Like the settings app on your phone, cPanel controls and sets various aspects of your brand new website.
And like any website, you need an interface behind the scenes to manage your site’s preferences. Your email accounts, database connections, and FTP settings hide behind an easy-to-use interface that most people call cPanel, even if their web host has something completely different.
This type of interface is also called a Web Hosting Control Panel (WHCP for short), and all web hosting companies provide it for end users to set up and manage their sites.
In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know about cPanel, the control we use here at ProtozoaHost. It’s the industry standard for ease of use and performance.
- What Is cPanel?
- What Can I Do in cPanel?
- What Does cPanel Web Hosting Mean?
- Getting Started with cPanel
- Basic Website Management in cPanel
- Software Installation via Softaculous
- Going Pro: Advanced Website Features via the cPanel
- Hands on cPanel Demo Experience with Protozoa Host
What Is cPanel?
cPanel, short for “Control Panel” is a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) designed to simplify website management and server administration tasks for users of all technical backgrounds.
It’s a robust and user-friendly control panel that has played a pivotal role in the web hosting industry and continues to do so today.
The history of cPanel dates back to the late 1990s when it was first introduced. Developed by cPanel, LLC, and in the Perl programming language, it targeted web hosting companies and website owners that needed a powerful yet accessible toolset for managing websites, domains, email, databases, and more.
What Can I Do in cPanel?
With cPanel, you can configure almost anything related to your website and web server, including:
- Email creation and management
- Domain redirects and management
- Website file manager
- Database manager
- Security features
- Server settings
- Software installation (e.g. via Softaculous)
- Backup and restore
- Server metrics and logs
What Does cPanel Web Hosting Mean?
So far, we’ve explored what cPanel is – it’s a control panel for your website, your domain name and many other integral parts of your site. When looking to get your website up and running, you might have heard the term cPanel hosting provider – what does that mean, exactly?
cPanel web hosting generally refers to the web hosting provider that uses this control panel over other available solutions for website management.
For website administrators, cPanel is often the go-to choice due to its ease of use and performance. Unsurprisingly, many consider it a top pick and an industry standard.
cPanel is present in other types of web hosting plans, like virtual private servers (VPS hosting), and it can be configured to work with many web hosting plans and dedicated servers, too.
For VPS Hosting, Protozoa Host provides all the options: a managed and unmanaged VPS both locally data center and international data center where you have dedicated system administrators managing all the aspects of your site.
Many expanding small businesses prefer this plan, and it’s easy to see why!
Getting Started with cPanel
Every web hosting provider uses its services in a distinct manner. ProtozoaHost, for instance, has plenty of articles on its knowledge base and tutorial blogs about logging in your cPanel.
There are even entire pages of useful material for you to go through, but it will only make sense if you’ve bought our affordable web hosting packages.
How to Access cPanel
- If you’re already a ProtozoaHost customer:
- Log in to your ProtozoaHost dashboard client area.
- Look for the section titled “Login in to cPanel” or something similar.
- Enter the username and password provided during your onboarding process or else you can directly login from client area.
- You’ll be directed to your cPanel dashboard where you can manage your website.
- If you’re new to ProtozoaHost or haven’t set up your account yet:
- Explore ProtozoaHost’s website and check out our cPanel shared hosting plans and other services.
- Select the plan that best fits your needs and order.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create your account.
- Once your account is set up, log in to your ProtozoaHost client area.
- Navigate to the section for cPanel login.
- Enter the username and password provided during onboarding.
- Click on the login button to access your cPanel dashboard.
- Direct Login Method for cPanel
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Access cPanel from within Protozoa Host Dashboard client area
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Login to cPanel through your browser address bar adding (/cpanel) to the end of your domain (https://yourdomainname.com/cpanel)
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Login by Adding the (cPanel Port i.e. 2083) to the End of your Domain (https://yourdomainname.com:2083)
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Login by Adding the (cpanel.) to the start of your Domain (https:cpanel.yourdomainname.com)
Remember, accessing cPanel is easy, but if you’re new to it, take some time to explore and familiarize yourself with the dashboard. You can find helpful other tutorials and guides in our blog website i.e. ( Protozoa Host Blogs) to assist you along the way.
Navigating the cPanel Interface
The more modern versions of cPanel, like the one that sits on top of ProtozoaHost’s hosting solutions, offer a responsive and intuitive interface.
On the left, there’s a list of all your products and services you can manage. Under Tools, you have access to most of the settings we’ll need in this tutorial.
All available tools are split into categories in the centre for easy access. You can reorder any of these by clicking and dragging your mouse.
Your general server information lives on the right sidebar. Here, you can see the primary domain name of your site, current username, Shared IP Address or Dedicated IP Address the last logged-in IP address and a few other quick statistics about your website’s storage, bandwidth and disk(file) usage.
If the available tools are overwhelming, you can use the included search function from the top right of cPanel.
Anyone who knows how to play with search box can certainly use cPanel on their account! With its point-and-click interface, selecting the option you want is easy, and the descriptions are self-explanatory.
Basic Website Management in cPanel
Managing your website effectively involves handling essential tasks such as creating email accounts, managing website files, monitoring Server metrics and logs, backup and restore, domain management, server and security settings and handling databases etc.
In this section, we’ll explore the fundamentals of these website management aspects within the cPanel environment.
