cPanel overview

Last updated: 20 April 2021

Most of our Linux servers use the cPanel control panel. You can use the control panel for a wide range of tasks, including creating email accounts and making backups. This article gives an overview of the control panel. Other articles in the cPanel section look at how you can use the control panel to do specific tasks.

If you are new to cPanel and you find the control panel a little overwhelming, we are happy to talk you through how to use the control panel. Please either call us on 0800 107 7979 or submit a ticket and we will arrange a session at a time that suits you.

The cPanel home page

When you log into cPanel you see the control panel’s home page. Below the navigation bar at the top you see various sections, including Files, Databases, Domains and Email (if you have an email-only hosting package there will be fewer items). In the sidebar you see general information and statistics about your hosting package.

Image: cPanel’s home screen.

The navigation bar

The navigation bar includes a search field which you can use to quickly find the option you are looking for. If you want to, say, change your user password then a search for the word “password” will get you to the right place.

You can also use the search field just under the navigation bar. This search function returns the same results but they are presented differently. Instead of a list with options cPanel filters out the menu items relevant to your search.

Image: cPanel’s alternative search menu.

Next to the search field in the navigation bar you see your user name. When you click on your user name you get a drop-down menu with a number of items related to your user account. Among others you can reset your user password (via the Password & Security option) and change the look and feel of the control panel (Change Style).

User account options

One option worth highlighting is Contact Information. When there is an issue with your hosting account – for instance, if you have nearly run out of disk space or bandwidth – the system sends an email to the address(es) shown in this section. By default the email address is the address you entered when you bought the hosting package. If needed, you can change the email address in this section.

Information about your hosting package

The General Information box in the sidebar provides a few bits of useful information:

• Current User is the hosting package’s user name. Typically, this is the user name you use to log in to cPanel.
• Every hosting package has a Primary Domain. It is possible to host multiple domains (via Addon Domains) but one domain is always the main domain. cPanel also tells you whether or not the domain has an SSL certificate.
• Shared IP address is your website’s IP address.
• Home Directory is the location of your hosting account on the server’s file system. On Linux servers this is typically /home/your-username. Website files are kept in a directory named public_html inside your home directory.
• Last Login IP Address shows the IP address of the user that was last logged in. If you have any concerns about the IP address shown here (i.e. if you suspect someone might have accessed your account without your permission), please contact us and we are happy to investigate.
• Theme shows the current cPanel theme. By default, the theme is Paper Lantern. There are a few other themes available, including a dark theme. The easiest way to change the theme is by clicking on your username in the navigation bar and selecting Change Style from the drop-down menu.

Server Information

The Server Information link takes you to a page that provides useful information about the hosting environment. Among others, the page shows the version of PHP and MySQL/MariaDB the server is running. Note that the PHP version can be changed – there are always multiple versions available.

Statictics

The Statistics box provides an overview of the resources used by your hosting package. Among others, it lists how many addon domains, subdomains, email accounts and databases you are using, as well as how many you have available.

You also see information about how much disk space and bandwidth you are using:

• The disk space usage is the amount of space taken up by website files, databases and email accounts.
• Every time someone visits your website some data is transferred between the server and the user. The bandwidth usage is the amount of data that has been transferred in the current month.

It is worth noting that all our hosting packages have pre-defined resources. If you need more resources, you can upgrade your hosting package at any time. You can do so via your billing account or by opening a ticket.