What Is cPanel?

cPanel allows you to perform a range of tasks on your website. It is typically provided by web hosts, and typically, when you buy cPanel VPS hosting, it is installed automatically at the back end. These tools include setting up WordPress, creating subdomains and installing SSL certificates.

cPanel is a well-known tool in the WordPress community for its simplicity and compatibility when it comes down to VPS hosting with cPanel. Nowadays, every single hosting company has some sort of plan that is designed to work with the best control panel for VPS. So, how can you use cPanel? As mentioned above, in this cPanel complete guide, we will teach you how to use your VPS hosting with cPanel.

cPanel’s File Manager

The File Manager provides basic file management tools for your cPanel. It can be used to upload and extract files as well as create files and folders and assign permissions. It shares the functionality of an FTP client but is not as powerful.

Where Is File Manager in cPanel

1. After logging into your cPanel, you will find the file manager.
2. You’ll see a new window when you open the tool. This will show you navigation and management options, as well as a directory listing all files and folders that your website has.

Using File Manager

First, a window section shows you the folder tree and the contents of the folder. Click on the folder you want to navigate to. Clicking on the Public_html folder, for example, will display its contents – .well known, cgi bin, robots.txt, etc. This is where your website gets stored.

You can also navigate to a folder by entering its full name path and then clicking Go in the folder tree search function.

There are many navigation functions:

• Home: Click it to display the Home folder with its contents
• Up One Level: moves up one level from the current location. This will bring you back to the public_html folder. It is higher than the cgi bin folder.
• Back/Forward: Works pretty much the exact same way as in your web browser’s back/forward navigation
• Reload: refresh the page to see changes
• Select/Unselect: To select files or folders or to deselect them
• View Trash: displays the trash directory where all files have been deleted
• Empty trash: To clear the trash directory. This feature can only be used in the trash folder

File Manager Features

Next, you need to learn about file management. You can access the majority of the features via right-clicking on an item. There is also a toolbar that you can use to assist you.

• File: This feature allows you to create a new folder within a specific folder. This will create an index.php file within the public_html directory.
• Folder: This feature allows you to create a new folder.
• Copy: You can copy the selected file into a particular destination.
• Move: This function works exactly the same as Copy. The only difference is that the file will not be moved to its original location.
• Upload: You can upload a file directly to your hosting account. You can’t upload folders. FTP clients can be used to upload large files or folders. There are two ways to upload the file: either drag and drop or manually select it from your computer. After you are done, click on the Return to link.
• Download: This function will download selected files to your computer.
• Delete: This option moves the selected file into the Trash folder. You can permanently delete the file by checking the Skip the trash box.
• Restore: This feature is only available if you are in the trash folder. Restore a deleted file to its original folder origin.
• Edit/HTML Editor: These features are required to edit your files. These features work in a similar way to any text editor software and can be very useful for editing while on the move. Although it has a WYSIWYG interface, it is not as powerful as other HTML editor’s software.
• Permissions: This feature allows you to give permission to a particular file or folder. It is important to understand everything you are doing before you change it. This can lead to problems for your website.
• View: This allows you to view files, such as a picture or index.php content.
• Extract/Compress: With compress, you can save selected content to a Zip or Gzip format. The extract can do the reverse – extract an archive.
• Preferences: With this feature, you can customize your preferences. You can, for example, set the default folder that you want to open when you use Folder Manager. You can also choose Show Hidden files (dotfiles). To block certain elements of your website, you can edit .htaccess.

This is all you need to know regarding the navigation and management functions on the file manager. Next, in this cPanel tutorial, we will discuss bandwidth usage, which is an important aspect of your hosting plan.

Checking Bandwidth in cPanel

Bandwidth refers to all traffic and data that is transferred from your hosting account. The usage is dependent on many factors, including the number of visitors and FTP connection.

It is important to examine bandwidth usage as it often relates to the hosting plan you have subscribed to. cPanel will notify you by email when your limit is approaching. This is a crucial feature for cPanel VPS users. How do you check bandwidth in cPanel?

Summary on the homepage

Logging in will immediately show you the bandwidth usage summary in the right-hand panel, under the statistics section.

Bandwidth Statistics

The Bandwidth link in the previous step will take you to the complete statistics. You can also search bandwidth using the search feature.

Clicking on one of these options will open a new window that displays your consumption based on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. It also shows you the total sum.

As you can see, cPanel monitors traffic from these sources:

• HTTP traffic: This is the data that was sent and received via the protocol
• FTP traffic: Tracks the transfer protocol you use to access or share files between your computer and the server
• IMAP/POP3/SMTP traffic: This is the email communication between your server/mail client.

This is all there is to know about bandwidth usage. It is very useful to know what’s causing your bandwidth usage to exceed the limit. Then you can take corrective action. Keep in mind that many hosting companies tend to advertise unlimited bandwidth, which is not true. There is always a limit to it.

cPanel Disk Space Usage

The total amount of data stored in your account, including files from websites and MySQL databases, is called your disk space usage.

cPanel will send warnings about disk space to your email address when you reach 80%, 90% or 98% disk usage. In cPanel, you can change your contact email address under Preferences.

Summary

Log in to your cPanel. On the right side, you’ll see a summary of your Disk Storage.

Disk Space Usage Statistics

You can view full details about your Disk Space Usage by clicking on the Block Usage button in the Files section.

Scroll down and expand the folders by clicking on the sign left of each folder. This will display exactly how much disk space you have used.

Click on the folder you wish to delete, and File Manager will open in your browser.

Next, in this cPanel tutorial, let’s make your cPanel accounts more secure by enabling two-factor authentication in cPanel.

