How to Change the Hostname of a WHM/cPanel Server
Changing the hostname of a WHM/cPanel server is a critical task that should be done carefully to avoid issues with your server’s licensing and services. The hostname is a unique name that identifies your server on the network.
Step 1: Log in to WHM and Access the Hostname Tool
First, log in to your WebHost Manager (WHM) as the root user. You will need full administrative access to perform this task.
In the WHM search bar on the left, type “hostname” and click on the Change Hostname option under the Networking Setup section.
Step 2: Enter the New Hostname
On the “Change Hostname” page, you will see your current hostname.
- Enter the new hostname in the provided field. The new hostname must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), such as
server.yourdomain.com. It is recommended that this domain is a subdomain that is not used by any of your customer’s websites. - Click the Change button to update the hostname.
WHM will then perform a series of checks to ensure the new hostname is valid and will not cause conflicts. After the checks are complete, it will apply the new hostname to the server.
Step 3: Update the Server’s IP Addresses
After changing the hostname, you must also ensure that the server’s IP addresses are correctly configured to point to the new hostname.
- Navigate back to the WHM search bar and type “IP”.
- Click on Show or Delete Current IP Addresses.
- Ensure that the server’s IP address and the hostname’s IP address match. If they don’t, you may need to update your DNS records to point the new hostname to the server’s IP address.
Important Considerations:
- DNS Propagation: You must create an A record for your new hostname in your domain’s DNS zone and ensure it points to your server’s IP address. DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate across the internet.
- License Issues: If the hostname is not configured correctly, your cPanel license may fail to validate.
- SSL Certificates: If you use an SSL certificate for your WHM login, you may need to re-issue or reinstall it for the new hostname.
