Introduction to cPanel Control Panel

cPanel is the industry-standard web hosting control panel included with all Ahosting shared, WordPress, and reseller hosting plans. This guide introduces you to cPanel and its key features. What is cPanel? cPanel is a graphical interface that makes managing your web hosting account easy. Instead of using command-line tools, you can manage files, databases, emails, domains, and more through a user-friendly dashboard. How to Access cPanel There are several ways to access your cPanel: Method 1: Direct URL https://yourdomain.com:2083 Or using the server hostname: https://server.ahosting.net:2083 Method 2: Client Area Log into billing.ahosting.net Go to Services > My Services Click on your hosting plan Click Login to cPanel button cPanel Dashboard Overview The cPanel dashboard is organized into sections: Section What You Can Do Files File Manager, Backups, FTP Accounts, Disk Usage Databases MySQL Databases, phpMyAdmin, Remote MySQL Domains Addon Domains, Subdomains, Redirects, DNS Zone Editor Email Email Accounts, Forwarders, Autoresponders, Spam Filters Security SSL/TLS, IP Blocker, Hotlink Protection, Password Directories Software Softaculous (app installer), PHP Version, LiteSpeed Cache Advanced Cron Jobs, Error Pages, MIME Types Metrics Visitors, Bandwidth, Errors, Raw Access Logs Quick Tips Search bar: Use the search at the top to quickly find any feature Favorites: Star frequently used tools for quick access Help icons: Click the ? icon next to any feature for documentation Your cPanel Credentials Your cPanel username and password were sent in your welcome email. If you need to reset your password: Log into the client area Go to your hosting service Click Change Password Security tip: Use a strong, unique password for cPanel and never share your login credentials.

How to Use File Manager in cPanel

File Manager is a web-based file browser that lets you manage your website files directly from cPanel without needing FTP software. Accessing File Manager Log into cPanel Go to Files section Click File Manager Understanding the Directory Structure Directory Purpose public_html Your main website root (files here are publicly accessible) public_html/subdomain Subdomain document roots mail Email storage (do not modify) logs Access and error logs ssl SSL certificate files tmp Temporary files Uploading Files Navigate to the destination folder (usually public_html) Click Upload in the toolbar Drag and drop files or click Select File Wait for upload to complete Click Go Back to return to File Manager Tip: For large files or many files, use FTP instead for faster uploads. Creating Files and Folders New Folder Click + Folder in the toolbar Enter folder name Click Create New Folder New File Click + File in the toolbar Enter filename (including extension, e.g., config.php) Click Create New File Editing Files Right-click the file (or select and use toolbar) Choose Edit or Code Editor Make your changes Click Save Changes Code Editor provides syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Extracting ZIP Files Upload your .zip file Right-click the ZIP file Select Extract Choose destination folder Click Extract Files Compressing Files Select files/folders to compress Click Compress in the toolbar Choose compression type (Zip recommended) Enter archive name Click Compress Files Changing Permissions Right-click the file or folder Select Change Permissions Set permissions using checkboxes or enter numeric value Click Change Permissions Common permissions: Files: 644, Folders: 755, wp-config.php: 600 Showing Hidden Files Files starting with a dot (like .htaccess) are hidden by default. Click Settings in the top right Check Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) Click Save

How to Create and Manage Addon Domains

Addon domains let you host multiple websites on a single hosting account. Each addon domain functions as a separate website with its own files and email addresses. What is an Addon Domain? An addon domain is an additional domain that points to a subfolder in your hosting account. For example: Main domain: example.com > public_html/ Addon domain: secondsite.com > public_html/secondsite/ Visitors to secondsite.com only see files in that subfolder - they cannot access your main site. Before You Add a Domain Register the domain (or transfer it to Ahosting) Point the domain nameservers to Ahosting: ns1.sameservers.com ns2.sameservers.com ns3.sameservers.com Wait for DNS propagation (up to 24-48 hours) Creating an Addon Domain Log into cPanel Go to Domains section Click Domains (or Addon Domains in older cPanel) Click Create A New Domain Enter the domain name (e.g., secondsite.com) The document root is auto-filled (e.g., public_html/secondsite.com) Click Submit Uploading Files to Addon Domain Open File Manager Navigate to the addon domain folder (e.g., public_html/secondsite.com) Upload your website files here Creating Email for Addon Domain Go to Email > Email Accounts Click Create Select your addon domain from the dropdown Enter the email username and password Click Create Installing WordPress on Addon Domain Go to Softaculous Apps Installer Select WordPress Click Install Choose your addon domain from the dropdown Complete the installation Removing an Addon Domain Go to Domains section Click Domains Find the addon domain in the list Click Manage Click Remove Domain Note: Removing the addon domain does NOT delete the files. You must manually delete the folder if needed. Addon Domain Limits The number of addon domains you can create depends on your hosting plan. Check your plan details in the client area. Troubleshooting Domain not working: DNS may still be propagating (wait 24-48 hours) SSL not working: Run AutoSSL from SSL/TLS Status after adding the domain Wrong content showing: Check document root path is correct

