Overview
A dreamhosters.com subdomain is a free subdomain DreamHost offers all customers. You can add this to your account as a free domain to host your website without having to purchase a domain registration.
You can also use it to test an existing website before making any live changes to your actual domain.
dreamhosters.com subdomains do not work with DreamPress plans. If you're using DreamPress and need a staging site, view the following article.
The following describes how to create and use a dreamhosters.com subdomain to host your site content.
How does a dreamhosters.com subdomain work?
Normally, you would register a domain such as example.com and add hosting to it. Then, anyone on the Internet can visit your website. This requires you to purchase the registration first.
If you have an active hosting plan (Shared, VPS, Dedicated), you can also add a free dreamhosters.com subdomain. It looks something like:
- example.dreamhosters.com
You get to decide what goes in front of .dreamhosters.com. This site can then be used to host a website or test an existing website.
How do I create a dreamhosters.com subdomain?
See the following article for further instructions on how to create a subdomain:
The only difference is that when you add the domain, you must type in your dreamhosters.com subdomain. For example:
- example.dreamhosters.com
When should I host a website on a dreamhosters.com subdomain?
If you don't need a specific domain name, a dreamhosters.com subdomain is a simple solution. You can create it to host your site content; it's also a good option since it's free. However, this is only an option for small, informational websites. It should never be used for a business site since the .dreamhosters.com part of the URL may not be suitable for professional websites.
When should I purchase a custom domain name?
If you want to create a site to promote a business or service, you should always purchase a unique domain name. This provides a more professional appearance and allows you to create custom email addresses and DNS entries for your site which are not possible using a dreamhosters.com subdomain.
How can I use a dreamhosters.com subdomain to test my actual website?
Most often, a dreamhosters.com subdomain is added to test your actual website. For example, if you have a site called example.com with public content, anyone on the Internet can view your site.
But, if you'd like to make changes to the site without disrupting its functionality, you can create a copy of the site at example.dreamhosters.com. You can then test out any changes there first, and then add those changes to your live website when you're ready.
How can I use a dreamhosters.com subdomain to view my site before pointing my DNS to DreamHost?
Another common use for a dreamhosters.com subdomain is to set up your site at DreamHost before migrating your content to DreamHost's server. This assumes you're currently hosting your site at another company and want to migrate your hosting services to DreamHost.
There are two ways to do this:
- Option #1 — Upload your site to DreamHost, then use the dreamhosters.com subdomain to 'Mirror' your actual site.
- Option #2 — Uploading your site directly to the dreamhosters.com subdomain.
View the following article for details on how to configure this:
Can I enable SSL on my dreamhosters.com subdomain?
Do not include the 'www' in your dreamhosters.com subdomain as adding it will cause the certificate not to work.
SSL certificates are automatically added to dreamhosters.com subdomains. There is nothing you need to configure.
Other ways to use a dreamhosters.com subdomain
A dreamhosters.com subdomain can also be used in other ways. View the following articles for more examples: