Knowledgebase

Add to Favorites Print this Article

How do I configure a domain pointer to forward a separate domain to my main website?

Domain pointers allow you to forward other domains to your main website.  In order to enable this functionality, you must first ensure that all domains share the same Name Servers (DNS) as your main website (You configure the DNS servers through your domain registrar).

Step 1 — Login To The DirectAdmin Control Panel

Login to the DirectAdmin Control Panel and select the Domain Pointers link under the Advanced Features Heading.

Select the Domain Pointers Link

Step 2 — Enter Your Domain Pointer Details

On the Domain Pointers Configuration Page there are three main steps to enter your details:

1. Enter the Source Domain (#1 in image below) - this is the Domain Name that will point to your main domain/website.

2. Choose whether you want this Pointer to be Created as an Alias (#2 in image below) by checking the Created as an Alias check box.

3. Click the Add button (#3 in image below) to enable this Pointer for your domain.

Enter Your Domain Details

IMPORTANT: There is a functional difference in how a Domain Pointer and a Domain Pointer as an Alias will redirect visitors to your website. In the following scenarios we will use mydomain.com (Pointer) and m2technology.com (Main domain) as examples:
  1. A Domain Pointer will redirect a visitor to the Domain Name (and website) of your choice.  For example, if mydomain.com is configured as a Pointer to m2technology.com, whenever mydomain.com is entered in a web browser, the browser will redirect to the m2technology.com domain, display the m2technology.com website — and display m2technology.com in the address bar. (*This is generally the option most users require).

    mydomain.com → → → "redirects to" → → → the m2technology.com domain name (and website)

  2. A Domain Pointer as an Alias will redirect a visitor to the Domain (and website) of your choice —  However, the domain name displayed in the browsers' address bar will be the Domain Alias — NOT the Main domain that you are redirecting to.  For example, if mydomain.com is configured as an Alias of m2technology.com, whenever mydomain.com is entered in a web browser, the browser will redirect to the m2technology.com domain, display the m2technology.com website — and display mydomain.com (the Alias) in the address bar. As a result it will appear that mydomain.com and m2technology.com are distinct websites — when they are actually unique domain names sharing the same website.

    mydomain.com → → → "redirects to" → → → the website on the m2technology.com domain 

    *Using a Domain Aliases is not recommended if you have an SSL certificate configured for your Main Domain name.

    **Search Engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo! etc.) may see your Domain Alias and Main Domain as being distinct websites that share the same content. Some SEO Experts feel that this can have a negative impact on Search Engine Ranking.

Step 3 — Verify Your Pointer Details

When the page refreshes, you will be able to review the Domain Pointers/Aliases that you have configured.  In the example below there are two Domain Pointers configured for m2technology.com:

  1. mydomain.com is configured as a Pointer for m2technology.com — e.g. entering mydomain.com in a browser will redirect to the m2technology.com domain name AND website (m2technology.com will be displayed in the browsers' address bar)

  2. myotherdomain.com is configured as an Alias for m2technology.com — e.g. entering myotherdomain.com in a browser will redirect to the m2technology.com domain AND website; However, the domain name displayed in the browsers' address bar will be myotherdomain.com — NOT m2technology.com

Review Domain Pointers

For Further Assistance:

Please submit a support ticket through the Client Portal if you require further assistance or experience any issues.

Was this answer helpful?

Top of Page

877-M2-Network
(877-626-3896)