Complete Guide How to Use cPanel For Beginners (Tutorial)

CPanel tutorial for beginners | How to use cPanel? Most of the beginner out there, they do not know how to use cPanel properly. For the first time, cPanel quite technical to use but believe me it is very easy to use to manage your website.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is one of the most popular Linux-based web hosting control panels. It allows you to access files, databases, email, and more. In addition, it lets you conveniently manage all websites in a single place. Currently, cPanel is the industry standard and most web developers are well acquainted with it.

Today, I will show you the basic things in cPanel you should to know to use.

Tutorial How to Use cPanel For Beginners

In this massive guide, I will try to divide part by part. So, it is easier for you to follow this tutorial.

Guide 1 How to login cPanel

Login is the most basic thing but most WPBeginner out there fails to do it. Why? So many reasons. So, here is a tutorial on how to login cPanel.

Step 1 Go to your web browser and type www.yourdomain.com/cpanel

Usually, that is the link to login in cPanel. If not, please refer to your web hosting provider support to get login info.

Step 2 Then you will see login page like the picture below.

Insert your login credential and hit the button Log In.

Note: If you do not know where is the link for login cPanel or password, simply contact your hosting provider. They have info about your login cPanel.

Guide 2 How to navigate to web path installation

In this tutorial, I will show you how you can access into root folder of web installation.

Every web installation will install on the public_html directory. Unless you want to make it private and do not want to show it to the public, so you need to install it out of the public_html directory.

Step 1 Stay login to cPanel.

Step 2 From cPanel dashboard navigate to Files » File Manager » public_html

Step 3 Then, choose any your web folder you wish to access.

In the example above, I have installed a lot of websites on one server. So, it will look domain-listed folder. If you just install a single web in the server, your web file definitely on the public_html directory.

Guide 3 How to backup website

Before this, I have wrote how to backup website manually. But, in cPanel you can do it faster, safer, and more practical.

How?

Here, you have two option to backup your website via cPanel. Backup and Backup Wizard options. Both of them are same functionality. You need to choose which one more easy for you to use.

For the Backup option, you can choose a more specific file which one you want to do a backup meanwhile in the Backup Wizard option it only has three-step and you cannot choose the file. It will backup all of the files on the server.

So here, I will show both of them.

#1. Backup Option

Step 1 Just click the Backup option under the Files section in cPanel.

Step 2 Click on button Download a Full Account Backup.

Step 3 Then, choose the backup destination, enter your email address as a notification, and click the button Generate Backup.

Note: Backup destination here means, where you wish to save the backup file during the backup process. Like the example above, I choose the Home directory so your backup file is in the Home directory in cPanel.

Step 4 After finish the backup process, you will able to see the download file in format .tar.gz. It is your website backup file.

Click to download. This backup, contains website folders, MySQL database, and email that already to restore if you want.

#2. Backup Wizard

Step 1 Click on Backup Wizard option under the Files section on cPanel.

Step 2 Click the Back Up button.

Step 3 Here, you can select if you want to make a full backup or partial backup. I recommend choosing a full backup.

In full backup option, it will backup your files on home directory, all MySQL database and emails.

Hit the Full Backup option.

Step 4 Next, choose your backup destination, enter your email address for notification when finish backup and hit the button Generate backup.

After finish the backup process, it will available to download the file here.

For me, if Wizard Backup available in your cPanel, just use it because it more easy to use.

Guide 4 How to delete the file or folder

You need to do the maintenance of your cPanel as often as possible. At least once per month. If you found the files or folders that are no longer useful, you need to delete them. It can reduce your server resources.

So, how to delete them?

Step 1 Choose and select any file or folder you want to delete.

Step 2 On the top menu, there is a Delete function. Just hit it to delete your selected file or folder.

Step 3 Tick on Skip the trash and permanently delete the file if you want to permenently delete and hit the Confirm button.

Now, your file or folder should be deleted on the server forever.

Guide 5 How to create new file or folder

Create a new file or folder is a basic thing you need to know. Sometimes you need to create folder or file on the server. So, how you can create a new file or folder?

Here is tutorial.

Step 1 Stay login in cPanel.

Step 2 Go to folder you want to create new file or new folder.