Setting up Two-Factor for cPanel

Two-factor authentication (2FA), which can be added to your cPanel account, is a good idea as it protects the data.

It’s one of the best ways to increase your account security. The software can be used to create a time-based, one-time password (TOTP). This will give you an individual code that you must input before you can access your account.

Regards to the cPanel documentations:” To use this feature, your hosting provider must enable 2FA in WHM’s Two-Factor Authentication interface (WHM >> Home >> Security Center >> Two-Factor Authentication).”

Enable Two-Factor

1. After logging in to your cPanel, you can open the Two Factor Authentication tool. Click the Set up Two-Factor authentication button.
2. Open your authentication app. You can scan the QR code from there or manually enter the key.
3. After scanning, enter the six-digit token found on your authentication App. Next, click Configure 2-Factor Authentication.

Log Back to cPanel

After clicking Return, you will be redirected to the login screen. The six-digit token that you found on your authentication application will be required. This is what you will need each time you log in.

You have now created an additional layer of security that makes your cPanel for VPS even safer than it was.

The next part of our cPanel tutorial will show you how to add a domain in cPanel.

cPanel’s Add-on Domain

Additional domains can be stored under your main domain as add-on domains. You can create multiple domains and manage them all from one account with cPanel. This is possible using the addon Domains tool. Let’s get started.

Access Domains Tool

Search and open Addon domains from your main dashboard.

Create an Add-on Domain

After you have opened the tool, fill in the form. Below is a description of each field.

• Name: You simply need to enter your domain name
• Subdomain: cPanel will add the subdomain name. You can add only one domain name. If you plan to add more domain names with the same name and different TLDs (e.g., samedomainname.com or samedomainname.net), you will need to modify it
• Document root: this will also fill automatically. This is the path to your addon domain’s contents
• Create an FTP account: This option allows you to create another FTP account to manage the addon domain. You don’t have to create an FTP account if you are going to manage the domain. You can, however, set up an addon domain for another person by checking the Create FTP account. They will have limited access to the addon domain files if they have a separate account.

After you have completed that, click on the Add domain button.

Once the addon domain has been successfully created, you can upload the website’s file into the subfolder created by the File Manager from your cPanel Account.

Manage Added Add-on Domains

After the domain is added, it should be visible in the Modify Addon Domain List. This is the description of that section.

•         Addon domains: You can see all domains that you have added here
•         Document root: path to the specific domain. Click the link to be taken to the file manager
•         Subdomain: An automatic name that is created using the form
•         Redirects: You can redirect the domain to another location; it shares the same feature as Aliases. It will say not redirect since we aren’t doing that. If you do want to change the redirection path, click the Manage redirection button.
•         Actions: An option to remove an addon domain from this list

You now know how to manage addon domains using your cPanel accounts. The same account can be used to upload files or do backend administration for another domain.

How to Create a Subdomain in cPanel

Subdomains can be extended domains. Subdomains can be used to host other websites and function independently from the main domain. This feature can be very handy for VPS hosting with cPanel since you’ll be able to use your cPanel for VPS and have more than one website. The format of a subdomain is subdomain.domain.com.

Let’s suppose we have a domain on mywebsite.com. We want to create a forum for our main site and a blog. They can be found at forum.mywebsite.com or blog.mywebsite.com. These subdomains are also accessible via mywebsite.com/forum or mywebsite.com/blog.

Access the subdomains section of cPanel to create a subdomain.

1. A subdomain is the name of a subdomain. Only The subdomain extension must be entered in this section.
2. The domain allows you to choose the domain where the subdomain will appear.
3. The document root is the root folder of a subdomain. This folder is automatically created in public_html.

For assistance, contact the hosting provider if you encounter any errors or problems during this step.

How to Upload Files to Subdomain root

All files/scripts must be uploaded to the Doc Root directory as described above. This directory is automatically created by public_html. It can be accessed easily using the File manager section in cPanel. If a subdomain is created using an Addon Domain, the subdomain’s Document Root will be created inside the root directory of the addon domain, for example, public_html/addon_domain_root/subdomain_root.

How to Delete a Subdomain in cPanel

It is possible to delete a subdomain if it is not needed or if the name is incorrectly entered. You can delete a subdomain by clicking the Remove button under cPanel->Subdomains.

If you want to create a subdomain that has a different name but displays the same content, it is best to delete the subdomain and create a new subdomain with the same root directory as the one deleted.

Subdomains can be used to quickly and cheaply create additional websites. You can also use them to create specific areas on your main website, such as a forum or blog.

• Subdomains can be used to create domain extensions that are independently functional.
• You can modify the subdomain DNS configuration without affecting your main domain.

How to park a domain in cPanel

A different domain type is a great way to “protect” your brand. You will likely buy multiple domain names if you want your brand online.

You can buy popular TLDs such as.org or.net to launch your brand, and you can also purchase specific country codes (.us for US webmasters, or.jp in Japan)

Visitors will be directed to yourdomain.org instead of your primary domain yourdomain.com. This can be done using the domain parking option. To do this, cPanel offers a tool called aliases.

You will need these things:

• Access to your cPanel Account
• Multiple domain names

Go to Aliases

Open the Aliases Tool under the domains section from your cPanel dashboard.

Create a New Parked Domain

Click Add Domain and enter the domain name that you wish to add under the New Alias Section.

A valid domain registrar must be used to add domains. You will get an error message if you don’t. Nameserver information will also be provided, along with instructions for pointing out the DNS server from your registrar.

Manage Park Domain Redirection

After you have added the domain, it will be listed in the Aliases List. Click Manage Redirection.

