A DirectAdmin reseller account lets you sell web hosting under your own brand. You create hosting packages and DirectAdmin accounts for your clients, set your own prices, and Domain India runs the server underneath. This guide walks through the first hour with a new Domain India DirectAdmin reseller account, from logging in to handing a client their first account.
Sign in from the panel button on your reseller service in the client area, or at https://server-hostname:2222 with the details on the service's Manage › Access tab. Build packages first, then create client accounts on those packages, and give each client their own DirectAdmin login. Server settings, PHP builds, free SSL and weekly JetBackup backups are handled by Domain India at server level; you manage your packages, clients and brand.
1. What a DirectAdmin reseller controls
DirectAdmin has three levels: Admin (the server, run by Domain India), Reseller (you) and User (each of your clients, and your own websites). As a reseller you work at the reseller level and can switch to the user level to manage your own sites.
| Task | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Create, edit and delete hosting packages | You |
| Create, suspend, unsuspend and delete client accounts | You |
| Reset a client's password or move them to another package | You |
| Your own websites, email and databases | You, at the user level |
| PHP builds installed, Apache and mail server settings | Domain India |
| Server firewall, security scanning and backup schedule | Domain India |
Everything you hand out has to fit inside your reseller plan's own disk, bandwidth and account limits. The limits for each plan are on the reseller hosting page.
2. Log in to DirectAdmin
- From the client area.Sign in, open My Hosting, and click the panel button on your reseller account's row. DirectAdmin opens in a new tab, already signed in. The button appears only while the service is Active.
- Directly.Go to
https://server-hostname:2222and enter your reseller username and password. The username, server IP and panel URL are on the service's Manage › Access tab and in your welcome email. - Forgotten the password?Use Reset password on the same Access tab.
Use the server hostname rather than your own domain until your domain points at the server; a new domain may not resolve to us yet. More detail is in how to log in to DirectAdmin.
Your reseller login controls every client account under it. Turn on client-area two-factor authentication, use a long unique DirectAdmin password, and never share it with clients. Each client gets their own login.
3. Set up your reseller details
Before you create accounts, fill in the details your clients will see:
- Your contact details and company name in the reseller settings, so account notices come from your brand.
- The nameservers for new accounts. You can use Domain India's hosting nameservers, shown on your service page, or your own branded nameservers such as
ns1.yourbrand.com. Private nameservers are listed as a feature of the DirectAdmin reseller plans; see setting up private nameservers and ask support for the IP addresses to use before you register them. - The IP for new accounts. If you are unsure which IP your client accounts should use, ask support before you create the first one.
DirectAdmin's menu names change a little between versions. Our servers run the Evolution skin; if a setting described here is not where you expect it, ask support and we will point you to it.
4. Create hosting packages
A package is a named set of limits, such as "Basic", "Business" and "Pro", that you apply to client accounts. Editing a package later lets you update every account on it at once, instead of editing accounts one by one.
- Open the user packages sectionat the reseller level and choose to add a package.
- Name the packagesomething your clients will understand.
- Set the limits:disk space, bandwidth, domains, subdomains, email accounts, databases and FTP accounts. Leave nothing set to unlimited that you cannot afford to give away.
- Leave shell (SSH) access off.Jailed SSH is available on request for each account; clients who need it can ask, and support enables it.
- Save, then create two or three more packages at different sizes.
If the packages you sell add up to more disk than your reseller plan holds, the first busy client can fill your account and stop every other site from saving files or receiving mail. Keep a margin, and check your usage regularly.
5. Create a client account
- Open the create-user screenat the reseller level.
- Enter a username, the client's email address and a strong password.The username is permanent, so keep it short and clear.
- Enter the client's domainand choose one of your packages.
- Create the account,then send the client their own DirectAdmin login, the panel address
https://server-hostname:2222and your nameservers. - Point the domain at the server.The client's domain must use your nameservers, or an A record for the server IP, before the website, email and free SSL work.
Nameservers are explained in how do I change my nameservers. If a client already has a DirectAdmin account elsewhere, ask support about moving it rather than rebuilding it by hand.
6. Manage and monitor your clients
From the list of users at the reseller level you can:
- See each client's usage of disk and bandwidth against their package.
- Suspend and unsuspend a client, for example for non-payment. A suspended site shows a suspension page; files and email are kept.
- Change a client's package to upgrade or downgrade them.
- Log in as the client to see exactly what they see when they report a problem.
- Delete an account. This removes its files, email and databases, so be sure first.
Resource limits and the errors a busy site can hit are explained in understanding hosting resource limits.
7. What runs at server level for every client
Outgoing mail on our DirectAdmin servers is limited to 1,000 messages per day per account (200 per mailbox by default), so point newsletter-heavy clients to a bulk mail service. DKIM signing is available on DirectAdmin; see how to check and manage DKIM in DirectAdmin.
8. Branding, billing and support
- White label. Your clients log in to DirectAdmin and pay you, not Domain India. See white-label branding for resellers.
- Billing. You set your prices and bill your clients yourself. Third-party billing software such as WHMCS or Blesta can automate invoices and account creation; licences are bought separately from their vendors. See setting up billing for your reseller business.
- Support. You support your own clients. Domain India supports you with the server, the network and control-panel questions. Keep a short help page for your clients with your nameservers, webmail address (
https://theirdomain.com/webmail) and mail settings.
9. Domain India DirectAdmin reseller plans
Domain India sells DirectAdmin and cPanel reseller plans, compared with current prices on the reseller hosting page. DirectAdmin reseller plans carry no per-account control-panel licence cost, which keeps your margin higher as you add clients; cPanel plans suit clients who expect cPanel. New shared and reseller hosting purchases can be refunded in full within 30 days under our refund policy.
Support is on 24/7 live chat, and tickets get a first response within 15 minutes; resolution can take longer depending on the issue. There is no phone support.
How do I log in to my Domain India DirectAdmin reseller account?
Sign in to the client area, open My Hosting and click the panel button on the reseller account's row. Or go to https://server-hostname:2222 and use the reseller username and password shown on the service's Manage, Access tab.
Can a DirectAdmin reseller change server settings or PHP builds?
No. Server-wide settings, installed PHP builds and the mail and web server configuration are managed by Domain India. A reseller controls their own packages and client accounts.
Do my clients get free SSL?
Yes. DirectAdmin issues free Let's Encrypt certificates for client domains once the domain points at the server.
Are my clients' accounts backed up?
Yes. JetBackup 5 backs up every account on our DirectAdmin servers weekly, on Sundays, and keeps five copies. Clients can restore or download from JetBackup in their own panel.
Can I use my own nameservers?
Yes. Private nameservers are listed as a feature of the DirectAdmin reseller plans. Ask support for the IP addresses to use, register ns1 and ns2 under your brand domain as glue records, then set them as the nameservers for new accounts.
Can my clients have SSH access?
Jailed SSH access is available on every shared hosting account, but it is off by default. The client, or you on their behalf, asks support to enable it for that account. Login is with an SSH key.
How many emails can a client account send?
Outgoing mail on Domain India DirectAdmin servers is limited to 1,000 messages per day per account (200 per mailbox by default).
Ready to start your hosting business? Compare plans on reseller hosting, read how to log in to DirectAdmin, or open a support ticket if you can't find a reseller setting.
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