Sometimes a customer who started with one DirectAdmin account wants to host sites for their own clients. On a server you run yourself, DirectAdmin can turn that user into a reseller without moving any files. This guide shows the supported way to do it as the server's administrator, what to set up afterwards, and what to do instead if your account is on Domain India shared hosting.
On your own DirectAdmin server, log in as root and run /usr/local/directadmin/scripts/user_to_reseller.sh USERNAME. The account keeps its websites, email and databases and gains the reseller level; then give it reseller limits and an IP to use. The script needs root, so it is only for servers you administer. On Domain India shared hosting you can't convert your own account: order a DirectAdmin reseller plan and ask support about moving your existing sites into it.
1. User, reseller and admin in DirectAdmin
DirectAdmin has three account levels:
| Level | What it can do | Who usually has it |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Runs the server: PHP builds, mail and web server settings, firewall, reseller accounts | The server owner |
| Reseller | Creates packages and client accounts inside its own limits, and has its own websites | A web designer or hosting business |
| User | Manages its own domains, email, databases and files | A single website owner |
Converting a user to a reseller adds the reseller level to an existing account. Its own domains, mailboxes and databases stay where they are, so the websites keep working, and the account can now create client accounts.
2. Before you convert: this needs root
The conversion is an admin task. It uses a script in DirectAdmin's scripts directory that checks for root and then calls DirectAdmin's own API. We checked the script on DirectAdmin 1.710 on 24 September 2026: it refuses to run without root access.
That means:
- On your own VPS or server with DirectAdmin, you can do it yourself. The steps are in section 3.
- On Domain India shared hosting, you are a user or reseller on a server Domain India administers, so you can't run it. Section 6 explains the route for you.
The conversion keeps the account's data, but any account-level change on a live server deserves a fresh backup first. Create a backup of the account at the admin level, and note its current package and limits, before you run the script.
3. Convert the user on your own server
Log in to the server over SSH as root (or use sudo -i), then:
- Check the username. DirectAdmin usernames are short and lowercase. Confirm it exists with `ls /usr/local/directadmin/data/users/grep -x USERNAME`.
- Go to the scripts directory.Run
cd /usr/local/directadmin/scripts. - Run the conversion.Run
./user_to_reseller.sh USERNAME, replacingUSERNAMEwith the real account name. On success it printsUser 'USERNAME' has been converted to reseller. - Read any error.If it fails, the script prints DirectAdmin's reply. A typo in the username is the usual cause.
- Check the result.Log in to DirectAdmin as admin and open the list of resellers; the account should now appear there.
cd /usr/local/directadmin/scripts
./user_to_reseller.sh USERNAMEThe script also accepts an optional second argument, the account that will own the new reseller (for example admin). If you leave it out, DirectAdmin uses its default.
If your DirectAdmin version offers the same action in the admin interface, you can use that instead; the result is the same. The script is the method DirectAdmin ships in every current installation.
4. After converting: limits, IPs and the reseller's first login
A newly converted reseller can't do much until you give it room to work:
- Set reseller limits.At the admin level, apply a reseller package or edit the reseller's limits: disk, bandwidth, number of users, domains and email accounts it may hand out.
- Assign an IP.Give the reseller access to the shared IP its clients will use, so it can create accounts.
- Check its own sites.Open the account's websites and send a test email. Nothing should have changed for them.
- Hand over the reseller login.The same username and password now open both the reseller level and the user level. Ask the new reseller to switch on two-factor authentication in DirectAdmin.
The reseller then creates packages and client accounts as described in A step-by-step guide to DirectAdmin reseller hosting.
5. Undo it, or move users between resellers
DirectAdmin ships two companion scripts in the same directory:
| Script | What it does | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| reseller_to_user.sh | Turns a reseller back into an ordinary user owned by another reseller or admin | ./reseller_to_user.sh USERNAME NEWOWNER |
| move_user_to_reseller.sh | Moves a client account from one reseller to another | ./move_user_to_reseller.sh USERNAME OLDRESELLER NEWRESELLER |
Before you downgrade a reseller that already has client accounts, move those clients to another reseller first, so nobody is left without an owner. Both scripts also need root.
6. On Domain India shared hosting
If your DirectAdmin account is on Domain India shared hosting and you want to start reselling, you don't need a server of your own:
- Order a DirectAdmin reseller plan. The Reseller Starter plan is ₹617 a month, excluding 18% GST (Domain India list price on 19 September 2026), and yearly billing gets a 10% discount. DirectAdmin reseller plans have no limit on the number of hosting accounts you create; you work within the plan's disk and bandwidth.
- Ask about your existing sites. Open a ticket and tell us the account you want to bring across. Support will tell you whether it can be moved into the reseller plan and how.
- What you get. You manage your own packages, clients and brand; Domain India runs the server, free Let's Encrypt SSL and weekly JetBackup 5 backups (Sunday, five copies kept). Support for resellers is the same 24/7 live chat and ticket support every customer gets, with a first response to tickets within 15 minutes; there is no phone support.
- What is not included. Reseller plans don't include hourly backups, wildcard SSL or a WHMCS licence. Billing software such as WHMCS or Blesta is bought separately from its vendor.
- 250 GB NVMe SSD Storage
- 500 GB Monthly Bandwidth
- Unlimited Hosting Accounts
- DirectAdmin Panel
New shared and reseller hosting purchases can be refunded in full within 30 days under our refund policy.
How do I convert a DirectAdmin user to a reseller?
On a server you administer, log in as root and run /usr/local/directadmin/scripts/user_to_reseller.sh followed by the username. Then give the new reseller limits and an IP to use at the admin level.
Will converting a user to a reseller break its websites or email?
No. The account keeps its domains, mailboxes, databases and files; it gains the reseller level on top. Take a backup first anyway, as with any account change on a live server.
Can I convert my own Domain India shared hosting account into a reseller?
Not yourself. The conversion needs root access, which only the server administrator has. Order a DirectAdmin reseller plan and open a ticket to ask whether your existing sites can be moved into it.
How do I turn a reseller back into a normal user?
Run ./reseller_to_user.sh USERNAME NEWOWNER as root in /usr/local/directadmin/scripts. Move the reseller's client accounts to another reseller first with move_user_to_reseller.sh.
How many client accounts can a Domain India DirectAdmin reseller create?
Domain India DirectAdmin reseller plans have no limit on the number of hosting accounts. You work within the plan's disk space and bandwidth.
Do Domain India reseller plans include a WHMCS licence?
No. Reseller plans don't include a WHMCS licence, hourly backups or wildcard SSL. You can buy billing software such as WHMCS or Blesta from its vendor and use it with your reseller account.
Ready to start reselling? Compare plans on reseller hosting, read the DirectAdmin reseller guide, or open a support ticket to ask about moving your existing sites.
DirectAdmin reseller plans with unlimited hosting accounts, free SSL and weekly backups.
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