cPanel is one of the most sought after web-based control panels for managing websites and hosting orders. In this article, we’ll cover what cPanel is and how to use cPanel. So without further ado, let us begin!

What is cPanel?

cPanel is a control panel that allows you to manage your websites and hosting orders through a web interface. cPanel has a visually appealing and graphical interface that helps in simplifying the process of managing your orders. Using cPanel you can access and manage your add-on domains, enable backup for your files, get timely updates, ensure the security of your files, FTP connections and much more. We at BigRock offer free cPanel for ease of management with a host of our products:

There are several products you can manage via your cPanel, namely: Email, Security, Files, Databases, Domains, various 3rd-Party Softwares, Metrics. 

5 Reasons to use cPanel

Let us see the top 5 reasons for you to choose cPanel:

  1. It has a graphical interface and is easy to navigate
  2. Allows easy backup of files
  3. Enables to set up and manage Email accounts 
  4. Various software modules available
  5. Easy to upload and manage files

How to use cPanel?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of cPanel viz. what cPanel is and the reasons to use it, let us move on to understanding how to use it.

In this section, we will cover the following:

 

How to login to your cPanel:

To login to your cPanel, follow the following steps:

  1. Type in your websites or server’s IP address in the URL bar followed by 2082 or 2083.
    Example: https://192.168.0.1:2082  
  2. Enter your username and password (you must have received it on email from your service provider)
  3. Click ‘Log in’ 

After logging in, you can see the homepage of the dashboard. 

How to change your password

To change your password head to the top of the dashboard and click on your Username. In the drop-down list click on ‘Password & Security‘

A new window opens. Here you will need to enter your ‘old password’ and ‘new password’ and click on ‘Change your password now!’

 

How to update your contact information

To update your contact information, in the same username drop-down list, click on ‘Contact Information’

A new page opens with the following information (as shown in the pic below)

All the boxes are ticked by default, however, you can tick/untick based on your preference.

How to manage/edit/remove your domains

cPanel allows you to add multiple domains, manage, as well as remove them. 

To Add Domains, go to the section ‘Domains’ here click on ‘Addon Domains’ if you want to add an entirely new website. 

Enter the details of the new domain:

  1. The ‘New Domain Name’ is the name you’ve registered ‘www’
  2. The ‘Subdomain’ is created automatically
  3. The ‘Document Root’ is the location of your domain’s files on the server

The first field viz. New Domain Name needs to be filled by you, the rest are auto-populated. Should you want to create an FTP account with this domain, tick the checkbox. 

Next, click on ‘Add Domain’ and with this, you’ve successfully added a new domain.

You can even modify your newly added domain. In the same section, i.e. below ‘Create an Addon Domain’ you will find ‘Modify Addon Domain.’ Here you can:

  • Edit the ‘Document Root’
  • Manage Redirection
  • Remove the Addon Domain

 

How to manage your email accounts

Under ‘Emails’ click on ‘Email Accounts’. The following page loads. 

You can add a new email account as well as manage your existing email account. To manage your existing email account, click on ‘Manage’ for the desired email account. 

To add a new email account, click on ‘Create’. This option is available on the ‘Email Accounts’ page. A new page opens, here:

  • Select the Domain Name you want to link the email account to (for example demodomain.com)
  • Enter the Username and password
  • Enter the storage space you would require for your email account
  • Click on ‘Create’.

To access your webmail account, type https://demodomain.com/webmail in the address bar and log in using your credentials.

 

How to manage your files

‘Files’ enables you to upload your files, manage your FTP Accounts & Connections, and take website backup. Practice caution as it is important that you do not modify or delete anything accidentally. 

 

How to back up your website

Backup Wizard used to back up your website can be found in Files. Click on Backup Wizard

A new window opens, asking whether you want to ‘Back Up’ or ‘Restore’ your website. 

  • Since we want to back up, we will click on the ‘Back Up’ button
  • Next, select the type of backup you wish to take viz. Partial or Full

  • Next, go to Download. Type in your backup destination and email ID for receiving completion notification and click on ‘Generate Backup’. 

Conclusion:

We hope this post helped you understand what cPanel is and how to use cPanel better. If you have any queries, feel free to mention them in the comments section below and we’ll get back to you!