If you encounter the error message “Sorry, the domain is already set up” in your cPanel account, it’s likely caused by one of two reasons. Essentially, this error indicates that the domain still exists within the virtualhost in the Apache httpd.conf configuration file. In this guide, we’ll explore the two main reasons for encountering this error and provide steps to resolve it.

Troubleshooting cPanel Error:

Here are the two possible reasons for encountering this error:

Explanation One: The domain you’re attempting to set up might already be in use as a primary, addon, or parked domain for another account.

Explanation Two: Alternatively, a technical issue related to the domain could be the cause. For instance, if the domain was previously associated with another account and removed incompletely, remnants might still exist within the system.

If the error stems from the first reason, attempting to add the domain to the cPanel account should result in the following error message: “Error from park wrapper: Sorry, you do not control the domain.”

Fixing the cPanel Error:

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

• Identify the Domain Owner:
  • Execute the following command to determine the domain’s owner:

bash
/scripts/whoowns example.com

Replace “example.com” with the actual domain name.

If the above command yields no results, use the following command string:

bash
grep example.com /var/cpanel/users/*

• This command will display output indicating the owner of the domain.
• Update Configuration Files:
  • Locate and update the following files with the new user information, and remove lines associated with the previous domain:
    • /var/named/example.com.db
    • Remove the virtualhost entry for example.com from /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
    • Remove entries related to the domain from /var/cpanel/users/username
    • Update /etc/userdomains
    • Update /etc/localdomains
    • Edit /etc/named.conf to remove entries related to the domain
    • Remove DNS entry in WHM
• Update User Domains:
  • Run the following command as root on the server:

bash
/scripts/updateuserdomains

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “Sorry, the domain is already set up” error in cPanel.