How to Create and Manage Subdomains

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain, creating a separate section of your website. For example: blog.example.com or shop.example.com. Common Uses for Subdomains blog.example.com - Blog or news section shop.example.com - E-commerce store staging.example.com - Development/testing site support.example.com - Help desk or support portal members.example.com - Members-only area Creating a Subdomain Log into cPanel Go to Domains section Click Domains Click Create A New Domain Enter the full subdomain (e.g., blog.example.com) The document root is auto-filled Click Submit Alternative Method (Subdomains Tool) In some cPanel versions: Go to Domains > Subdomains Enter subdomain name (just the prefix, e.g., blog) Select the parent domain Document root auto-fills Click Create Subdomain Directory Structure By default, subdomains are created in: public_html/subdomain_name Example: blog.example.com > public_html/blog Installing WordPress on a Subdomain Create the subdomain first Go to Softaculous Apps Installer Select WordPress Choose your subdomain from the dropdown Complete the installation SSL for Subdomains AutoSSL automatically covers subdomains. To verify: Go to Security > SSL/TLS Status Find your subdomain in the list If not secured, click Run AutoSSL Creating Email for Subdomain You can create email addresses using the subdomain: Go to Email > Email Accounts Click Create Select the subdomain from the domain dropdown Example: info@blog.example.com Wildcard Subdomains A wildcard subdomain (*.example.com) directs all undefined subdomains to one location. This is useful for multi-tenant applications. Create a subdomain with * as the name Point to desired document root Removing a Subdomain Go to Domains Find the subdomain Click Manage > Remove Note: Files in the subdomain folder are not deleted automatically. Subdomain vs Addon Domain Subdomain Addon Domain Uses your main domain Completely separate domain No extra domain registration Requires domain registration Example: blog.example.com Example: otherdomain.com

How to Manage MySQL Databases with phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is a web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. You can create, modify, and delete databases and tables, run SQL queries, and import/export data. Accessing phpMyAdmin Log into cPanel Go to Databases section Click phpMyAdmin phpMyAdmin opens in a new tab with your databases listed on the left. Creating a Database Before using phpMyAdmin, create a database in cPanel: Go to Databases > MySQL Databases Enter database name Click Create Database Create a database user with password Add user to database with All Privileges Selecting a Database In phpMyAdmin, click the database name on the left sidebar The database structure (tables) appears on the right Browsing Table Data Click the table name Click Browse tab to see all records Use pagination to navigate through records Click column headers to sort Running SQL Queries Select your database Click SQL tab Enter your query in the text area Click Go Example queries: -- View all records SELECT * FROM wp_posts; -- Search for specific content SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_title LIKE '%hello%'; -- Count records SELECT COUNT(*) FROM wp_users; Exporting a Database (Backup) Select the database Click Export tab Choose Quick for simple backup or Custom for options Format: SQL Click Go Save the .sql file Importing a Database Select the target database (or create an empty one) Click Import tab Click Choose File and select your .sql file Click Go Tip: Maximum upload size is typically 50MB. For larger files, use command line or split the file. Searching and Replacing Useful for migrations (changing URLs): Select the database Click Search tab Enter search term Select tables to search Click Go For find/replace: Use a plugin like Better Search Replace in WordPress, or run SQL UPDATE queries carefully. Optimizing Tables Select the database Check tables to optimize From dropdown at bottom, select Optimize table Click Go Dropping (Deleting) Tables Select the table Click Operations tab Click Delete the table (DROP) Confirm deletion Warning: This permanently deletes all data in the table! Safety Tips Always backup before making changes Test queries with SELECT before running UPDATE/DELETE Use WHERE clauses to avoid affecting all records Never share phpMyAdmin access