Manage Park Domain Alias Redirection

Enter the primary domain that you wish the alias URL to point to in the form, and then click Save.

After you have successfully added the redirection, it can take up to 24 hours to take effect due to DNS propagation globally.

cPanel’s DNS Zone Editor

Two types of zone editors are offered by cPanel: Simple DNS Zone Editor and Advanced DNS Zone Editor. Let’s start with the first.

DNS Zone Editor

You can perform four actions with the simple interface once you have opened the tool.

A Record

You can add an A record to your domain name. This can be used to map an IP address for a domain from a hosting provider. You can also use this to redundancy domains by adding multiple A Records to the same domain.

Simply click the button to add one. Fill in all required fields. The name allows you to enter the hostname of the record. The address allows you to enter the IPv4 address you wish to point to. After you are done, click Add a Record.

CNAME Record

A Canonical Name (or simply CNAME) can be used for mapping an alias to a real domain name. This can be used to map a subdomain to the main domain, such as www or mail. You can also look at your CNAME Records if you use Google Suite.

Click CNA Record. Enter the hostname of the record in the Name. In CNAME, enter the subdomain name you wish to map.

MX Record

Mail servers will use the Mail Exchange Record (MX) to determine where the email is being delivered. Because they often work together, you should give the same value to MX Records as to A Records.

Click the MX Record button to add one. The Priority value is preferred. The destination can be used the same as A Record.

Manage

You can access the Advanced Domain Zone Editor by clicking on it in the panel. You will also find a list listing all DNS records for your domain.

Advanced DNS Zone Editor

The advanced editor allows you to edit and customize a TTL value. This is especially useful if you need to edit a record that has been inactive. You can edit the settings above and create additional types of records, including:

• AAAA Record: Maps a domain name to IPv6 address
• Certification Authority Authorization Record: Permits a specific authority to issue certificates for domains
• Domain-based message authentication, reporting and conformance (DMARC), Record: Improves security against suspicious emails or fraudulent attempts.
• SRV: Maps one domain to the other, just like we did in our previous tutorial
• TXT Records: Can hold any type of text information. It is commonly used to store DMARC content.

You now know how to use the zone editor. Now you can add, edit or delete any records in your domain.

Adding SRV Record in cPanel

SRV records can be used to identify the exact location of services at different places. This is often used to connect websites or services that are hosted independently. This is used by many services, including IMAP/POP3/SMTP and Minecraft servers.

SRV Record Details

You will need to enter several details in your SRV record depending on the service and protocol you use.

• Name: The domain name that is used by the service. It should end with a dot, e.g., _worldofwarcraft._tcp.yourdomain.com. (Note: Only use underscores before service and protocol)
• TTL: Limits the record’s lifetime. The default value for this field is 14400
• Priority: This determines which records should be prioritized. A lower value is better
• Weight: Determines which records should be prioritized. Preferable means that the value is higher
• Port: The port number used by this service
• Target: The destination hostname to which the SRV records will point, e.g., warcraft.server.com

Locate DNS Zone Editor in cPanel

Log in to find the DNS Zone Tool. It can be found under the domains section.

Add an SRV

1. Select the domain to which you wish to add the SRV records, then click Manage. Click the dropdown right beside the filter search box, and select Add SRV Record.
2. Below, a new form will open. Fill in all required information. After you are done, click Add Record.

After you are done, the newly created records should be added to the zone Record list. The SRV Record usually takes less than 15 minutes to take effect. However, it can take up to 24 hours sometimes.

If your SRV Record does not start within 24hrs, please contact your hosting provider to verify that all details are correct and that the port number hasn’t been blocked.

How to Create MySQL Database in cPanel

Each website requires a place to store data. Think of it as a home for your website or data.

Find MySQL Databases

Log in to access the MySQL Databases Tool.

Create a new database

The MySQL Databases window will open. Enter the database name without spaces in the appropriate field, then click Create Database. Once done, click Go Back.

Create and add new user

Scroll down to find the Add User form. Fill it in without any spaces. Repeat the process by entering your password.

To create a stronger password combination, you can also use a Password generator. Click Copy this password to a safe place, and then click Enter Password.

Once done, click Create User.

After clicking Go back, fill out the form To Database. Choose the user you wish to assign from the drop-down menu.

After clicking Add, you will be taken to the Manage user privileges window.

Give created user privileges

This step allows you to grant privileges to users. You can create an admin by checking ALL Privileges and then clicking the Make changes button.

You have now created a user, a database and the privileges required to access the website’s databases.

Using MySQL Remote Feature

Remote MySQL access is beneficial for many reasons. Remote hosts (other servers) can access your MySQL databases. You can allow third parties to access the database, like a shopping cart app.

You will need these things:

• Access to your cPanel Account
• The IP address or domain you wish to grant access to

Find Remote MySQL in cPanel

Locate and open Remote MySQL under the Databases section.

Allow Remote Server Access

In the Host box, enter the hostname and IP address. You can access the database via the localhost by using your public IP address, which can be found here. You can also enter a domain name that is fully qualified, such as www.google.com and click Add host.

Removing Remote Server Access

You can remove access previously granted to you by following these steps:

1. Locate the hostname that you want to delete in the Manage Access Hosts List, then click Delete.
2. You will see a confirmation window. Click Remove Access host.

That’s all. Remote access to MySQL databases can be easily granted and denied. Please do not give permission to anyone unauthorized for security reasons.

How to set up an email account in cPanel

It is easy to create an email account with cPanel.

Find the Email section in cPanel

Navigate to the section of your cPanel dashboard. Or, you can search for the accounting tool.

