A Beginner's Tour Of cPanel

cPanel can look overwhelming the first time you log in — dozens of icons, most with names that don't mean much until you know what they do. Here's a tour of the sections you'll actually use.

Files

The File Manager lets you upload, edit and organise your website's files directly in the browser, without needing separate FTP software. It's usually the fastest way to make a quick edit or check that an upload went where you expected.

Databases

Most modern websites, including WordPress, run on a MySQL database. The Databases section is where you create new databases, manage database users, and access phpMyAdmin for direct database management when needed.

Domains

This is where you point additional domains at your hosting account, set up subdomains for things like a staging site, and manage redirects.

Email

Create and manage email accounts for your domain, set up forwarders, and access webmail if you don't want to configure a separate email client.

Security

SSL/TLS settings, IP blocking and other security tools live here. Most of this is handled automatically on modern hosting, but it's useful to know where to look if you ever need to check on it.

Software

This is where one-click installers (for WordPress and other applications) and PHP version selection live — useful if a plugin or theme requires a specific PHP version.