633

• Java web applications

  If you use hosting services based on a Linux platform, and you have
  Java applications installed on your site that you want to make
  accessible through the domain alias, select the Java web
  applications option.