Creating a new email

1. After it has opened, click on the Create link to open a new window.
2. Each field must be filled in.

•     Username: This is the username that you wish to use for your email. If you want to use info@yourdomain.com, then enter information in this field.
•     Security: You will need to enter a password for your email account. It is strongly recommended to use a combination of numbers and uppercase letters for a strong password.
•     Provide an alternative email: If you need to reset your email password with another account, you can send the alternative email here
•     Storage Space: You have two options: unlimited or limited. You won’t receive any emails if your email storage exceeds the limit. You shouldn’t worry if unlimited storage is chosen.

After everything is in place, click on the Create link.

You will receive an email configuration detail for setting up an email client if you have checked the Send welcome email with instructions to set up a mail client. It can be used to create your webmail using a client like Mail, Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.

That’s all. Now you can use the email address to communicate with your audience. The Site Publisher is the next in this cPanel tutorial. It’s a very popular tool that allows you to create a temporary website.

Using cPanel’s Site Publisher to create a website

The Website Publisher is an excellent tool that allows you to create simple websites quickly, even if it’s your first time. You can choose from a variety of templates and then add the information you need to each one.

Find Site Publisher in cPanel

The Website Publisher tool can be found under the domains section.

Choose a location and a template

1. After clicking the tool, you will need to select the domain or subdomain that the publisher should use.
2. After you have selected the template, you will see a list of templates from which to choose. We’ll be using Under Construction.
3. Fill out the details. Hit the Publish icon once you are done.

You have now created a temporary website that informs your visitors about the things you want. This is how ours looks.

Let’s start building the website by creating an email account. Your eager audience can still reach you.

Next, we will show you how to backup your website.

How to backup your website in cPanel

This is something you’ve heard over and over: backups are essential. You need to keep your website data safe in case of an emergency or move it to another location.

Even if your hosting company offers backups, we recommend that you do it yourself. Using cPanel, this is possible.

Different types of backup in cPanel

• Full account backup: You can download a backup copy of your cPanel details, including Files and DNS Zones.
• Full website backup: This will allow you to download a complete backup of your website, including the home directory and MySQL databases. It also includes email forwarders, filter configurations, and email forwarders. This is required if you want to transfer your cPanel accounts to another hosting provider.
• Partial website backup: You can select the data that you wish to back up. If you need to backup MySQL databases, for example

Full Account Backup

1. Search and open the Full Account Backups tool from your cPanel dashboard.
2. A JetBackup window opens, where you can see a list of all of your backups.
3. You’ll receive a confirmation when you click the Generate download button next to the file that you want to download. Next, click Add to Download Queue and then click Return.
4. After it’s completed, you will see a Download link next to the file that you want to download.

Full website backup

1. Open the Backup Wizard tool by searching for it from your dashboard.
2. Click Save in the new window.
3. You now have the choice to perform a partial or full backup. Select Full Backup.

You can create a backup and then choose how to save it. There are four options available:

• Home Directory: Saving the file to your current server
• Remote FTP server: Use FTP to backup files on remote servers
• Remote FTP server: Use passive FTP mode for saving the backup file
• Secure Copy Protocol: Use SCP to copy the file to another server

Partial Website Backup

1. Select partial backup from the Backup Wizard window.
2. Once you click the link, you will be taken to the final step window. You can then locate the database file from there. To save the file, click on the link.

This is all there is to know about backups using cPanel. Three options are available that can be tailored to your specific needs.

Optimizing a website in cPanel

This cPanel complete guide will explain how to use cPanel’s Optimize website feature. This feature allows you to compress certain files to improve the performance of your website.

Find Optimize Website in cPanel

First, enter your cPanel. You can then either use the cPanel search feature to find the Optimize website tool or manually.

Using Optimize Website tool

1. You can select the compression option here:
   • Disabled will disable this feature and not perform any compression actions.
   • All Content will reduce all content on your website.
   • You can choose which type of content you want to compress by using.
2. You can specify which files/content you want to compress using the MIME type field. Enter the separated list containing the content you want to compress.
3. To apply the settings that you have chosen, click Update Options after making your selection. After you have made your choice, you should receive this confirmation message:

cPanel’s Optimize website function is helpful if you want your visitors to have an easier and quicker experience browsing your website. It is faster to load the website content because it is compressed before it is sent to the browser.

Creating custom error pages in cPanel

Visitors are notified when an error page is displayed. Every error is usually represented by a code number. A 404 error will be displayed if a visitor enters a URL that is not there. Unauthorized visitors who attempt to access your restricted area of the website will receive a 401 error.

Most web server software handles basic error pages. This tutorial will show you how to create your own using cPanel to display HTTP status codes ranging from 400 to 510. This option alone makes it the best control panel for VPS.

Find Error Pages in cPanel

You will find the Error Pages tool under the Advanced subsection. Locate it and then open it.

Select a page for editing

After it has been opened, you can do these:

• Managing: Here, you can choose the domain which will use the error page
• Error code List: You must choose the correct error page to make. cPanel defaults to only showing the five most frequent error pages. To see the rest of the list, click on the Show all HTTP Error Codes tab

Edit the page

After you have chosen the code you want to use, you will be taken to the editing screen. You can insert tags and HTML code here.

• Referring URL: This shows the URL from which visitors came
• Visitors’ IP Address: Displays the visitors’ IP
• requested URL: Displays the URL that visitors are trying to access
• Server name: Displays the server name
• Visitor’s Browser: Displays the type of browser the visitor uses
• Redirect Code: Displays the error code

You can play with variables to make a more custom error page. We are trying to keep visitors coming back by providing a link to our homepage; after you are satisfied with the result, click Save.

You can simulate how the error page looks by simply entering a non-existing URL, such as https://www.yourdomain.com/non-existing-url.html, into your browser.

