Getting started with cPanel
Sign in to cPanel, find your way around the tools you will actually use, and know which ones matter first.
cPanel is where you manage your hosting account — files, email, databases, domains and backups. Applies to shared, reseller and Premium hosting.
Sign in
Use the port 2083, which is what tells the server you want cPanel:
| Situation | Address |
|---|---|
| Domain already points here | https://example.com:2083 |
| Domain not yet pointed | https://your-server-hostname:2083 |
Your server hostname and credentials are in your welcome email. The hostname is deliberately unbranded, so it will not contain "webgee" — that is expected, not a mistake.
You can also reach cPanel from the client area without entering credentials: Services → your service → Login to cPanel.
Resellers
WHM is on port 2087 — https://your-server-hostname:2087 — with the same
credentials.
To open a client's cPanel from WHM, go to List Accounts and select the orange cP icon beside their domain. No password needed, which is the point: you never need to know or reset a client's password to help them.
What to do first
Four things, roughly in order:
- Upload your site to
public_html, or install WordPress. - Create your email accounts.
- Check your certificate — AutoSSL issues one automatically — then force HTTPS.
- Turn on caching if you are running WordPress. It makes more difference than anything else you can do in an afternoon.
The tools you will actually use
| Tool | For |
|---|---|
| File Manager | Uploading, editing and organising files without FTP |
| Email Accounts | Creating mailboxes, forwarders and autoresponders |
| MySQL Databases | Databases and users for your applications |
| Domains | Addon domains, subdomains, redirects |
| Zone Editor | DNS records |
| JetBackup 5 | Restoring from backup |
| Softaculous | One-click application installs |
| Select PHP Version | PHP version, settings and extensions |
| Resource Usage | Whether you are hitting account limits |
| Imunify360 | Malware scanning |
The home screen also shows disk usage, bandwidth, and counts of email accounts and databases — worth glancing at occasionally, since disk space is the limit most people reach without noticing.