What Is cPanel Hosting?

cPanel hosting is essentially Linux-based web hosting that includes an installation of cPanel. The hosting plan provides a cPanel account to control your web hosting elements.

With that in mind, cPanel can be used in different types of hosting, including shared, dedicated, and managed WordPress hosting.

This control panel is a good choice for beginners looking for a straightforward control panel solution. However, just like other hosting control panels, cPanel has its benefits and drawbacks.

With Hostgenus, we include a direct link to the cPanel dashboard in the welcome email. However, if there is no link attached, you can log into your cPanel account via the browser’s address bar.

If your site address begins with HTTP, simply add :2082 at the end of the URL. For a site address that starts with HTTPS, write :2083. For example:

• http://your-site-address.com:2082
• https://your-site-address.com:2083

Access the URL, and it should take you to the cPanel login page.

Type in your cPanel username and password and click on the Log in button. Once you’re inside the control dashboard, you should see various modules and features.

Files

The Files section contains features for direct file management. From this section, you can upload files without an FTP client, specify privacy levels, and set up a backup wizard.

Using File Manager

cPanel includes an easy-to-use file manager that works like desktop file explorer applications – users can easily edit, remove, or add files and folders.

Clicking on the File Manager button will take you to the page that lists all of your website files.

From there, you can start performing various actions by clicking on the respective menu button. For example, if you want to move a file, select one and click on the Move button. This will trigger a prompt to appear – simply fill out the new path and click on the Move File(s) button.

Keep in mind that every file in cPanel can affect your server, so be careful when modifying them to prevent any site errors.

Preferences

This is where you can configure the various aspects of the cPanel dashboard, such as language, theme, and user information. The module also includes features to add a new cPanel account and manage the password.

Storing Basic Information

One of the most important features of this section is adding your contact information.Use the Contact Information application to store your contact information and preferences.

Start by including your email address in the provided field – the system will notify you of any activity in your account, like reaching your mailbox and bandwidth quota.

Then navigate to the bottom of the page and check the boxes based on your contact preferences. For example, if you want to get notified when your email address is changed, click on the respective box.

Simply check the boxes to receive notifications about specific circumstances. Be sure to click Save when you’re done.

Databases

If your website uses a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, it will need a database to store all the important data and information, such as usernames, passwords, and posts.

This section is all about managing the databases – its tasks are mostly done via MySQL Databases and phpMyAdmin.

Create Databases and Manage MySQL Users

Click on MySQL Databases. On the New Database section, enter your desired database username and click Create Database.

A new database will be added to the Current Databases list.

To add a new MySQL user, scroll down to the MySQL Users section. There, enter the username and password and click Create User.

When you’re done, navigate to the Add User To Database section. Click on the dropdown menu and choose the new user and database – this will grant the user access to the selected database.

Once you’re done, you can start importing your files into this new database via phpMyAdmin. To ensure reliable site performance, try optimizing your database.

Softaculous Apps Installer

Softaculous is a script library that automates the installation processes of various applications. The most popular software includes WordPress, phpBB, Joomla, and Drupal.

Thanks to the seamless integration with cPanel, you can directly install any software right from the dashboard.

Install Software With Softaculous

Start by selecting the script you want to install. If you can’t find the software under the Script section, try browsing through the categories.