How to Create and Restore Backups in cPanel

Regular backups protect your website from data loss. cPanel provides several backup options to keep your files, databases, and emails safe. Ahosting Automatic Backups All Ahosting hosting plans include automatic daily and weekly backups. These are managed by our system and can be restored by contacting support. cPanel Backup Options cPanel provides two backup tools: Backup Wizard: Step-by-step guided backup/restore Backup: Direct backup downloads Creating a Full Backup Go to Files > Backup Click Download a Full Account Backup Select backup destination: Home Directory: Saves to your account Remote FTP Server: Sends to external server Enter email for notification (optional) Click Generate Backup Note: Full backups can only be restored by server administrators. For self-restore, use partial backups. Creating Partial Backups Partial backups let you backup and restore specific parts: Home Directory Backup (Files) Go to Files > Backup Under Partial Backups, click Home Directory A compressed file downloads automatically Database Backup Under Partial Backups, find Download a MySQL Database Backup Click the database name you want to backup A .sql.gz file downloads Email Backup Under Partial Backups, find Email Forwarders and Filters Click your domain to download email configuration Using Backup Wizard Go to Files > Backup Wizard Click Back Up Choose Full Backup or Partial Backup Select what to backup (Home Directory, MySQL, Email) Click Back Up Restoring Files from Backup Go to Files > Backup Under Restore, click Choose File next to Home Directory Select your backup file (.tar.gz) Click Upload Restoring a Database Go to Files > Backup Under Restore a MySQL Database, click Choose File Select your database backup (.sql or .sql.gz) Click Upload Note: The database must already exist. Create it first if needed. Manual Backup Best Practices When What to Backup Before updates Full backup or database + wp-content Before theme changes Home directory Before plugin installation Database Weekly Full backup to external storage Storing Backups Safely Download backups to your local computer Store copies in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) Keep at least 3 recent backups Test restore process periodically

How to Set Up Cron Jobs in cPanel

Cron jobs are scheduled tasks that run automatically at specified times. They are useful for automating repetitive tasks like backups, sending emails, or running maintenance scripts. What Can You Automate? Database backups Email newsletters Cache clearing Report generation Data imports/exports WordPress scheduled tasks (wp-cron alternative) Accessing Cron Jobs Log into cPanel Go to Advanced section Click Cron Jobs Understanding Cron Timing Cron uses five time fields: Field Values Example Minute 0-59 30 (at 30 minutes past) Hour 0-23 14 (2 PM) Day of Month 1-31 1 (first of month) Month 1-12 * (every month) Day of Week 0-6 (Sun-Sat) 1 (Monday) * means every (e.g., * in hour field = every hour) Common Cron Schedules # Every minute * * * * * # Every hour 0 * * * * # Every day at midnight 0 0 * * * # Every day at 3 AM 0 3 * * * # Every Monday at 9 AM 0 9 * * 1 # First day of month at midnight 0 0 1 * * # Every 5 minutes */5 * * * * # Every 30 minutes */30 * * * * Creating a Cron Job In Cron Jobs, choose Common Settings dropdown or set custom timing Enter the command to run Click Add New Cron Job Example Commands Run a PHP Script /usr/local/bin/php /home/username/public_html/script.php Run WordPress Cron wget -q -O - https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1 Curl a URL curl -s https://yourdomain.com/cron-task.php >/dev/null 2>&1 Cron Email Notifications By default, cron sends output via email. To set the email: At the top of Cron Jobs page, enter email in Cron Email Click Update Email To disable email output, add this to end of command: >/dev/null 2>&1 Editing a Cron Job Find the cron job in the list Click Edit Modify timing or command Click Edit Line Deleting a Cron Job Find the cron job Click Delete Confirm deletion Troubleshooting Script not running: Check file path is correct (use full path) Permission denied: Set script permissions to 755 No output: Remove >/dev/null temporarily to see errors Wrong time: Server uses UTC timezone

How to Password Protect Directories in cPanel

Password protecting a directory adds an extra layer of security. Visitors must enter a username and password to access the protected folder. Common Use Cases Protect admin areas Secure staging/development sites Restrict access to private files Create members-only sections Protect wp-admin for extra WordPress security Method 1: Directory Privacy Tool Log into cPanel Go to Files section Click Directory Privacy Navigate to the folder you want to protect Click the folder name Check Password protect this directory Enter a name for the protected area (shown in login prompt) Click Save Create a user: Enter username Enter and confirm password Click Save Method 2: Manual .htaccess For more control, create files manually: Step 1: Create .htpasswd file Store this OUTSIDE public_html for security: Go to File Manager Navigate to your home directory (above public_html) Create a new file called .htpasswd Add encrypted password entries Generate password hash at: htpasswdgenerator.net Format: username:$apr1$encrypted$passwordhash Step 2: Create .htaccess in protected folder AuthType Basic AuthName "Restricted Area" AuthUserFile /home/username/.htpasswd Require valid-user Protecting WordPress wp-admin Go to Directory Privacy Navigate to public_html/wp-admin Enable password protection Create a user Note: You may need to allow admin-ajax.php for some plugins: Add to wp-admin/.htaccess: <Files admin-ajax.php> Order allow,deny Allow from all Satisfy any </Files> Adding Multiple Users Go to Directory Privacy Click the protected folder Under Create User, add another user Each user can have a different password Removing Password Protection Go to Directory Privacy Click the protected folder Uncheck Password protect this directory Click Save Removing a User Go to Directory Privacy Click the protected folder Find the user under Authorized Users Click Delete next to their name Troubleshooting 500 Error: Check .htaccess syntax and file paths Password not accepted: Ensure password was saved correctly, try recreating user Redirect loop: Check for conflicting .htaccess rules