How to Install WordPress from cPanel
If you opted for an affordable shared hosting account, knowing how to install WordPress from your cPanel will save you tons of time.
Inside your cPanel dashboard, look for the “Softaculous Apps Installer” icon or simply search for “Softaculous” in the search bar.
Click on the “WordPress” icon or search for “WordPress” within the Softaculous interface.
Now, you’ll see an overview of WordPress, along with an “Install Now” button. Click on it to start the installation process.
Creating Email Accounts in cPanel
Setting up email accounts associated with your domain (domain email account) is a fundamental step in website management, as it allows you to communicate with your audience professionally. Here’s a step-by-step guide on creating email accounts in cPanel:
In the “Email Accounts” section, select the domain for which you want to create the custom email address.
Use this page to create new email addresses for any of the domains on your cPanel account. Now, pick a username for your email account that represents you or your website. In this step, we choose “demo” for [email protected].
Set a strong password for added security, or use the built-in “Password Generator” for a secure suggestion.
Choose the mailbox’s storage quota (how much space it can use on your server).
Finally, click the “Create” button to bring your custom email address to use.
After creating your email account, you can customize various settings, including:
- Autoresponders: Set up automated responses for your email account.
- Forwarding: Configure email forwarding to redirect messages to another address.
- Spam filters: Adjust spam filter settings to control unwanted emails.
When launching your business online, these settings give you complete control over your email.
Managing Files and Your FTP Account in cPanel
Your website can’t exist if you don’t know your way around cPanel’s file manager. Additionally, understanding File Transfer Protocol (FTP) can give you greater control over your site’s file structure. With FTP, you can directly upload files to your account’s storage from your computer via an FTP client like FileZilla (which is free).
Uploading and managing website files:
- Access the “File Manager” in your cPanel dashboard under the “Files” section.
- Navigate to the directory where you want to upload files (usually the “public_html” folder for your main website).
- Click “Upload” and select the files you want to upload from your local computer.
- Once uploaded, you can move, rename, or delete files as needed using the File Manager’s interface.
This step is usually unnecessary for first-time users since it’s way easier to install WordPress and other CMS platforms via the Softaculous apps installer. More on that later.
Database Management
Databases are the backbone of many websites, especially those powered by content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
Setting Up and Managing Databases:
- In your cPanel dashboard, navigate to the “Databases” section and click “MySQL Databases.”
- Create a new database by entering a name and clicking “Create Database.”
- Add a user to the database, assigning privileges like “All Privileges” or custom permissions.
- Connect your website to the database using the provided database details. Connecting your WordPress website to the database, for example, can be done via the first install wizard or automatically if you’re using one of our Protozoa Host WordPress Hosting solutions.
PhpMyAdmin is your main tool for configuring or creating a MySQL database and accounts. It’s a separate application you can launch from inside cPanel.
Mastering these basic website management tasks in cPanel is crucial for maintaining a functional and well-organized website. In the subsequent sections of this guide, we’ll explore more advanced features and optimization techniques to enhance your website management skills further.
To recap, the three main things you need to know how to configure inside your cPanel are:
- Emails
- File Manager
- Databases
With these three, you can launch whatever you like on your web hosting account easily. To read more in-depth articles about HostPapa’s web hosting services, look for them in the Protozoa Blogs.
Software Installation via Softaculous
While installing WordPress is straightforward for more advanced users, new website owners who just entered the game might feel overwhelmed by the whole process. This is where the Softaculous installer comes in handy.
With it, installing applications like WordPress, Joomla, and others becomes an easier task:
- Navigate to the “Software” or “Softaculous Apps Installer” section in cPanel.
- Choose the application you want to install, such as WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal etc.
- Follow the on-screen instructions, including providing essential details like your website’s name and admin credentials.
- Click “Install,” and Softaculous will handle the rest, including database setup.
Going Pro: Advanced Website Features via the cPanel
Managing your website is not just about the basics; it’s also about fine-tuning and optimizing every corner of your website. It’s like polishing your store’s front!
In this section, we’ll explore some advanced features of cPanel that can help take your website to the next level.
Security and Backups
Implementing security measures to your account is now easier than ever. Solutions such as Protection Power go all out to prevent harmful content from accessing your website. They come with proactive security measures and run daily scans.
Security is paramount for any website, and cPanel offers a range of tools to help you safeguard your online space. The cPanel of Protozoa Host come with a strong imunify360 protection for system that provides fantastic security beyond the usual username and password combinations.
Hands on cPanel Demo Experience with Protozoa Host
Experience the power of ProtozoaHost’s cPanel demo! Take a guided tour through our easy-to-use cPanel interface. With our demo link, you can explore how to manage your website settings and make changes. Whether you’re new to cPanel or just want to learn more, our demo makes it simple. Dive in and see how ProtozoaHost’s cPanel can help you control your website with ease. Click Here for Demo
Conclusion: Know Your Tools, Including cPanel
So, if you’re new to website creation or an experienced web administrator or freelancer looking at web hosting providers, learning how to use cPanel is essential. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a pro, cPanel is a must-have tool.
From domain management to file management and database creation, cPanel is an all-in-one tool comparable to a Swiss army knife. There’s a menu for any action regarding your website.
Perhaps you’re just reading to get an idea before you choose your web hosting plan. In that case, exploring our web hosting solutions seems like a smart choice.
Be sure to check more awe-inspiring topics in our Protozoa Blog.
