How to Create Subdomains for Use with Netlify on Namecheap?

Technical Questions Forum
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I have a Namecheap domain for my small business website, which is hosted on Netlify. I’ve set up custom DNS for my nameservers and added the Netlify-provided ones (dns1.p02.nsone.net, dns2.p03.nsone.net, etc.). I also added DNS records for domain.com and www.domain.com on Netlify, and my site is now accessible with my new domain.

Now, I want to create subdomains, but I’m not sure how to proceed. The instructions I’ve found don’t seem to work with my custom DNS settings, which are necessary to point my Netlify site to my domain. If I switch to Namecheap’s BasicDNS or Web Hosting DNS, it removes the Netlify nameservers, and my site goes down.

Is there a guide for creating subdomains on Namecheap while still using the main domain for my Netlify-hosted site? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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You can create subdomains while keeping your custom DNS settings by adding DNS records directly on Netlify for your subdomains. Log in to Netlify, go to “Domain management,” and add the subdomains as DNS records. Ensure they point to the appropriate Netlify IPs or services, maintaining your site’s functionality.

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To create subdomains with Netlify on Namecheap:

Set Up DNS with Netlify: Point your domain’s DNS to Netlify by updating Namecheap’s DNS settings. This involves setting Netlify’s nameservers in Namecheap’s DNS settings.

Add Subdomains in Netlify: Log into Netlify, go to your site’s settings, and add the desired subdomains under “Domain Management.”

Automatic Creation: Netlify will automatically configure the subdomains for you once DNS is pointing to them.

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Hello, thank you for reaching out. The matter is that subdomains need to be created at the side of the current DNS service provider.

Due to this there are two main options.

If you wish to keep the current Netlify nameservers, you will need to create the subdomain from your account with them instead of the Namecheap account.

Alternatively, to do this from the Namecheap account, the domain needs to be pointed to our BasicDNS nameservers and linked to Netlify using host records instead of nameservers (if the hosting service provider allows such an option).

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To create a subdomain on Namecheap while using Netlify:

  1. Add A records for subdomains: In your Namecheap account, create A records for each desired subdomain, pointing them to your Netlify IP address.
  2. Maintain Netlify nameservers: Keep your domain’s nameservers pointing to Netlify to ensure your main website functions correctly.

This setup allows you to manage subdomains without affecting your main Netlify website.

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If you use Netlify to host your domain, you do not need to purchase it from them; just host DNS there, and they will take care of setting up any subdomains you put up on a website just by applying them. If switching to their (free) DNS hosting is an option, that might be a simpler course of action. Navigate to Team Overview Domains in the Netlify UI to create a domain.
Select “Register or add a domain.” After entering your subdomain, finish the process.