How to Create a New Account in WHM?

In WHM, go to Home > Account Functions > Create a New Account, enter the domain, username and contact email, choose a package or Select options manually, set DNS and Mail Routing, then click Create. After creation, set your domain’s nameservers at the registrar to ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk and ns4.serverworld.uk so it resolves here and AutoSSL can issue.

Before you start

• In WHM, your server nameservers must be set in Basic WebHost Manager Setup. Account creation can fail if they are missing.
• Your WHM login must have permission to create accounts and not be over reseller limits. If you are over limit, you cannot create new accounts.
• Decide the domain. A registered domain is recommended. Temporary domains are for build or testing only. They cannot use email, you cannot edit their DNS, and they are not suitable for SEO.

Step 1: Open Create a New Account in WHM

In WHM, go to Home > Account Functions > Create a New Account.

Step 2: Enter the domain, username and contact email

Domain: use the real domain or choose the temporary option if you are only building. You cannot convert an existing cPanel account to use a temporary domain later, and “www.” cannot be a separate account. Username: must be unique, 16 characters or fewer, lowercase letters and digits only, and cannot start with a number or “test”. If you use MySQL or PostgreSQL, the first 8 characters must be unique.

Undo: Chose a temporary domain but need email or DNS control. Replace it with a registered domain, or create a fresh account with the real domain.

Step 3: Choose a package or Select options manually

Pick an existing package to apply its limits and features, or select “Select options manually” to set resources and settings and optionally save them as a new package. You can choose the cPanel theme here. Jupiter and Meridian are available. If you see reseller toggles, “Make the account a reseller” and “Make the account own itself” grant sensitive access. Grant sparingly.

If you enable “Dedicated IP” in a package, that flag cannot be changed later for that package. WHM will assign only from unreserved IPs.

Undo: If you included Dedicated IP by mistake, create a package without it and recreate the account on the corrected settings.

Step 4: Set DNS and Mail Routing carefully

DNS: you can enable DKIM, SPF and DMARC at creation. DMARC requires DKIM and SPF. There is an option to tell WHM to use the registrar’s nameservers for the domain. Use “Overwrite any existing DNS zones” only if you intend to replace the current zone, as it can wipe custom records. In DNS clusters with any server set to write only, WHM does not check for existing zones and duplicate zones can be created.

Mail Routing: leave Auto Detect unless you must force Local, Backup or Remote. If your mail lives elsewhere, set Remote so delivery does not misroute. Temporary domains cannot route mail.

Undo: If you overwrote a zone by mistake, reopen DNS Zone Manager and recreate the required records.

Step 5: Create the account and point the domain to Hostworld

Click Create. WHM will show a confirmation with the settings and a “Go to cPanel” link. New visitors will see the default page, your skeleton content or any EA4 template you set.

At your domain registrar, set the nameservers to ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk and ns4.serverworld.uk. AutoSSL needs the domain to resolve correctly for DCV before it can issue or renew a certificate.

Undo: If you are not ready to move traffic, leave the registrar nameservers unchanged until the site is ready.

If it does not work

• Creation fails immediately: either the server nameservers are not set in Basic WebHost Manager Setup or your reseller account is over its creation limits. Set the nameservers, reduce usage, or open a support ticket for us to check limits and privileges.
• The site does not resolve or SSL will not issue: update nameservers at the registrar to ns1.serverworld.uk, ns2.serverworld.uk, ns3.serverworld.uk and ns4.serverworld.uk. AutoSSL will only pass DCV when DNS points to the account’s IP.
• Email is bouncing or going to the wrong place: do not force Local if your mail is on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Use Auto Detect or set Remote. If you used a temporary domain, email will not work until you use a registered domain.

What next

For a fuller walkthrough of account options, DNS and mail routing choices, see our guides. If you want us to confirm the right package or limits for your plan, open a support ticket and we will check.

Browse our guides for related cPanel and WHM tasks. If you are working on a server build, you may also find our VPS guides useful.