How to Manage FTP Accounts in cPanel

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows you to upload and download files to your hosting account using FTP client software like FileZilla. Your Main FTP Account Your cPanel username and password also work as your main FTP account with full access to all files. FTP connection details: Host: ftp.yourdomain.com or server IP Username: Your cPanel username Password: Your cPanel password Port: 21 (FTP) or 22 (SFTP) Creating Additional FTP Accounts Create limited FTP accounts for developers, designers, or specific folders: Log into cPanel Go to Files section Click FTP Accounts Fill in the form: Log In: Username for the account Domain: Select the domain Password: Strong password Directory: Folder this account can access Quota: Storage limit (0 for unlimited) Click Create FTP Account Directory Access Examples Directory Setting Access public_html Full website access public_html/uploads Only uploads folder public_html/client-site Only that specific site Changing FTP Password Go to FTP Accounts Find the account in the list Click Change Password Enter new password Click Change Password Changing FTP Quota Go to FTP Accounts Find the account Click Change Quota Enter new quota or select Unlimited Click Change Quota Deleting FTP Account Go to FTP Accounts Find the account Click Delete Choose whether to delete the home directory Confirm deletion Configuring FileZilla Download FileZilla from filezilla-project.org Open FileZilla Go to File > Site Manager Click New Site Enter: Host: yourdomain.com Protocol: FTP or SFTP Encryption: Use explicit FTP over TLS User: FTP username Password: FTP password Click Connect FTP vs SFTP FTP SFTP Port 21 Port 22 Unencrypted (use FTPS) Encrypted by default Uses FTP accounts Uses cPanel/SSH credentials Recommendation: Use SFTP for better security. Troubleshooting Connection refused: Check hostname and port Login failed: Verify username includes @domain Timeout: Try passive mode in FTP client Cannot upload: Check folder permissions and quota

How to View and Analyze Website Statistics in cPanel

cPanel provides several tools to monitor your website traffic, bandwidth usage, and visitor behavior. Available Statistics Tools Go to Metrics section in cPanel to find these tools: 1. Visitors Shows detailed information about recent visitors: IP addresses Pages visited Time of visit Referring URLs User agents (browsers) To access: Metrics > Visitors > Click domain 2. Bandwidth Shows data transfer usage: HTTP (web traffic) FTP transfers Email bandwidth Daily, weekly, monthly totals To access: Metrics > Bandwidth 3. Errors Shows recent error log entries: 404 Not Found errors 500 Internal Server errors PHP errors Permission errors To access: Metrics > Errors Useful for troubleshooting broken links and script errors. 4. Raw Access Logs Download complete server logs for detailed analysis: Go to Metrics > Raw Access Click domain to download current log Archives of previous months available below Log format: Apache Combined Log Format 5. Awstats Visual statistics with graphs and charts: Unique visitors vs visits Pages and hits Traffic by country Browsers and operating systems Search keywords Entry and exit pages To access: Metrics > Awstats > Click icon next to domain Understanding Key Metrics Metric Meaning Unique Visitors Individual people visiting (by IP) Visits Total sessions (same person can visit multiple times) Pages HTML pages viewed Hits All requests (pages, images, CSS, JS) Bandwidth Data transferred in bytes/MB/GB CPU and Resource Usage For shared hosting resource monitoring: Look for Resource Usage in cPanel sidebar View CPU, memory, I/O, and process limits Check for any limit warnings Disk Usage Go to Files > Disk Usage See breakdown by folder Identify large files or folders Google Analytics Alternative For more detailed analytics, consider installing: Google Analytics: Free, comprehensive visitor tracking Matomo: Self-hosted, privacy-focused analytics Plausible: Lightweight, privacy-friendly cPanel stats are server-side; Google Analytics is client-side and provides more user behavior data. Archiving Logs To configure log archiving: Go to Metrics > Raw Access Enable Archive Logs option Choose to remove previous month logs after archiving

