Migrating cPanel accounts from Reseller to Shared Hosting

Reseller hosting packages allow you to create and manage multiple cPanel accounts, while shared hosting packages are limited to a single cPanel account. If you’re moving from a reseller plan to a shared hosting plan, you’ll need to consolidate all your websites into one cPanel account.

This guide explains how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Move Website Content

Files

1. Log in to each reseller subaccount.

2. Download the website files using an FTP client (recommended) or the cPanel File Manager.

3. Upload each site’s files into a separate subdirectory inside the public_html folder of your new shared hosting account.

   • Example:

     • public_html/site1
     • public_html/site2

Keep track of which directory belongs to which domain—you’ll need this when setting up domains later.

Databases

1. Export each subaccount’s databases (MySQL or PostgreSQL).

2. Import them into your new shared hosting account.

   • See Ruachost KB guides on [importing/exporting MySQL] and [importing/exporting PostgreSQL].

3. Update your site configuration files (like wp-config.php for WordPress) with the new database name, user, and password.

Step 2: Set Up Domains

Once all files and databases are consolidated:

1. Remove addon and parked domains from the old subaccounts.

2. Add them to your new shared hosting account:

   • Addon Domains → point to the correct subdirectory (e.g., public_html/site1).
   • Parked Domains → point to the main domain or addon domain.

3. Finally, add each subaccount’s main domain as either an addon or parked domain in the shared account.

Important

• If a site was previously a parked domain, set it up as an addon domain in the shared account.
• Otherwise, it will load the main domain instead of its own content.

Step 3: DNS and IP Considerations

• If any site had a dedicated IP address, expect up to 24 hours of downtime while DNS propagates to the shared account’s IP.
• Shared hosting accounts are limited to one IP address and therefore one SSL certificate.

Step 4: Finalize the Migration

1. Test each domain in a browser to confirm it loads correctly.
2. Verify databases, forms, and email accounts are working.
3. Once everything is consolidated and tested, open a support ticket in your Contact us to request the official switch from reseller to shared hosting.