Fix subdomain DNS messaging for Ladill nameservers and retire pending-setup primaries.

Treat ns_auto domains as managed DNS, publish subdomain A records via PowerDNS without failing the UX when the local DNS registry is missing, and promote real linked domains over pending-setup.local placeholders.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

app/Http/Controllers/Hosting/HostingPanelController.php

@@ -1162,16 +1162,23 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
 
                 // Restore the soft-deleted site and recreate nginx config
                 $existingSite->restore();
+                $placeholders = app(\App\Services\Hosting\PlaceholderPrimaryDomainService::class);
+                $promoteToPrimary = $placeholders->shouldBecomePrimary($account, $domainHost);
+
                 $existingSite->fill([
                     'document_root' => $docRoot,
                     'php_version' => $account->php_version ?? $existingSite->php_version ?? '8.2',
                     'status' => 'active',
-                    'type' => $existingSite->type ?: 'addon',
+                    'type' => $promoteToPrimary ? 'primary' : ($existingSite->type ?: 'addon'),
                 ])->save();
                 try {
                     $existingSite->loadMissing(['account.node']);
                     $this->runtimeFor($account)->addSite($existingSite);
 
+                    if ($promoteToPrimary) {
+                        $placeholders->promoteSite($account, $existingSite);
+                    }
+
                     // Queue SSL provisioning for restored domain
                     ProvisionHostingSslJob::dispatch($existingSite->id)->delay(now()->addMinutes(2));
 
@@ -1256,12 +1263,15 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
             ]);
         }
 
+        $placeholders = app(\App\Services\Hosting\PlaceholderPrimaryDomainService::class);
+        $promoteToPrimary = $placeholders->shouldBecomePrimary($account, $domainHost);
+
         $site = HostedSite::create([
             'hosting_account_id' => $account->id,
             'domain_id' => $domain->id,
             'domain' => $domainHost,
             'document_root' => $docRoot,
-            'type' => 'addon',
+            'type' => $promoteToPrimary ? 'primary' : 'addon',
             'php_version' => $account->php_version ?? '8.2',
             'ssl_enabled' => false,
             'status' => 'active',
@@ -1270,6 +1280,10 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
         try {
             $this->runtimeFor($account)->addSite($site);
 
+            if ($promoteToPrimary) {
+                $placeholders->promoteSite($account, $site);
+            }
+
             // Queue DNS zone provisioning (manual pack is local-only).
             if ($onboardingMode === Domain::MODE_MANUAL_DNS) {
                 $verification->prepareManualDnsPack($domain);
@@ -1368,14 +1382,23 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
                 try {
                     $existingSite->loadMissing(['account.node']);
                     $this->runtimeFor($account)->addSite($existingSite);
-                    $this->provisionSubdomainDns($account, $parent, $label, $fqdn, $serverIp, $pdns);
+                    $dnsResult = $this->provisionSubdomainDns($account, $parent, $label, $fqdn, $serverIp, $pdns);
+                    if (! empty($dnsResult['domain_id']) && (int) $existingSite->domain_id !== (int) $dnsResult['domain_id']) {
+                        $existingSite->update(['domain_id' => $dnsResult['domain_id']]);
+                    }
                     ProvisionHostingSslJob::dispatch($existingSite->id)->delay(now()->addMinutes(2));
 
+                    $message = match ($dnsResult['status']) {
+                        'managed' => "Subdomain {$fqdn} has been restored. DNS was updated on Ladill nameservers; SSL will provision automatically.",
+                        'managed_failed' => "Subdomain {$fqdn} has been restored. Ladill nameservers are in use, but we could not publish the A record automatically. Check DNS for {$parent->domain} in Ladill Domains.",
+                        default => "Subdomain {$fqdn} has been restored. Because this domain uses external DNS, add an A record for {$fqdn} → {$serverIp}. SSL will provision automatically.",
+                    };
+
                     if ($request->wantsJson()) {
-                        return response()->json(['success' => true, 'message' => "Subdomain {$fqdn} has been restored."]);
+                        return response()->json(['success' => true, 'message' => $message]);
                     }
 