Understanding cPanel Error Logs and Troubleshooting

Error logs are essential for diagnosing website problems. This guide shows you how to find, read, and use error logs in cPanel. Types of Error Logs Log Type Contains Error Log PHP errors, server errors, permission issues Access Log All HTTP requests to your site Apache Error Log Web server errors Viewing Errors in cPanel Log into cPanel Go to Metrics section Click Errors Recent errors display (last 300 entries) Finding Error Log Files Log files are located in your home directory: /home/username/logs/error.log /home/username/public_html/error_log In File Manager, navigate to these locations to view full logs. Understanding Error Messages PHP Fatal Error [date] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function Meaning: Script tried to use a function that does not exist Fix: Check for missing plugins, extensions, or typos PHP Warning [date] PHP Warning: include(file.php): failed to open stream Meaning: File include failed but script continued Fix: Check file path and permissions 500 Internal Server Error [date] AH01630: client denied by server configuration Meaning: Server configuration blocking request Fix: Check .htaccess rules Permission Denied [date] (13)Permission denied: file permissions deny server access Meaning: File/folder permissions too restrictive Fix: Set files to 644, folders to 755 Memory Exhausted [date] PHP Fatal error: Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted Meaning: Script needs more memory than allowed Fix: Increase memory_limit in PHP settings Common HTTP Error Codes Code Meaning Common Cause 403 Forbidden Permission denied, .htaccess rules 404 Not Found File missing, wrong URL 500 Internal Server Error PHP error, .htaccess syntax 502 Bad Gateway Backend server issue 503 Service Unavailable Server overload, maintenance 504 Gateway Timeout Script timeout, slow backend Enabling PHP Error Display (Development Only) Temporarily show errors on screen: // Add to top of PHP file ini_set('display_errors', 1); ini_set('display_startup_errors', 1); error_reporting(E_ALL); Warning: Disable this on production sites! WordPress Debug Mode Enable in wp-config.php: define('WP_DEBUG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true); define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false); Errors are logged to wp-content/debug.log Troubleshooting Steps Check error logs first Note the exact error message and file/line number Search the error message online Check recent changes (updates, new code) Test in a staging environment Restore from backup if needed Clearing Error Logs If logs become too large: Download the log for reference Open File Manager Edit the error_log file Delete contents and save (or delete the file) Tip: Set up log rotation to prevent logs from growing too large.

How to Configure PHP Settings in cPanel

cPanel Tutorials Updated May 2026

Different web applications require different PHP configurations. cPanel allows you to change PHP versions and settings for your hosting account.

Changing PHP Version

Log into cPanel
Go to Software section
Click MultiPHP Manager or Select PHP Version
Check the domain(s) you want to change
Select PHP version from dropdown
Click Apply

Available PHP Versions

Ahosting typically offers:

PHP 7.4 (legacy support)
PHP 8.0
PHP 8.1
PHP 8.2
PHP 8.3 (latest)

Recommendation: Use the latest PHP version your application supports for best performance and security.

Modifying PHP Settings (php.ini)

Go to Software > MultiPHP INI Editor
Select your domain
Modify settings as needed
Click Apply

Common PHP Settings

Setting	Default	Purpose
upload_max_filesize	2M	Maximum file upload size
post_max_size	8M	Maximum POST data size
max_execution_time	30	Script timeout in seconds
memory_limit	128M	Maximum memory per script
max_input_vars	1000	Maximum form variables
max_input_time	60	Input parsing timeout

Enabling/Disabling PHP Extensions

Go to Software > Select PHP Version
Click your current PHP version
Check/uncheck extensions
Click Save

Common PHP Extensions

mysqli / pdo_mysql: MySQL database connectivity
curl: HTTP requests
gd / imagick: Image processing
zip: ZIP file handling
mbstring: Multibyte string handling
intl: Internationalization
opcache: PHP code caching (performance)

WordPress Recommended Settings

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300
memory_limit = 256M
max_input_vars = 3000

Creating Custom php.ini

For per-directory PHP settings, create a php.ini file in that folder:

Go to File Manager
Navigate to the directory
Create a file named php.ini

Add your settings:

upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M

Checking Current PHP Settings

Create a phpinfo file to view all settings:

Create a file phpinfo.php in public_html
Add: <?php phpinfo(); ?>
Visit yourdomain.com/phpinfo.php
Delete this file after checking (security risk)

Troubleshooting

Changes not working: Clear browser cache and site cache
500 error after change: Revert PHP version or settings
Extension not available: Contact support to enable

Need More Help?

Submit a Ticket Contact Us Browse Articles