Because not everyone understands the status codes, it’s good to have custom error pages. This is a great way to keep your visitors coming back to your site by giving them the opportunity to navigate to an actual URL.

How to Use cPanel Proxy

Sometimes an error message “IP address changed” will appear when you try to access cPanel. This message appears most often when you attempt to establish a connection using a network with strict firewall rules. You may also use a virtual private network (VPN), which occasionally changes your IP address.

cPanel does not tolerate dynamic IP addresses as a security measure. This issue can be fixed by using a customized tool, the cPanel proxy.

Remove default cPanel entries

1. Log in to your cPanel Hosting account.
2. Open the Area Editor tool.
3. A window will open that displays a list of all your domains. Next to the domain, you wish to fix, click Manage.
4. This will open a new window with a list of DNS records. Because we want to fix the cPanel login issue, the cpanel.yourdomain.com DNS record is the one to look at. It can be deleted.

Creating a new subdomain for your proxy

1. Go back to the main dashboard of cPanel, locate the Subdomains Tool and open it.
2. At the moment, the subdomain list should not be displayed in the Subdomain form type cPanel. All other fields will be automatically filled. Click Create. When you are done, click Return.
3. The list should now show the subdomains you have created. Your cPanel linkname in the Section Root section is important as this is where you will navigate to the next step.

Download and use the cPanel Proxy

1. Download the tool from the cPanel proxy website.
2. Return to the main cPanel dashboard and locate the File manager. Open it.
3. From the folder tree section, navigate to your cpanel.yourdomain.com. From the navigation bar, click on the Upload link.
4. The new window will be opened. Drag and drop the .zip file or choose to upload it. After the upload is complete, click the Return to link.
5. The cPanel proxy should now be placed in the directory. Now, extract the file. Either right-click the file to choose Extract or click on the Extract link in the toolbar.
6. After you click on the Extract button, a confirmation window will appear. You can now see the execution path. After confirmation, click on the Extract File(s) button.

The cPanel proxy tool has been successfully installed. This will allow you to access your cPanel account easily. You can also log in to the cPanel window directly by entering cpanel.yourdomain.com in your browser.

How to create a Cron job in cPanel

This section will show you how to use Cron Jobs. Cron jobs can be used to automate specific commands and scripts on your website. A command or script can be set to run at a particular time each day, week, etc. To free up disk space, you can set up a Cron job that deletes temporary files each week.

Your login credentials will allow you to access your cPanel. You will then need to locate the Cron Jobs feature under Advanced.

Add an email

• Cron Email sends an email with your output if any.
  Cron can send an email each time it executes a command that produces output. You can choose not to receive an email for each cron job.
• This feature can be used by entering your email address into the Email box and clicking Update below.

Add a new cron job

You must fill in the following fields to add a Cron job:

• Common Settings: This dropdown menu lets you select a predefined set to use for your command. You can use this feature to set the time, or you can enter custom values in the fields below.
• Minute: This field allows you to specify the minute value at which your command will run.
• Hour: This field allows you to indicate the hour value at which your command will run.
• Day: This field allows you to specify the day that your command will run.
• Month: This field allows you to specify the month that your command will run.
• Weekday: This field allows you to specify the weekday value at which your command will run.
• Command: This field must contain the Linux command you want to run at the specified times.
  This command can be used to execute a PHP script that is located in your public_html directory at specified times.
  php -f /home/YOUR_CPANEL_USERNAME/public_html/file.php
  IMPORTANT! You must insert your actual cPanel username instead of YOUR_CPANEL_USERNAME.

Click Add a new Cron Job button. Click the button to see cPanel successfully add the cron job.

Remove or edit cron jobs

These steps will help you get rid of your Cron job.

• Click the delete icon beside the Cron job you wish to remove.
• Click to delete.

These steps will allow you to edit your Cron job:

• Click the Edit line button to update your settings.

This cPanel tutorial will show you how to edit, remove, and add Cron jobs to automate scripts or commands on your website.

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about the cPanel definition and tried to come up with the best cPanel user guide that you’ll ever need to use when you buy cPanel VPS hosting or when you are using a VPS hosting with cPanel. There are many other features and tasks we don’t cover.

You can do everything with the VPS control panel. You can modify your plan, add resources or remove resources, pay your VPS bills, and much more with the best control panel for VPS.

A Google search for cPanel VPS Hosting will bring up hundreds of control panels, all proclaiming to be the best. Although not all control panels are created equal, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available.

In this article, we would like to discuss the best VPS server control panel, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you can make up your mind and buy cPanel VPS hosting.

What Is Control Panel?

The web hosting control panel can be described as a software program. It is a software application that sits on top of an operating system. Users have a graphic user interface (GUI) to access a range of operations. These operations make it easier to manage the server and its applications.

VPS server control panels have a variety of pricing models and features. There are many licensing fees available, so make sure you choose the best control panel for VPS that suits your needs.

What Is Control Panel Usage in VPS?

You can do the following tasks on a VPS control panel:

• Create new email accounts
• Take control of your folders and files
• Access your SQL databases
• New users
• You can check server logs to see the usage
• Manage your domain/subdomains
• Check bandwidth usage

Why Do You Need a Control Panel for Your VPS?

You can manage VPS hosting from your web browser without a control panel. However, this platform offers user-friendliness, which helps you save time as well as reduces the burden on novice users.

Even if they are using VPS hosting panels, users can choose to have more control over their accounts. This option is often used by more experienced developers.

Clients can have complete control of their VPS server by using a control panel:

•     Domain names
•     Email accounts
•     Files
•     Applications
•     Databases
• Cron jobs

and many other things.

