Web hosting: Using cPanel Basics
Web Host cPanel
Basic cPanel usage.
cPanel controls access to the various functions of the website’s hosting account. Access to the websites files, database, subdomain, email addresses, web host settings are located in cpanel.
Helpful cPanel Articles.
cPanel Dashboard
The cPanel is where you go to access the settings in a hosting account, in most cases w will not need to access the email settings and functions since they are controlled by a separate service in GoDaddy. Certain functions like SSL certificate access, domains, subdomains, access to the website database, files, and certain web host settings are located here.
Create a backup of the website.
Creating a backup of the website files, database, and email forwarders is important, when you come to the backup wizard, you will have options to create a backup or restore a backup to the web host. In this case, we are creating a backup.
In this case, we are creating a partial backup, to create a backup of the web host files you will click on “home directory” to download a backup of the website files, then click on “MySQL Databases” to download the databases for the website. Click on the third button to download all of your email forwarders.
The final step is to actually download the archive or database files, when you click on any of the three buttons, you will be taken to the final step and actually download the files.
cPanel File Manager
The file manager is where you will go to access the individual files. The left sidebar window will contain the list of directories where the files are located. The right window is where the actual files are listed. You can upload, move, remove or rename files here.
Important: please do not just randomly delete files in the web hosting account. This can cause problems for the website.
cPanel Subdomain Manager
Create, or edit your website subdomain with the Subdomain Manager. At the top of the page, you can create a subdomain. Enter the desired prefix you want to use, then select the destination. The prefix’s domain has to be the same as the primary domain used by the website, once you are done setting up the subdomain. Enter the location that the subdomain will direct the visitor too.
If you want to edit the subdomain, click on the pencil link next to the domain, or Manage redirection to change the settings, if you want to remove the subdomain, click on “remove”.
cPanel FTP Accounts
The FTP account settings are located here, to remotely access the web host files via a FTP client or program. Before you can access the webhost via FTP, you will need to get the FTP server settings from “FTP Acccounts”. Go down to Special FTP Accounts to get the settings to access the FTP Server, then add them to the FTP program so that you can gain access to the web host.
To get the FTP settings, click on “Configure FTP Client”, a drop-down menu will appear and the settings for the FTP Server will appear, now add the settings to the FTP Client so that you can access the web host files.