When you subscribe to a Hosting Plan with a web hosting company, you will usually receive user credentials (username & password) for a Hosting Account.
And the URL for a Hosting Control Panel through which you can manage and monitor all aspects of your account and its use of allocated resources, for example, disk space.
Here is a short list of tasks you can perform via the Hosting Control Panel:
- create mailboxes,
- periodically create a backup copy of your website,
- upload files to the server,
- view statistics and logs,
- create subdomains, and
- change your control panel password.
The Hosting Control Panel user interface will depend upon which control panel package is provided by your hosting company, for example, cPanel or Plesk.
In this guide we illustrate performing some key tasks by reference to the cPanel Control Panel or Dashboard.
User Interface
The default cPanel user interface changed with effect from cPanel v108.
The new default theme is called Jupiter.
Read more: The cPanel Jupiter interface
cPanel Dashboard Functions
The images used in the following brief introduction are for the Jupiter user interface.
Elsewhere in this Hosting Guide we use illustrations for the previous user interface (Magic Lantern).
The buttons are slightly different.
The functions remain the same.
The functions you will find most useful in this section are:
Backup Wizard,
File Manager,
Directory Privacy, and
Jetbackup.
Backup Wizard
Read more: How to back up your website using Backup Wizard.
JetBackup
Read more: How to use JetBackup
File Manager
Read more: How to upload files using File Manager.
Directory Privacy
This is where you can password-protect the Administrator directory to hide your website's Dashboard from public view.
To further enhance protection of your website's Dashboard then we recommend adding a Web Application Firewall.
Read more: Joomla! CMS Web Application Firewall.
You may also wish to consider using Multi-factor Authentication.
The functions you will find most useful in this section are:
Email Accounts,
Forwarders,
Autoresponders, and
SpamExperts.
Email User Guide
We cover most if not everything you need to know about using the above email functions in our Email User Guide.
The function you will find most useful in this section is:
Select PHP Version.
Select PHP Version
Select PHP Version enables you to switch from one PHP version to another.
The function you may find most useful in this section is:
Raw Access.
Awstats
Awstats is an example of a Web Server Traffic Analysis tool.
Read more: Web Server Traffic Analysis Tools.
Raw Access
This is where you can review your website's Access Logs and Error Logs.
The function you may find most useful in this section is:
PhpMyAdmin.
PhpMyAdmin
This application provides a user-friendly interface to enable you to browse and make changes to your website's MySQL database.
For example, if you forget your Super User password and can no longer sign into your website's Dashboard, then you can reset your password via PhpMyAdmin.
The function you will find most useful in this section is:
Password and Security.
Password & Security
Use this section when you want to change your cPanel Dashboard password.
The functions you will find most useful in this section are:
IP Blocker and
SST/TLS Status (to install a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate).
IP Blocker
You can use IP Blocker to unblock your IP Address if ever you suspect it has been blocked by the server.
IP address = an identifier for a computer or device on a network, for example, the internet.
Lets Encrypt SSL
Ignore this button.
The cPanel Lets Encrypt module reaches end of life in February 2024.
Use the SSL/TLS Status module instead.
SSL/TLS Status
Use this module to install a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate.
Think Security
Signing in
Only ever sign into your cPanel Dashboard using a URL that begins with HTTPS.
If you cannot do this then your connection is not protected by an SSL Certificate.
In other words, your user credential will not be encrypted during transit.
Signing Out
Always sign out using the sign out (or log out) button provided.
The security risk of not clicking a sign out button may be quite low if you are the sole user of a device.
But not when you share access to your device or you are using it in a public place.
User Credentials
Never use the same username and password more than once.
Always use unique complex passwords.
Read more: Usernames and Passwords.
Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires that you provide two forms of identification before you can sign into the cPanel Dashboard:
- your password + a generated security code.
cPanel 2FA requires that you install an app on your smartphone.
There are many different apps you can use.
One example is: Authy Authenticator by Twilio.
Use a comparison website to compare the features of the latest authenticator apps.
How to use an Authenticator App
Have your phone with you when you sign into cPanel.
Open the authenticator app screen.
It will display a constantly changing security code.
Sign into cPanel and when prompted enter the security code displayed by the app.
This will complete the login process.
Monitor for cPanel Security News bulletins
The developer of cPanel & WHM periodically announce they have issued a Targeted Security Release to address vulnerabilities in their software.
To determine the most recent Targeted Security release, visit:
and search for Full Disclosure.
Next Step
Log into your website's Hosting Control Panel.
Scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
The current version and release being used on your server will be displayed - usually on the left hand side.
Contact your hosting provider if the version and release are not the same as or later than one of those listed in the cPanel Targeted Security Release.
Your hosting provider should be able to confirm they have plans to update the version of cPanel used by your server.
cPanel User Guides
Here are two useful links to help you make the most of the cPanel Dashboard.
Read more: tutorialspoint cPanel Tutorial
Read more: cPanel Documentation
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