Fixing the "A DNS entry for the domain already exists" Error When Adding an Addon Domain in cPanel Print

When adding an addon domain in cPanel, you may sometimes encounter this error:

(XID xxxxx) A DNS entry for the domain “exampleaddon.com” already exists.

This message indicates that cPanel has detected a conflicting DNS record for the domain you're trying to add — even if it no longer appears in your account.

🔍 Why This Happens

This error usually appears due to:

• An addon or parked domain that was previously created and not fully removed

• A leftover DNS zone file in /var/named/

• A stale reference in /etc/userdomains, /var/cpanel/userdata/, or named.conf

• A partial DNS record from a previous account or subdomain

✅ Step-by-Step Fix Guide

1️⃣ Search for Existing DNS References

Use the following commands:

grep -Ri "exampleaddon.com" /var/named/
grep -Ri "exampleaddon.com" /etc/named.conf
grep -Ri "exampleaddon.com" /var/cpanel/userdata/
grep -Ri "exampleaddon.com" /etc/userdomains

If any results are found, proceed to remove them manually (with caution).

2️⃣ Remove the Zone File (If It Exists)

rm -f /var/named/exampleaddon.com.db

And remove any references in the BIND configuration:

sed -i '/exampleaddon.com/d' /etc/named.conf

3️⃣ Clean Up cPanel Internal References

Open the relevant cPanel user file:

nano /var/cpanel/users/exampleuser

Remove any line like:

XDNS1=exampleaddon.com

Then update user data cache:

rm -f /var/cpanel/users.cache/exampleuser
/scripts/updateuserdatacache
/scripts/rebuilddnsconfig
/scripts/rebuildhttpdconf

4️⃣ Restart DNS Services

For PowerDNS:

systemctl restart pdns

For BIND:

rndc reload

5️⃣ Try Adding the Domain Again in cPanel

• Navigate to cPanel > Domains > Create a New Domain

• Enter exampleaddon.com

• Set a unique document root

• Proceed with creation

💡 Pro Tips

• Always remove addon domains via cPanel, not by manually deleting folders.

• Before reusing a domain name, check for DNS leftovers.

• Avoid using the same domain as a subdomain or parked domain elsewhere on the server.

🛡️ Summary Checklist

This process ensures a clean environment for re-adding a previously removed or conflicting domain.