Subdomain opens the main site instead of its own content

When a subdomain shows the main site, the subdomain document root is usually empty, misassigned, or redirected by application rules.

Common symptoms

• The subdomain displays the same homepage as the root domain
• Only one subdomain is affected
• The subdomain worked before but changed after an update

Troubleshooting steps

1. Review the subdomain's document root in cPanel and confirm its files are stored there.
2. Check for redirect rules in .htaccess, framework config files, or CMS settings that force requests to the root domain.
3. Ensure the subdomain DNS record points to the hosting server and has not been changed accidentally.
4. Temporarily place a unique test file in the subdomain folder to verify the correct path is being served.
5. If a CDN is enabled, purge cached redirects before retesting.

Additional notes

• Applications such as WordPress can hardcode the site URL and force traffic to the primary domain.
• A wildcard subdomain configuration can mask mistakes in specific subdomain records.

When to contact support

Contact support if the subdomain document root appears correct but the wrong virtual host is still being served.