How to Create a WHM Reseller Without an Associated Domain

Valid for versions 106 through the latest version

Version: 106

Last modified: January 26, 2024

Overview

WHM allows the creation of administrative user accounts that do not require an associated cPanel account. These accounts grant users, such as employees, access to WHM functionalities without needing root privileges, enabling them to perform tasks similar to a root user.

Warning: Creating a reseller account without an associated domain will result in certain WHM functionalities not operating correctly, both when logged in as that user and when attempting actions related to that user. Refer to the Known Limitations section for more details.

Creating a WHM Reseller Account Without a Domain Using WHM API 1 'createacct' Function

For a quick and straightforward method to create a WHM reseller account without an associated domain, utilize the WHM API 1 createacct function.

1. Connect to the server via SSH as the root user.
2. Call the WHM API 1 createacct function. For example:

   whmapi1 createacct username=user password=password reseller_without_domain=1

   Note:

   • In the example above, user represents the desired account username.
   • Ensure you include the reseller_without_domain parameter.
3. Follow the URL in the output to modify the new account’s privileges. Alternatively, you can edit an account’s privileges using the WHM API 1 setacls function.

   Warning: After creating the account using the API, it will not have any privileges assigned to it. You must add the desired privileges to the account.

Manually Creating a WHM Reseller Account Without an Associated Domain

To manually create a WHM reseller account without an associated domain, follow these steps:

Note:

• In the steps below, username represents the desired account username.
• You must select the desired permissions for your new reseller account.

1. Connect to the server via SSH as the root user.
2. Create a new user with the following command:

   /usr/sbin/useradd username

3. Set the new user’s password with the following command:

   /usr/bin/passwd username

4. Set the permissions for the new user’s home directory with the following command:

   chmod -v 711 /home/username

5. Create an entry in the /var/cpanel/resellers file for username with the following command:

   echo "username:" >> /var/cpanel/resellers

6. Check whether the /var/cpanel/users/username file exists.
   • If the file exists, open it in your preferred text editor. Remove the following line:

     DNS=domain.com

   • If the file does not exist, create it with the following commands:

     Line	Command
     1	echo USER=username > /var/cpanel/users/username
     2	chmod 0640 /var/cpanel/users/username
     3	chgrp username /var/cpanel/users/username

7. Log in to WHM as the root user and navigate to WHM’s Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges interface (WHM » Home » Resellers » Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges).
8. Select username from the menu and click Submit.
9. Select the checkboxes that correspond to the desired user permissions. Click Save to save these changes.

Changing the Password for a WHM Reseller Account Without an Associated Domain

You cannot change the password for this account type using WHM’s Password Modification interface (WHM » Home » Account Functions » Password Modification) or List Accounts interface (WHM » Home » Account Information » List Accounts). The only way to change the password for this account type is by using the following command:

/usr/bin/passwd username

Removing a WHM Reseller Account Without a Domain Using WHM API 1 'removeacct' Function

To quickly and easily remove a WHM reseller account without an associated domain, you can use the WHM API 1 removeacct function.

1. Connect to the server via SSH as the root user.
2. Call the WHM API 1 removeacct function. For example:

   whmapi1 removeacct username=user

   Note: In the example above, user represents the account username for the reseller account without an associated domain.

Manually Removing a WHM Reseller Account Without an Associated Domain

To manually remove a WHM reseller account without an associated domain, follow these steps:

Note: In the steps below, username represents the account’s username.

1. Connect to the server via SSH as the root user.
2. Remove the /var/cpanel/users/username file.
3. Remove the user file username in the /var/cpanel/users/ directory. To do this, run the following command:

   rm /var/cpanel/users/username

4. Open the /var/cpanel/resellers file and remove the username user entry from the file.
5. Remove the user from the system with the following command:

   /usr/sbin/userdel -r username

Known Limitations for WHM Reseller Accounts Without Associated Domains

Known limitations for this type of account include, but are not limited to:

• When logged in to WHM as a reseller account without an associated domain, the following interfaces will fail to load correctly:
  • File and Directory Restoration
  • Generate an SSL Certificate and Signing Request
• You cannot change the password for this account type using WHM’s Password Modification interface or List Accounts interface. The only way to change the password for this account type is by using the command line.
• This account type has no contact email account.
• Email notifications will not function on this account type.
• You cannot back up this account type with the pkgacct script. For more information about the pkgacct script, read our The pkgacct Script documentation.

Important: We recommend running /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/updateuserdomains after creating a WHM reseller without an associated domain before using any WHM API calls.

Additional Documentation

• Change Ownership of Multiple Accounts
• Create a New Account
• How to Create a Demo cPanel Account
• How to Log in to Your Server or Account
• Reseller Center
• The cPanel Glossary