Bluehost Web Hosting Help

DNS Entry Already Exists - Error Message in WHM

When trying to add a new domain name in WHM, you may get an error like this:

Account Creation Status: failed 
Sorry, a DNS entry for example.com already exists, please delete it first 
(from all servers in the dns cluster)


This means that a DNS zone file already exists for this domain. To fix this, do the following:

  1. Log in to WHM.
  2. Look for the Delete a DNS Zone section using the search boxes either on the left-hand menu or at the top of the page.
  3. Select the DNS zone's domain you're trying to add, then click the Delete button.
  4. Reattempt the account creation.

Warning! Make sure you are deleting the correct DNS zone, and it does not contain the settings you need. There's no way to undo the deletion or restore the deleted DNS records. After you delete the DNS zone, you will have to recreate any custom settings in the new DNS zone.

For further assistance, you may contact our Chat Support or Phone Support via 888-401-4678. You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.

Knowledgebase Article 116,617 views bookmark tags: dns


Was this resource helpful?

Did this resolve your issue?


Please add any other comments or suggestions about this content:





Recommended Help Content

What is an MX Entry

Definition of an MX Entry

Error "Sorry, a group for that username already exists."

Creating a resold account causes the error "Sorry, a group for that username already exists."

Email Error Messages - What Do They Mean?

Look for the error message that most closely matches the one you received.

Related Help Content

Edit Reseller DNS Zone Template

Explains how to edit the DNS Zone Timplate.

DNS Management - How To Add Edit Or Delete DNS Entries

How to Modify Your DNS Records

What Are DNS Records? Domain Name System Examples - DNS Zone Editor

What are the commonly used DNS entries?

DNS Propagation

Any time DNS is updated, it can take up to 48 hours for those changes to take effect. This period of time is called propagation, and it applies to any and all DNS updates. This article will explain what propagation is and why it's important.

DNS Cache Flush

How do I flush my DNS cache?

Wildcard Subdomains or DNS

Do you support wildcard subdomains or wildcard DNS entries?

What Is A 500 Internal Server Error? How To Fix 500 Internal Server Error

Website shows a server 500 error, what can I do to fix it?

DNS Management - How To Edit MX Records

I would like to change my MX Record so I can use a mail server with another provider.