Having a cPanel VPS hosting is the best option available for people who aren’t techy and want to manage their VPS hosting themselves.

Best 5 Control Panels to Manage your VPS

1. cPanel

cPanel is, in short, the most widely used hosting control panel. Hundreds of thousands use cPanel, and with good reason.

cPanel was created in 1996 and is one of the most popular hosting control panels. It was specifically designed to be used by people new to hosting and has a complete GUI (Graphic User Interface).

cPanel can only be used for Linux-based hosting. The GUI makes it easy to use Linux commands. cPanel is just like any other software you have used.

cPanel has two key advantages. First, it is easy to use. Over the years, cPanel’s software has been extremely user-friendly. One dashboard lists all functions you can perform. You will find a great help section with blogs, FAQs, and video guides.

A second advantage to cPanel is its large user base. Over the years, these users have established forums and communities that allow you to find solutions to almost any problem you might encounter with cPanel. Forums and communities of application users can be a great resource for those who are new to cPanel and need some guidance.

cPanel doesn’t come with a free subscription. There is a monthly subscription fee. Many hosting companies offer the application for free as part of their hosting plans because of its popularity.

2. Plesk

Plesk, which is directly competing with the Linux-based cPanel, is a popular choice for Windows users. Plesk can be used for Windows and Linux hosting.

Plesk was launched in 2001 but has really gained popularity in the past few years. The UI (User Interface), which was initially launched in 2001, received negative reviews for a while and earned Plesk a poor reputation. But this has changed dramatically in the past few years.

Plesk is easy to use today, regardless of how much hosting knowledge a user may have. Plesk looks and functions just like Windows XP. This is one of Plesk’s greatest advantages.

Plesk excels at resource management. Plesk is great for hosting Windows-based VPS plans that don’t have much RAM.

There are also disadvantages. It’s not easy to install new programs. You need a lot of storage to be able to make backups. The process of making backups isn’t exactly simple. It is popular among Windows hosting users because the benefits outweigh the cons.

3. Webmin

Webmin has been voted the best hosting control panel on the market. It can be used with Windows or any other Linux distro.

Webmin’s greatest strength is its ability to be customized. Webmin can be customized to look and function exactly how you wish. The software is also completely free. Because of its flexibility, Webmin is very popular among system administrators.

Webmin’s only problem is its difficulty in use. Webmin’s default setup is not intuitive, to say the least. If you aren’t an expert in hosting, it can be difficult to get anything done.

4. ISPConfig

ISPConfig, a free web hosting control panel, is well-known among experts and novices.

ISPConfig is known for its stability and light load on web servers. It’s also the only control panel that natively supports virtualization. There are many other features included as well.

ISPConfig has one drawback. There is no official support. The company cannot offer support. If you are stuck, you can do it on your own. There aren’t many help pages or forums online that can help you.

Installation is another disadvantage.

5. SPanel

SPanel is a hosting platform that allows you to manage your cloud VPS control panel. It’s a quick and easy replacement for cPanel, with additional benefits. It will provide better security and faster websites. You also get 100% email delivery.

Each user has access to the interface for managing forwarders, email, anti-spam settings and databases, SSL certificates, DNS zone, domain names, etc. To manage all accounts, the server owner has access to the admin interface. This allows them to add, modify, or remove accounts, suspend websites, and change passwords.

You can check the server’s health and status. You can also restart individual services or the entire server. SPanel supports Apache, LiteSpeed Enterprise, and OpenLiteSpeed web servers. This allows you to experience faster loading speeds which are essential for SEO rankings and attracting visitors.

SPanel makes it easy to migrate websites without any downtime. SPanel allows you to host multiple websites, databases, emails, and other information without any restrictions.

Points to Consider When Choosing a Control Panel for Your VPS

Operating Environment

Some VPS control panels may not be multi-platform, and others may require a particular environment in order to function properly. ISPConfig is one such example. It is only available on Linux OS servers and does not support Windows-based applications.

Licensing fees

The number of users you license will affect the price. Although the cost per user will typically decrease with increasing volume, it can still be quite expensive. Before deploying large-scale systems, it is important to carefully examine all costs.

User Friendliness

Each web hosting control panel has a unique design. Many can be customized. These may sound appealing, but they should be easy for you to use. To ensure seamless navigation, choose a platform that is simple, clear, and intuitive. This aspect can be greatly assisted by a reliable web hosting provider and could possibly convince you to buy cPanel VPS hosting.

Capabilities

Many web hosting control panels include an intuitive server management interface. This interface has many features. You should also pay attention to your specific needs and determine if the selected hosting package can support them.

Performance

The best control panel for VPS, while useful, is not required and can consume server resources. Too many control panels can cause problems for your website. A modular control panel is more efficient than an integrated system if your system resources are limited.

Conclusion

Hosting control panels are essential to your website. You can’t choose the wrong panel, and it could come back to haunt your site at some point. This is why so many people choose the best VPS server control panel like cPanel or Plesk. They are simple to use and versatile once you learn the intricacies behind hosting. If you get stuck, there is a lot of help online. Given its popularity, many web hosting companies offer cPanel/Plesk free of charge.

You can purchase a VPS hosting plan that includes pre-integrated cPanel panels. You get reliable hosting as well as a powerful control panel. This is critical for the success of your website over time.

Comparing Top VPS Control Panels

Choosing the right control panel for your VPS can significantly impact your server management efficiency. Here, we compare the most popular control panels based on features, ease of use, and pricing.

