You removed an addon domain that had been added with Share document root ticked, and now cPanel refuses to add it again with its own folder: (XID abc123) A DNS entry for "exampleaddon.com" already exists. This means a DNS zone or record for that name is still on the server. On Domain India shared hosting you can check a few things yourself, and anything left on the server itself is removed by support, not by you.
First confirm the domain is really gone from Domains in cPanel, then wait a few minutes and try again. If it still fails, open a support ticket with the full error message including the XID: on shared hosting only the server administrator can remove a leftover DNS zone. When you add the domain again, leave Share document root unticked so it gets its own folder.
This is a short version for the "share document root" case. For every cause of this error and what to do about each, see Fixing the "A DNS entry for the domain already exists" error.
1. What "Share document root" does
When you add a domain in cPanel (Domains › Domains › Create A New Domain), a checkbox offers to share the document root with your main domain. With it ticked, both domains serve the same files from public_html. That suits a second name for the same website, such as a spelling variant, but not a separate website. If you later remove the domain to add it back with its own folder, that is when this error tends to appear.
2. Why the error appears
cPanel refuses to create a DNS zone for a name the server already has one for. After a removal, the old zone or record can still be there because:
- the domain is still listed in your account, as an alias or subdomain;
- it was removed a moment ago and the server has not finished cleaning up;
- a leftover zone or record stayed behind on the server;
- the same domain is set up in another hosting account.
3. What you can do yourself
- Check your Domains list.In cPanel, open Domains › Domains and search for the domain. If it is still there, remove it from this page (not by deleting its folder in File Manager).
- Wait and retry.If you only just removed it, give the server a few minutes and try again.
- Check your other accounts.If you have more than one hosting service, open your hosting services and look in each account's cPanel.
- Add it again with its own folder.In Create A New Domain, enter the domain, leave Share document root unticked, and accept or edit the suggested folder, for example
public_html/exampleaddon.com.
Older versions of this article listed root commands that edit files under /var/named and /var/cpanel/users. Shared hosting customers can't run them, and hand-editing those files can break other accounts' DNS. The full guide has safe steps for people who run their own cPanel server.
4. When to contact support
If the domain is not in any of your accounts and the error persists, the leftover is on the server. Open a ticket at /client/support/new (or /support/ticket if you aren't logged in), or use 24/7 live chat, and include:
- the domain you are adding;
- the full error message, including the XID;
- the cPanel username of the account you are adding it to;
- that the domain was previously added with a shared document root.
Support will find the old zone and remove it if it is stale; if it belongs to another active account, they may first ask you to show that you control the domain.
5. After the domain is added
The domain reaches your new folder only when it points to your hosting. See how to change your nameservers or how to change your domain's DNS settings, and parked, addon and subdomains explained for when an alias is the better choice.
Why does cPanel say a DNS entry already exists after I removed the addon domain?
A DNS zone or record for that name is still on the server. It may still be in your account as an alias or subdomain, still being cleaned up, left over on the server, or in another hosting account. Check your Domains list, wait a few minutes, and open a support ticket if it persists.
Can I delete the old DNS record myself on shared hosting?
No. On shared hosting the server's DNS files are managed by the server administrator. Open a support ticket with the full error message, including the XID, and support will remove a stale zone.
Should I tick "Share document root" when adding a domain?
Only if the domain should show exactly the same website as your main domain. For a separate website, leave it unticked so the domain gets its own folder.
Ready to try again? Check your hosting services for the domain, then open a support ticket with the XID if it still won't add.
Send us the domain and the full error message, including the XID, and support will remove the leftover zone.
Open a ticket