-                    return back()->with('success', "Subdomain {$fqdn} has been restored. SSL will be provisioned automatically.");
+                    return back()->with('success', $message);
                 } catch (\Exception $e) {
                     $existingSite->delete();
                     Log::error('Failed to restore subdomain nginx config: '.$e->getMessage());
@@ -1416,12 +1439,17 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
 
         try {
             $this->runtimeFor($account)->addSite($site);
-            $dnsManaged = $this->provisionSubdomainDns($account, $parent, $label, $fqdn, $serverIp, $pdns);
+            $dnsResult = $this->provisionSubdomainDns($account, $parent, $label, $fqdn, $serverIp, $pdns);
+            if (! empty($dnsResult['domain_id']) && (int) $site->domain_id !== (int) $dnsResult['domain_id']) {
+                $site->update(['domain_id' => $dnsResult['domain_id']]);
+            }
             ProvisionHostingSslJob::dispatch($site->id)->delay(now()->addMinutes(2));
 
-            $message = $dnsManaged
-                ? "Subdomain {$fqdn} created. DNS A record was added for the parent zone; SSL will provision automatically."
-                : "Subdomain {$fqdn} created. Point an A record for {$fqdn} to {$serverIp}, then SSL will provision automatically.";
+            $message = match ($dnsResult['status']) {
+                'managed' => "Subdomain {$fqdn} created. DNS was updated on Ladill nameservers; SSL will provision automatically.",
+                'managed_failed' => "Subdomain {$fqdn} created. Ladill nameservers are in use, but we could not publish the A record automatically. Check DNS for {$parent->domain} in Ladill Domains (expect {$fqdn} → {$serverIp}). SSL will retry once DNS resolves.",
+                default => "Subdomain {$fqdn} created. Because this domain uses external DNS, add an A record for {$fqdn} → {$serverIp}, then SSL will provision automatically.",
+            };
 
             if ($request->wantsJson()) {
                 return response()->json(['success' => true, 'message' => $message]);
@@ -1461,7 +1489,7 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return bool True when DNS was managed/updated automatically
+     * @return array{status: 'managed'|'managed_failed'|'manual', domain_id: ?int}
      */
     private function provisionSubdomainDns(
         HostingAccount $account,
@@ -1470,14 +1498,20 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
         string $fqdn,
         string $serverIp,
         PowerDnsClient $pdns,
-    ): bool {
-        // HostedSite has both a `domain` column and a domain() relation — load via domain_id.
-        $parentDomain = $parent->domain_id
-            ? Domain::query()->find($parent->domain_id)
-            : null;
+    ): array {
+        $parentDomain = $this->resolveParentDomainRecord($parent);
 
-        if (! $parentDomain || $parentDomain->dns_mode !== 'managed') {
-            return false;
+        if (! $parentDomain || ! $parentDomain->usesManagedDns()) {
+            return ['status' => 'manual', 'domain_id' => $parentDomain?->id];
+        }
+
+        // Heal legacy rows that were on ns_auto but never stamped dns_mode=managed.
+        if ((string) $parentDomain->dns_mode !== 'managed') {
+            $parentDomain->update(['dns_mode' => 'managed']);
+        }
+
+        if (! $parent->domain_id) {
+            $parent->update(['domain_id' => $parentDomain->id]);
         }
 
         try {
@@ -1487,7 +1521,18 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
                 'ttl' => 3600,
                 'contents' => [$serverIp],
             ]]);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            Log::warning('Failed to provision subdomain DNS record', [
+                'fqdn' => $fqdn,
+                'parent_domain_id' => $parentDomain->id,
+                'error' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
 
