Apache configuration shows error after removing a domain from Plesk: httpd: bad user name

Kuzma Ivanov

Updated September 06, 2026 04:34

Plesk for Linux kb: technical ABT: Group B FR:PPM-2884

Applicable to:

Apache configuration shows the error:
- on AlmaLinux / CloudLinux / RHEL
  
  # httpd -t
  AH00543: httpd: bad user name john_doe
- on Debian / Ubuntu
  
  # apache2 -t
  AH00543: apache2: bad user name john_doe
The user from the error (in this example, john_doe) does not exist on the system:

# grep john_doe /etc/passwd
#
There is an Apache configuration file which contains this user:
- on AlmaLinux / CloudLinux / RHEL
  
  # grep -r john_doe /etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/*
  /etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
  /etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
- on Debian / Ubuntu
  
  # grep -r john_doe /etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/*
  /etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
  /etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
The domain in the file name (In this example, example.com) does not appear on the Domains page in Plesk.
The following error message may appear on the Home page in Plesk:

PLESK_ERROR: New configuration files for the Apache web server were not created due to the errors in configuration templates: AH00112: Warning: DocumentRoot [/var/www/...] does not exist AH00543: apache2: bad user name example.

The subscription / domain was not properly removed from the system.

AlmaLinux / CloudLinux / RHEL

Connect to your Plesk server via SSH.
Find all orphaned files that belong to the nonexistent user:

# grep -r john_doe /etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/*
/etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
/etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
Remove these files:

# rm -rf /etc/httpd/conf/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf
Regenerate web-server configuration files for all domains:

Note: If there are 300+ domains on the server, run this command during server maintenance time.

# plesk repair web -y

Debian / Ubuntu

Connect to your Plesk server via SSH.
Find all orphaned files that belong to the nonexistent user:

# grep -r john_doe /etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/*
/etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
/etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf: SuexecUserGroup "john_doe" "psacln"
Remove these files:

# rm -rf /etc/apache2/plesk.conf.d/vhosts/example.com.conf
Regenerate web-server configuration files for all domains:

Note: If there are 300+ domains on the server, run this command during server maintenance time.

# plesk repair web -y