How to Use cPanel: The Easy, Complete Guide to Managing Your Website Like a Pro

cPanel is a user-friendly web hosting control panel that lets you manage your website, email, databases, files, and more — all from one dashboard.

1. How to Login to cPanel

• Open your web browser.

• Go to:
  https://yourdomain.com/cpanel
  or
  https://cpanel.yourdomain.com

• Enter your username and password (provided by your hosting provider).

• Click Log In.

2. Overview of the cPanel Dashboard

Once logged in, you'll see many sections, such as:

• Files — Manage your website files.

• Databases — Manage MySQL databases.

• Domains — Manage your domains and DNS.

• Email — Create and manage email accounts.

• Metrics — View usage stats and visitors.

• Security — Manage SSL, IP blockers, and more.

• Software — Install apps like WordPress.

• Advanced — Cron jobs, error pages, etc.

3. Common Tasks in cPanel

a. File Manager

• Go to Files > File Manager.

• Browse and manage your website files.

• Upload, edit, delete files or create folders.

• Use the public_html folder to manage your website’s public files.

b. Creating Email Accounts

• Go to Email > Email Accounts.

• Click Create.

• Enter the email address and password.

• Set mailbox quota (storage limit).

• Click Create.

c. Installing WordPress or Other Apps

• Go to Software > Softaculous Apps Installer (or WordPress Manager).

• Choose the app (e.g., WordPress).

• Click Install.

• Fill in site details and admin login info.

• Click Install.

d. Managing Databases

• Go to Databases > MySQL Databases.

• Create a new database.

• Create a new user and assign the user to the database.

• Use phpMyAdmin (under Databases) to manage database content.

e. Setting Up Domains and Subdomains

• Go to Domains > Domains to add addon domains, to add subdomains like blog.yourdomain.com.

• Manage DNS records via Domains > Zone Editor.

4. Backing Up Your Website

• Go to Files > Backup or Backup Wizard.

• Download a full backup or partial backups (home directory, databases, email forwarders).

• Store backups safely on your computer or cloud.

5. Checking Website Stats

• Go to Metrics > Visitors to see who visited your site.

• Use Metrics > Awstats for detailed analytics.

6. Security Features

• Go to Security > SSL/TLS to manage your SSL certificates.

• Use Security > IP Blocker to block unwanted IP addresses.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication for added login security.

Tips for Effective cPanel Use

• Always keep backups before making major changes.

• Use strong passwords for emails and databases.

• Regularly update CMS apps via Softaculous or manually.

• Monitor your disk space and bandwidth usage under Metrics.