cPanel user guide

Welcome to the cPanel user guide!

This guide will help you get to know the main features of the cPanel hosting control panel.

Contents

Getting started

• Logging in to cPanel
• The interface at a glance
• Main sections of the panel

Managing files

• File Manager
• Setting up FTP
• Uploading and downloading files

Managing databases

• MySQL databases
• Working with phpMyAdmin
• PostgreSQL

Managing email

• Creating email accounts
• Setting up email clients
• Filters and forwarding
• Accessing Webmail

Managing domains

• Adding domains and subdomains
• Managing DNS
• Redirects

Security

• SSL/TLS certificates
• Managing passwords
• Blocking IP addresses
• ModSecurity WAF

Backups

• Creating backups
• Restoring data

Statistics and metrics

• Viewing statistics
• Monitoring resources
• Analysing logs

Logging in to cPanel

To log in to the cPanel control panel:

1. Open your browser and go to one of these addresses:
   • https://your-domain.co.uk:2083
   • https://your-domain.co.uk/cpanel
   • https://IP-address:2083
2. Enter your username
3. Enter your password
4. Click Log in

The cPanel interface

After you log in, you will see the main control panel, which is divided into several main sections:

Top bar

• Search – quickly find a feature
• Notifications – system notifications and alerts
• Settings – your personal settings
• Log out – end your session

Main sections

FILES

• File Manager – browse and manage your files
• Images – manage images
• Directory Privacy – password-protect directories
• Disk Usage – see how much disk space you are using
• FTP Accounts – FTP user accounts
• FTP Connections – active FTP connections
• Backup – back up your account
• Backup Wizard – step-by-step backup wizard

DATABASES

• MySQL Databases – MySQL databases
• MySQL Database Wizard – step-by-step database wizard
• phpMyAdmin – web interface for managing databases
• PostgreSQL Databases – PostgreSQL databases
• PostgreSQL Database Wizard – PostgreSQL wizard
• Remote MySQL – remote access to MySQL

DOMAINS

• Domains – manage domains
• Subdomains – subdomains
• Addon Domains – additional domains
• Aliases – domain aliases
• Redirects – redirects
• Zone Editor – DNS zone editor
• Dynamic DNS – dynamic DNS

EMAIL

• Email Accounts – mailboxes
• Forwarders – forward email
• Email Routing – mail routing
• Autoresponders – automatic replies
• Default Address – catch-all address
• Mailing Lists – mailing lists
• Track Delivery – trace email delivery
• Global Email Filters – filters for the whole account
• Email Filters – filters for individual mailboxes
• Authentication – DKIM and SPF
• Address Importer – import addresses
• Apache SpamAssassin – spam filtering
• Encryption – email encryption
• Calendars and Contacts – calendars and contacts
• BoxTrapper – spam protection
• Email Deliverability – check that your email is delivered

METRICS

• Visitors – visitors
• Errors – error log
• Bandwidth – bandwidth usage
• Raw Access – raw access logs
• Awstats – detailed statistics
• Analog Stats – Analog statistics
• Webalizer – Webalizer statistics
• Metrics Editor – metrics editor
• CPU and Concurrent Connection Usage – CPU usage
• Resource Usage – resource usage

SECURITY

• SSH Access – access over SSH
• IP Blocker – block IP addresses
• SSL/TLS – SSL certificates
• SSL/TLS Status – SSL status
• SSL/TLS Wizard – SSL wizard
• Hotlink Protection – protection against hotlinking
• Leech Protection – protection against password sharing
• ModSecurity – Web Application Firewall
• Let's Encrypt SSL – free SSL certificates
• Imunify – protection against viruses and malware
• Security Policy – security policy

SOFTWARE

• Softaculous Apps Installer – application installer
• Site Software – software for your site
• MultiPHP Manager – manage PHP versions
• MultiPHP INI Editor – php.ini editor
• Select PHP Version – choose a PHP version
• PHP PEAR Packages – PEAR packages
• Perl Modules – Perl modules
• Site Publisher – site publisher
• Optimize Website – website optimisation
• Application Manager – application manager

ADVANCED

• Cron Jobs – scheduled tasks
• Track DNS – trace DNS
• Indexes – directory indexes
• Error Pages – error pages
• Apache Handlers – Apache handlers
• MIME Types – MIME types
• Virus Scanner – antivirus
• Git Version Control – Git version control

PREFERENCES

• Password & Security – password and security
• Change Language – change the language
• Contact Information – contact information
• User Manager – manage users
• Update Contact Email – update your email address

Quick start

Building a website in 5 steps

1. Upload your website files
   • Use File Manager or FTP
   • Put the files in the public_html directory
2. Create a database (if you need one)
   • Go to MySQL Databases
   • Create a new database and a user
3. Set up email
   • Create mailboxes in Email Accounts
   • Set up your email client
4. Install an SSL certificate
   • Use the free Let's Encrypt certificate
   • Or install your own certificate
5. Check that the site works
   • Open your domain in a browser
   • Test all the features

Useful tips

Getting help

If you have any questions:

• Use the built-in documentation in cPanel (the ? icon next to each feature)
• Contact our support team through the contact form
• Visit the cPanel community forum
• Watch the video tutorials on the official cPanel website

System requirements

To work with cPanel, we recommend:

• Browser: the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge
• JavaScript: must be enabled
• Cookies: must be allowed
• Screen resolution: at least 1024x768
• Connection: HTTPS, for security

Limits and quotas

Check your limits in the right-hand sidebar:

• Disk Usage – disk space used
• Bandwidth – bandwidth used
• Inodes – number of files
• Email Accounts – number of mailboxes
• Databases – number of databases
• Addon Domains – additional domains

Security

Security recommendations

1. Use strong passwords
   • At least 12 characters
   • Upper-case and lower-case letters
   • Numbers and special characters
2. Turn on two-factor authentication
   • Set it up in the Security section
3. Keep your software up to date
   • Update your CMS (WordPress, Joomla and so on)
   • Update plugins and themes
4. Make backups
   • At least once a week
   • Keep copies somewhere safe
5. Monitor your logs
   • Check the logs for suspicious activity
   • Use Error Logs for debugging

Next steps

Once you know the basics, move on to the individual sections:

• Working with files – for uploading and managing your website files
• Databases – for creating a database for your CMS
• Setting up email – for business email
• SSL certificates – for a secure connection

See also

• cPanel FAQ
• Troubleshooting
• Glossary
• What’s new in version 132