Introducing cPanel

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:

1. create mailboxes,
2. periodically create a backup copy of your website,
3. upload files to the server,
4. view statistics and logs,
5. create subdomains, and
6. 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.

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:

• cPanel Newsroom,

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.