Steps to Install a VPS Control Panel

Installing a control panel on your VPS can streamline server management tasks. Follow these general steps to get started:

• Choose a compatible control panel for your operating system.
• Access your VPS via SSH with root privileges.
• Download the installation script from the control panel’s official site.
• Run the script and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Configure the control panel settings as needed.

Maximizing Your VPS with the Right Control Panel

A well-chosen control panel can enhance server performance and simplify management tasks. Consider factors such as user interface, support, and community when selecting the right tool for your VPS.

Explore our VPS hosting solutions to find the perfect environment for your chosen control panel.

FAQ

What is a VPS control panel?

A VPS control panel is a web-based interface that allows users to manage and control various aspects of their virtual private server, such as domain management, email accounts, and server resources.

Is cPanel better than Plesk?

Both cPanel and Plesk offer robust features, but cPanel is often preferred for Linux environments due to its extensive plugin library, while Plesk is favored for its cross-platform support, including Windows.

Can I switch control panels on my VPS?

Yes, you can switch control panels on your VPS, but it requires careful planning and execution to avoid data loss. Ensure all data is backed up before initiating the switch.

Advanced Features in VPS Control Panels

When selecting a VPS control panel, it’s essential to consider advanced features that can significantly enhance server management and operational efficiency. These features often go beyond basic hosting management, offering tools that streamline complex tasks and provide robust security.

One such feature is automated backups, which ensure that your VPS data is regularly saved and can be easily restored in the event of a failure. This feature is crucial for maintaining data integrity and minimizing downtime. Another valuable feature is integrated security tools, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, which help protect your server from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Additionally, many control panels offer advanced analytics and monitoring tools. These tools provide insights into server performance, resource usage, and potential bottlenecks, allowing administrators to make informed decisions and optimize server operations effectively.

Comparing Popular VPS Control Panels

Choosing the right VPS control panel can be challenging, given the plethora of options available. Each panel has its unique strengths and caters to different user needs and technical expertise levels. Here’s a comparison of some popular VPS control panels to help you make an informed decision:

• cPanel: Known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set, cPanel is ideal for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. It offers extensive support and a large community for troubleshooting and advice.
• Plesk: Plesk is versatile and supports multiple operating systems, making it suitable for users who require flexibility. It excels in managing multiple sites and offers robust security features.
• DirectAdmin: This lightweight control panel is known for its speed and efficiency. It’s a cost-effective solution for users who need a straightforward interface without sacrificing essential features.
• Webmin: Webmin is a free, open-source control panel that offers great customization options. It’s best suited for advanced users who need full control over their server environment.

Best Practices for Using VPS Control Panels

To maximize the benefits of your VPS control panel, it’s important to follow best practices that ensure optimal performance and security. Regular updates are crucial; always keep your control panel and any associated software up to date to protect against vulnerabilities and improve functionality.

Another best practice is to implement strict access controls. Limit administrative access to trusted users only and use strong, unique passwords. Consider implementing two-factor authentication for an added layer of security.

Finally, regularly monitor server performance and resource usage. Utilize the analytics tools provided by your control panel to track metrics such as CPU load, memory usage, and disk space. This proactive approach helps identify potential issues before they escalate, ensuring smooth server operations.

Troubleshooting Common VPS Control Panel Issues

Despite their robust capabilities, VPS control panels can sometimes encounter issues that require troubleshooting. One common problem is the inability to access the control panel, often due to incorrect login credentials or IP address restrictions. Ensure that your login information is correct and that your IP address is whitelisted in the control panel settings.

Another frequent issue is slow performance, which can stem from insufficient server resources or high traffic. To resolve this, consider upgrading your server resources or optimizing your website to reduce load times. Additionally, regularly check for software updates and apply them to ensure your control panel runs efficiently.

If you experience persistent issues, consult the control panel’s support documentation or community forums for solutions. Many control panels offer extensive resources and active user communities that can provide valuable insights and troubleshooting tips.

Managing your hosting environment without cPanel would be difficult. Using a dashboard such as cPanel, complex tasks can be done in just a few clicks. This software allows complete beginners to manage their hosting accounts.

Many web hosts use cPanel, so it is a good idea that you understand how it works to maximize your hosting experience.

In this article, we would like to discuss VPS hosting with cPanel, cPanel advantages and hopefully by the end of this article, you should be able to make your mind and buy cPanel VPS hosting.

What Is cPanel?

cPanel, as mentioned in the introduction, is a control panel that allows you to manage the backend of your VPS hosting. It makes hosting management easy and allows you to complete tasks in just a few clicks.

cPanel’s beauty is that it was designed for beginners. It’s easy to use and can do complex tasks.

Here are some examples of tasks that you can do in cPanel.

• Just a few clicks to install WordPress or another CMS
• A visual interface allows you to organize your server and manage files
• Create domain-specific email accounts
• Check your current server usage statistics
• Install new software and applications on your server
• Security tools can be managed
• Schedule or run website backups

This is only the beginning. There are many other cPanel advantages that we’re going to discuss.

Don’t be intimidated by this. To use cPanel efficiently, you don’t have to know how each feature works. There are only a few tasks that you will need to be able to perform. You can either learn the rest over time or leave it as it is.

Is cPanel Free?

cPanel, a third-party program, is not available for free. cPanel is included in most hosting plans and comes at no additional cost. Some providers will provide cPanel for free the first year and charge an additional fee for each subsequent year.

Why You Need cPanel

It would be very difficult to manage your server without cPanel. To accomplish simple tasks, you’d need to have advanced technical knowledge. If you don’t have the technical knowledge to understand the commands, it will be difficult to manage your server or launch a website.

cPanel, one of the most popular control panels in the web hosting industry, is a very popular choice. This control panel is most commonly found on shared hosting plans. However, it can also be used for a variety of other hosting types. You’ll find it on more advanced hosting options like WordPress managed hosting, VPS, and cloud hosting.

cPanel is a tool that helps novices manage their server environments. There’s no learning curve. Although the feature set may seem overwhelming to beginners.