Step 3 On top left menu, there are +File and +Folder.

Just click on +File or +Folder and give the name of file or folder.

Guide 6 How to change file permission

Sometimes when you want to install the software on the server, you need to change file permission. If you do not know how to change it, follow this tutorial.

Step 1 Select folder you want to change the permission.

Step 2 On bar menu, click Permissions link to change.

Step 3 Then, the popup will appear like the picture below.

So here you need to change the permission and hit the Change Permissions button.

Guide 7 How to add new domain

When you want to add a new website on the same server, the first thing you need to do is add a new domain on cPanel.

Step 1 Click on Addon Domains under the Domains section.

Step 2 Here, you need to enter the domain name.

For new domain name column, just enter your domain name without http(s)://www

For the subdomain column, just enter your domain name without http(s):// and extension. For example, if your domain minutesguide.com just insert minutesguide.

For the document root column, you need to insert public_html and then your domain. This shows the path where your website folder will install. For example public_html/yourdomain.com.

If you wish to create an FTP account for your new website, just tick on Create an FTP account associated with this Addon Domain. For me, I recommend not to create a new FTP account.

Last Step Click on the Add Domain button to complete the process.

Guide 8 How to create subdomain

Subdomain is a new folder for the website but in the same domain. An example of a subdomain is blog.minutesguide.com.

So, if you wish to create it, follow this simple tutorial.

Step 1 Click on subdomain under section Domains in cPanel dashboard.

Step 2 Then you will be brought to this page. Here you need to enter the subdomain info.

In subdomain column, just put any name you wish to create as subdomain.

In Domain column, please choose the root domain.

In Document Root, enter the path where the subdomain will be installed. Usually the path like this;

public_htmls/yourdomain.com/blog

Where is “blog” in behind is your subdomain. So, the finale your URL will become blog.yourdomain.com

Then, click the Create button.

Done!

Guide 9 How to create new database

For creating database I have shown you in details at the guide how to create new database on server.

So, I will show you briefly here.

Step 1 Click on the MySQL®Databases on Database section in cPanel dashboard.

Step 2 Give database name and click the button create database.

Step 3 Now, you need to create Username of database. Enter any name fr your username. Then you need to create a secure password and hit the button Create User.

Step 4 Then, when you are already built a database and username, now you need to add user to the database.

Step 5 Next, manage user privilages and hit the button make changes.

Done!

Now you have a new database.

Guide 10 How to create email

The best thing about cPanel, you can create a custom email domain directly from it. It is very easy to use.

Follow this simple step.

Step 1 Click on Emails Accounts under Email section in cPanel dashboard.

Step 2 Click on the create button to go to the next step.

Step 3 Here, you need to enter your email info that you wish to create.

In domain column, choose the domain name you want to create as domain.

In the username column just write what email you want to create. For example, if you choose “contact” so your email will become contact@yourdomain.com

Then, choose the password for your email.

Next, for storage space you can choose either you want to limit or unlimited storage to save your email.

Lastly, click the Create button to complete the email creating.

Guide 11 How to change password?

For security reasons, you need to change your cPanel password frequently.

So, how to change your cPanel password?

Step 1 If you use retro theme, look at the upper right and click on the person icon. Then, you will see the dropdown to choose the options Password & Security.

Step 2 Enter you old password, and choose your new password.

If you do not have options or no ideas for new password, you can use Password Generator.

It will create you 100% secure password for your cPanel.

If you statisfy with your password change, click the button Change your password now!

Guide 12 How to change cPanel style?

For me, I like to use retro style even though its old design look because, with retro style, it looks more simple and easy to learn about cPanel.

So, for beginner, I would like recommend you to use this style.

So, how you can change cPanel style or template?

Step 1 Upper right on cPanel, click on the man icon. Then you will see the dropdown option to choose Change style.

Step 2 Then choose any design style you want and click the button Apply.

Done!

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have learned how to use cPanel for basics such as upload file, upload folder, create email, and more. You need to know how to use them because when you have your own website, you will play with cPanel frequently.

This tutorial I have designed just for beginner user only. So, If you want to learn about cPanel, you may learn it here.

Please follow this guide because I will update and add tutorial from time to time.

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