Users who have signed up for a web hosting service must be familiar with cPanel as it is a highly popular Linux-based control panel for web hosting. It allows users to manage all the services associated with the website hosting, including the website in a single place, and that is why most web developers are well familiar with cPanel.
As a matter of fact, about 90% of all web hosts like to use cPanel for managing and controlling their websites in a simple and effective manner. If you are interested in setting up a website through cPanel, then this is the article for you and you should read on further.
cPanel is easy to use and enables you to efficiently manage a web hosting account. However, if you are using cPanel for the first time, it may seem intimidating to you. That is why we have curated this informative article to give you all the important information on how to use cPanel.
What is cPanel Hosting?
cPanel hosting includes Linux web hosting along with a cPanel for managing the web hosting. cPanel can be pretty useful when it comes to managing your website/ However, cPanel has certain drawbacks as well. Before we dive into the details of cPanel, you should be able to decide whether cPanel is the right web hosting control panel for you or not. Here are the pros and cons of cPanel hosting that you need to know:
Pros
- User-friendly
- Cost-effective
- Time-saver
- Comes with Softaculous, which automates the installation of web apps on the server
- Lots of online tutorials/support videos
Cons
- Too many features can be overwhelming for a beginner
- Settings can get accidentally changed sometimes
- Some hosts may have employed outdated versions of cPanel
- Can be a bit expensive for some and rarely provides free hosting
What are the Uses of cPanel?
Like WordPress, cPanel is a user interface that is created to make a complicated system more manageable for web developers and other users. cPanel is a control panel for web hosting accounts and it is employed by top web hosting providers such as Bluehost, GoDaddy, and HostGator.
Additionally, cPanel lets you manage your website in an effective manner. Here are the tasks that you can perform using cPanel and have a great experience managing your website(s):
- Organize all the files and resources related to a website.
- Install software like WordPress or other popular CMS
- Create and manage multiple business email accounts
- Search through the database, create backups and manage them too
- It allows you to completely manage the website
- You can manage the passwords and also the security of your website.
These are just a few of the extensive tasks that you can perform using cPanel.
How to Use cPanel: Guide
There are various installations of cPanel, and all of them have different features but do not worry, it is relatively easy to find what you need and get acquainted with the features.
When you log in for the first time on cPanel, you will come across some metrics that show your resource usages such as your available storage space, CPU usage, and memory usage. This information helps you in keeping track of the overall performance of your website.
Now is the time to have a look at the various modules of the platform and how they can be of great help.
Files
The modules in this section allow you to directly upload and manage files from within cPanel without the need to use an FTP client. It also allows you to specify privacy levels, make backups of your website data, and much more. The common modules included in the file section are:
- Backup
- Backup Wizard
- Directory Privacy
- Disk Usage
- File Manager
- FTP Accounts
- FTP Connections
- Images
- Web Disk
- Git Version Control
- Inode counter
2. Preferences
This section allows you to customize the layout of your cPanel as per your requirements. The modules in this section are:
- Change Language
- Change Style
- Contact Information
- User Manager
3. Databases
In case your website uses WordPress or any other content management system (CMS), it will require a database where it can store posts, settings, and other website data. This section is designed to fulfill that particular purpose and the modules in this section generally include the following:
- MySQL Database Wizard
- MySQL Databases
- phpMyAdmin
- Remote MySQL
4. Web Applications
This section is typically where you can install different types of software, including blogs, portals, CMSs, forums, and more. The common modules included in this section are as follows:
- Joomla
- Drupal
- WordPress
- phpBB
5. Domains
You may use one hosting account on cPanel to manage multiple websites and domains or set up subdomains and redirects. The modules in this section allow you to manage that. The modules generally included in this section are:
- Addon Domains
- Aliases
- DNS Manager
- Preview Website
- Redirects
- Subdomains
6. Metrics
This section on cPanel will allow you to track the performance of your website. The Metrics section will provide you access to powerful insights so that you can make better decisions about the way you want your website to work. The common modules included in this section are:
- Awstats
- Bandwidth
- CPU and Concurrent Connection Usage
- Errors
- Visitors
- Raw Access
7. Security
The Security section helps you to manage the security settings for your hosting account. This allows you to protect your private data like their financial data, usernames, and passwords. The following modules are included in this section:
- Hotlink Protection
- IP Blocker
- SSH Access
- SSL/TLS
- Leech Protection
- Two-Factor Authentication
- ModSecurity
- Lets Encrypt
- Manage API Tokens
8. Software
The section includes modules that are related to PHP and Perl. They are not of much use unless you are a professional developer. The common modules that are included in this section are:
- Softaculous Apps Installer
- Optimize Website
- Free Shopping Cart
- Setup Ruby App
- WordPress Themes
- PHP PEAR Packages
- RVsitebuilder
- Cloudflare
- Application Manager
- PHP Version Selector
9. Advanced
This section is also designed for more advanced users of cPanel such as developers. The modules generally included in it are as follows:
- Cron Jobs
- Error Pages
- Apache Handlers
- MIME Types0.
- Indexes
- LiteSpeed Web Cache Manager
- Track DNS
10. Email
The Email section, as suggested by the name, handles all your email accounts associated with your website(s). All web hosting packages do not include email but some packages do and this section will be useful to manage your email accounts and access email-related settings. The modules included in this section are:
- Address Importer
- Autoresponders
- Default Address
- Email Wizard
- Encryption
- Forwarders
- Global Filters
- Email Disk Usage
- Track Delivery
- User Filters
Conclusion
cPanel is a great software for managing your web hosting and website because it comes with plenty of useful features. If you are looking for a web hosting provider that offers cPanel with their web hosting, you can choose any of the following:
- Bluehost
- InMotion Hosting
- HostGator
- A2 Hosting