How to login to cPanel

cPanel is already installed on most hosting providers. To activate it, you don’t need to do anything. After you buy cPanel VPS hosting, you will receive an email with your cPanel URL and your username.

If you are new to cPanel, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options. cPanel becomes very intuitive once you have spent some time with it.

There is a tab called software that will allow you to access the programs that you use most. These apps allow you to access the website builder, install WordPress and manage files and folders on your server. You can also add site-specific email addresses and install subdomains.

You’ll find other applications such as in-depth domain and server management, database management features, security tools, and more as you scroll through cPanel.

Best cPanel Hosting

As mentioned above, most hosting providers offer cPanel for the first year and charge you for the next years. However, we offer cPanel completely free when you buy cPanel VPS hosting, from the beginning and you don’t have to pay anything fees for the upcoming years.

What You Can Do in cPanel

As you can see, you have a lot of options with cPanel for hosting-related tasks. Below, we won’t cover everything that cPanel can do. Instead, we’ll focus on the most common tasks that you’ll be doing with cPanel for VPS.

1. Manage and Add Domain Names

You can host multiple websites and domain names on one account, depending on the hosting plan. This is useful for those who want to manage multiple websites or try out new ideas and projects without creating a new hosting account.

This is how to add domains to your server. Before you can add domains to your account, you must first have them registered.

Once you are in cPanel, you will find an icon titled ‘Addon Domains’. This icon will be located either at the top of the section under ‘Popular Links’ or under the section titled ‘Domains’.

Next, click ‘Addon Domains’ and then enter your domain name. You can also create subdomains or a folder. Most users simply type the domain name into the box titled ‘New Domain Name’ and then click ‘Add Domain’. After you have added the domain, you can begin building a website.

2. Setup and Manage Email Accounts

One of the best features of cPanel allows you to create email accounts that can be associated with your domain. Instead of your standard Gmail address, this allows you to create a professional email account.

Many hosting plans allow you to set up multiple email accounts so that you can create email addresses and contact information for each member of your team.

The application called ‘Email Accounts’ can be used to create new email accounts. Next, you will create an email handle and choose the domain to associate the account with.

You can also adjust your mailbox quota, which is the maximum number of emails that an account can receive in its inbox. Once you are satisfied, click ‘Create Account’ to create your new email.

Your cPanel account can be used to manage, send and check your emails. Click on ‘Webmail’ and choose the application that you wish to use. You can use your email account just like any other email client.

3. Manage and Access Server Files

Although not every user will be required to manage files on your server servers, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the process. The visual file manager, ‘File Manager’, will be used.

A series of files are created when you use cPanel to create new websites or install software on your server.

You can view the files in File Manager within cPanel and make changes or delete any files that you don’t need anymore. You should find it similar to your desktop file system or laptop’s file system.

4. Create and Manage Website Databases

Modern websites use databases to store content and manage them behind the scenes. This is especially true when WordPress websites have lots of content or user data.

These databases are usually created automatically. It’s helpful to learn how to manage and create existing databases.

Click on the ‘MySQL Database Wizard’ to create a new database. The tool will guide you through creating a new database. All you have to do is answer some questions.

5. Install WordPress on cPanel

Softaculous Apps Installer is one of the most popular pieces of software in cPanel. This useful application is a bundled installer that allows you to quickly install different software on your site.

This tool allows you to install virtually any software on your website in just a few clicks. This tool will allow you to install WordPress, other popular CMSs, eCommerce software, chat software, forum software, and many more.

Each application that you can install comes with a setup wizard. This means you only need to fill in a few fields, and the software will take care of the rest.

How to Install WordPress with cPanel

Many hosts offer access to an ‘auto-installer’ within their cPanel dashboard. You can install WordPress and other software with just a few clicks.

Softaculous is the most user-friendly of these auto-installers. However, it’s possible that your host uses a different solution.

You can install WordPress through cPanel by simply looking for the section on auto-installer and clicking the WordPress button.

Follow the steps to install WordPress.

Check all the cPanel features visiting cPanel Demo page.

What Is Managed WordPress VPS Hosting

We’ve previously discussed the various types of hosting plans. For example, shared hosting is an entry-level plan that allows you to share a server with multiple users. A Virtual Private Server (VPS), on the other hand, gives you your own server space and access to more resources. You can also get dedicated hosting at the top level. This is more expensive, but it provides you with a whole server for your site.

These hosting plans can be managed or unmanaged. Hosting is usually unmanaged. This means that once you have purchased space on a server, you are largely responsible for maintaining it. Although your hosting provider may give you some tools, you are responsible for the site’s security and performance (and customizing certain plans).

Read more: What Is WordPress VPS Hosting? Best VPS for WordPress Websites

Should We Used cPanel in Managed WordPress Hosting?

Managed WordPress hosting is, as its name implies, a plan in which your provider ‘manages’ your website and server. It will handle many key tasks, such as updating your website, so that you don’t have to. However, it comes with cPanel and you can manage simple tasks yourself and if you face something crucial, you can ask the hosting provider to help you.

Conclusion

In this cPanel tutorial, we discussed what you should know when it comes down to VPS hosting with cPanel and advantages of cPanel. This will help you understand why you need to support your website using this software and what kinds of hosting-related tasks it can perform.

The best news is that you don’t need to be an expert in cPanel to manage your website. You can launch your website, create an account, build it, and schedule backups with just basic knowledge.