Dreamweaver to Site Host Setup

This document outlines the basic steps for configuring Dreamweaver to work with a site hosted on a remote hosting provider via FTP. Both to the main domain and to a subdomain are described. Three specific providers are discussed: GoDaddy.com, Hostmonster.com and Dreamhost.com. Dreamweaver CS4 is being used but the process is similar in previous versions of the tool.

Setting up Dreamweaver to interact with the main domain

GoDaddy.com and a Main domain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the site a name - your domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for your site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is your domain name only (e.g. mydomainname.com)
   • Host directory will be empty
   • Login and password are the credentials you designated when you set up the hosting account
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Hostmonster.com and a Main domain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the site a name - your domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for your site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is your domain name only (e.g. mydomainname.com)
   • Host directory will be "/www" - without the quotes.
   • Login and password are the credentials you designated when you set up the hosting account
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • At the bottom of the screen is a text box that shows the URL prefix. Make sure that anything that appears after your domain name is deleted. So it should read only http://mydomain.com (of course using your own domain name.)
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Dreamhost.com and a Main domain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the site a name - your domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for your site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is your domain name with a forward slash at the end (e.g. mydomainname.com/)
   • Host directory will be the same as the domain name but without the ending slash (e.g. mydomain.com)
   • Login and password are the credentials you designated when you set up the hosting account
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Your site in Dreamweaver should now be setup and the folder that will store your local files to be used in the web site should now show in the "Files" panel within Dreamweaver. If any previously established files or folders exist in that folder they should be visible too.

Setting up a Subdomain on your host

Note: A subdomain is treated as if it is a stand alone web site, independent of the main domain site. It is not intended to share resources with the main domain. This means that on your local machine the subdomain web site should have its own folder to hold all materials. This folder should be completely independent of the folder which contains the materials used in the main domain web site. Subdomains however do not require a separate domain name, they simple append the subdomin name to the main domain name. For example, if my main domain is mydomainname.com, and I create a subdomain named "cool", then the URL for the subdomain is cool.mydomainname.com.

The process for creating a subdomin is slightly different for each of the three suggested hosting companies as outlined below:

Creating a subdomain on GoDaddy.com

1. Log in to GoDaddy and enter the Manage Hosting area of the site.
2. Find and click the "Manage Domains" option.
3. Find and click the link labeled "Add" under the title Subdomains.
4. Name the subdomain and unless otherwise needed accept the default setting for the host to create a new folder with the same name as the subdomain.
5. Click "OK" or whatever the option is to accept the settings and proceed.
6. Log out when done.
7. The setup process typically takes a very short amount of time, but 1-2 hours should suffice before attempting to set up a Dreamweaver connection to the new subdomain.

Creating a subdomain on Hostmonster.com

1. Log in to the C-Panel and scroll down to the area entitled "Domains". In the tools list there is a tool labeled "Subdomains". Click it.
2. Enter the name of the subdomain in the first text box.
3. The C-Panel tool will automatically show the path to the new subdomain in the Document Root text box.
4. Unless there is an overwhelming reason not to, accept the default location provided.
5. Click "Create".
6. Log out when done.
7. The setup process typically takes a very short amount of time, but 1-2 hours should suffice before attempting to set up a Dreamweaver connection to the new subdomain.

Creating a subdomain on Dreamhost.com

1. Log in to the control panel of your hosting account.
2. Find and click the "Domains" link, then on the "Manage Domains" option.
3. Find and click the "Add a domain / subdomain" link near the top of the page.
4. Define your subdomain and submit the completed form.
5. Click "OK" or whatever the option is to accept the settings and proceed.
6. Log out when done.
7. The setup process typically takes a very short amount of time, but 1-2 hours should suffice before attempting to set up a Dreamweaver connection to the new subdomain.

Setting up Dreamweaver to interact with a subdomain

To create a Dreamweaver site definition that points specifically to the subdomain do the following:

Dreamweaver and a GoDaddy.com subdomain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu in Dreamweaver.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the subdomain site a name - your subdomain name appended to the main domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for the site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://subdomain.mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is your subdomain appended to your domain name only (e.g. subdomain.mydomainname.com)
   • Host directory will be empty
   • Login and password are the same credentials as for the main domain.
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Hostmonster.com and a subdomain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu in Dreamweaver.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the site a name - your subdomain name appended to the domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for your site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://subdomain.mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is your subdomain appended to the domain name only (e.g. subdomain.mydomainname.com)
   • Host directory will be "/www/subdomain" - without the quotes and use the name of your actual subdomain instead of "subdomain".
   • Login and password are the same credentials as for the main domain.
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • At the bottom of the screen is a text box that shows the URL prefix. Make sure that anything that appears after your domain name is deleted. So it should read only http://mydomain.com (of course using your own domain name.)
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Dreamhost.com and a subdomain

1. Choose "New Site" from the Site menu in Dreamweaver.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab (top left corner)
3. Start with "Local Info" category
   • Give the site a name - your subdomain name appended to the domain name is suggested
   • Point to your local root folder for your site (create one if needed)
   • The "Links relative to..." can be either setting - but "Site Root" is suggested
   • If you are using Linux hosting, turn on the checkbox for case sensitive link checking.
   • Http address should be similar to http://subdomain.mydomainname.com (use your own)
4. Move to the "Remote Info" category
   • The access method will be FTP
   • FTP host name is the full subdomain name only (e.g. subdomain.mydomainname.com)
   • Host directory will be the full subdomain name and a forward slash at the end (e.g. subdomain.mydomainname.com/)
   • Login and password are the same credentials as used for the main domain
   • Be sure to click the "Test" button to ensure Dreamweaver can connect to your host server
5. Move to the "Testing Server" category
   • Choose your server technology if using dynamic pages (e.g. PHP MySQL). Leave as "None" otherwise.
   • Select "FTP" as you access means. The settings from the previous screen should automatically be supplied here.
   • Be sure that the URL Prefix box at the bottom of the screen is just the full subdomain name with the http protocol (e.g. http://subdomain.mydomainname.com/). There should be nothing after the forward slash.
   • Click "OK" to save your settings.
6. Once you return to the Manage Sites dialog box, click "Done"

Your site in Dreamweaver should now be setup and the folder that will store your local files to be used in the web site should now show in the "Files" panel within Dreamweaver. If any previously established files or folders exist in that folder they should also be visible. Changing to Remote view should show you only those files that exist in the subdomain on the host server. You should not see anything related to the main domain.