+            return ['status' => 'managed_failed', 'domain_id' => $parentDomain->id];
+        }
+
+        // Local registry is best-effort; PowerDNS publish is what matters for Ladill NS.
+        try {
             DomainDnsRecord::query()->updateOrCreate(
                 [
                     'domain_id' => $parentDomain->id,
@@ -1503,17 +1548,32 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
                     'last_checked_at' => now(),
                 ],
             );
-
-            return true;
         } catch (\Throwable $e) {
-            Log::warning('Failed to provision subdomain DNS record', [
+            Log::info('Subdomain DNS published but local domain_dns_records sync failed', [
                 'fqdn' => $fqdn,
                 'parent_domain_id' => $parentDomain->id,
                 'error' => $e->getMessage(),
             ]);
-
-            return false;
         }
+
+        return ['status' => 'managed', 'domain_id' => $parentDomain->id];
+    }
+
+    private function resolveParentDomainRecord(HostedSite $parent): ?Domain
+    {
+        if ($parent->domain_id) {
+            $byId = Domain::query()->find($parent->domain_id);
+            if ($byId) {
+                return $byId;
+            }
+        }
+
+        $host = strtolower(trim((string) $parent->getAttribute('domain')));
+        if ($host === '') {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return Domain::query()->where('host', $host)->first();
     }
 
     private function cleanupSubdomainDns(HostedSite $site): void
@@ -1523,7 +1583,7 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
         }
 
         $parentDomain = Domain::query()->find($site->domain_id);
-        if (! $parentDomain || $parentDomain->dns_mode !== 'managed') {
+        if (! $parentDomain || ! $parentDomain->usesManagedDns()) {
             return;
         }
 
@@ -1732,17 +1792,33 @@ class HostingPanelController extends Controller
 
         try {
             $this->runtimeFor($account)->requestLetsEncryptCertificate($site);
+            $expiresAt = now()->addDays(90);
             $site->update([
                 'ssl_enabled' => true,
                 'ssl_status' => 'issued',
                 'ssl_provisioned_at' => now(),
+                'ssl_expires_at' => $expiresAt,
                 'ssl_error' => null,
             ]);
 
+            if ($site->domain_id) {
+                Domain::query()->whereKey($site->domain_id)->update([
+                    'ssl_status' => 'active',
+                    'ssl_expires_at' => $expiresAt,
+                ]);
+            }
+
+            app(\App\Services\Ssl\CentralSslRegistry::class)->register($site->domain, $expiresAt);
+
             return back()->with('success', "SSL certificate issued for {$site->domain} successfully.");
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
             Log::error("Failed to request SSL: " . $e->getMessage());
 
+            $site->update([
+                'ssl_status' => 'failed',
+                'ssl_error' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+
             $message = trim($e->getMessage());
 
             return back()->with(

app/Http/Controllers/Hosting/HostingProductController.php

@@ -209,6 +209,13 @@ class HostingProductController extends Controller
         $renewals ??= app(HostingRenewalCheckoutService::class);
 
         $account->load(['product', 'user', 'node', 'sites']);
+
+        // Heal legacy Sales Centre placeholders (pending-setup.local) that stayed
+        // primary after a real domain was linked as an addon.
+        app(\App\Services\Hosting\PlaceholderPrimaryDomainService::class)->healAccount($account);
+        $account->refresh()->load(['product', 'user', 'node', 'sites']);
+
+        $placeholders = app(\App\Services\Hosting\PlaceholderPrimaryDomainService::class);
         $maxDomains = $account->maxDomainsLimit();
         $freeEmailAllowance = $account->freeEmailAllowance();
         $mailboxes = $account->loadedMailboxes();
@@ -217,7 +224,11 @@ class HostingProductController extends Controller
 
         return view('hosting.account', [
             'account' => $account,
-            'linkedSites' => $account->sites->sortBy(fn ($site) => [$site->type !== 'primary', $site->domain])->values(),
+            'accountLabel' => $placeholders->displayLabel($account),
+            'linkedSites' => $account->sites
+                ->filter(fn ($site) => ! \App\Services\Hosting\PlaceholderPrimaryDomainService::isPlaceholderDomain($site->domain))
+                ->sortBy(fn ($site) => [$site->type !== 'primary', $site->domain])
+                ->values(),
             'maxDomains' => $maxDomains,
             'canLinkMoreDomains' => $account->canAddDomain(),
             'ownedDomains' => collect($this->getUserDomains($request->user())),