cPanel: Guide for Beginners – Control Panel

What is CPanel?

 

A CPanel/Control panel is one of the most widely used words among tech savvy small business owners and for good reason.

These days, virtually everyone relies heavily on the internet. The integration of commerce and the Internet has become especially evident, ensuring that internet savvy individuals and brands tend to make the cut.

Businesses all around the world are now aware of the numerous benefits they have to enjoy when they create websites for their brands, thus the massive deployment of websites, servers, and other online control panels.

It’s however not enough to just own a website. To avoid the huge financial losses that occur with mismanagement, these brands have to continually managed their website functionalities by carrying out regular checks and upgrades to meet up with current trends, and needs.

Managing a website/server requires a great deal of technical know-how in order to keep it accessible, safe and secure, control network traffic, enable virtual hosting and among many other features. All these may be actualized from a customized control panel usually provided by the hosting service.

To avoid having to deal with all the complex technological processes, additional web hosting services have been set up to help provide organizations, businesses and individuals with high level technological aid, and services they need to keep their websites/servers functional on the internet.

A CPanel is basically a user-friendly software/control panel that helps simplify the technical processes involved in configuring and managing web hosting, by providing a dashboard for that purpose. With CPanel/Control panel, users can easily manage their websites with features that help them install certain software, organize their website/sever files, create domains and sub-domains, and make certain changes to their websites/servers at will without having to battle with all the esoteric technological procedure.

CPanels/Control panels make it possible for even a novice in web hosting to manage their websites/servers without having to employ an expert, and with their easy-to-use functions, cPanel prides itself as being the driving force behind the evolution of the web hosting industry over the years, and indeed every business enterprise by bridging the technological gap between big companies, or organizations and individuals.

It is, therefore, safe to say that business has now been afforded the opportunity of building their own websites/servers and developing their own web hosting services at highly reduced rates than was the case.

In a nutshell, CPanels/control panels are automated control panels that provide quality, reliable, economical and simplified web hosting functions for web owners and developers in a bid to aid simple management of their websites/servers, without acquiring the relevant technological trainings to do so, thereby aiding efficiency and accessibility.

 

How To Use CPanel/Control Panel

 

Now that we have explained the meaning of CPanels, and how important they are to web owners and hosting services, it is of paramount importance to explain how small businesses, and individuals can use CPanels/Control panels to achieve their goals and objectives for their websites.

Although CPanels have been made to simplify the complexities involved in managing a website/server, and are supposedly easy to understand and user-friendly, it can be a tough nut to crack for a beginner, especially for someone who doesn’t have any prior knowledge of website/server management and development, or the way websites/servers work.

Thankfully, in this article, you would be equipped with the basic knowledge of how to use CPanel as a beginner without hitches, and without accidentally changing certain settings you do not wish to change.

The first step is to learn to how to access the CPanel in the first place. It is important at this point to note that you can only access CPanel if your host uses it, so it’s important to ensure that you only acquire the services of hosts that make use of CPanels. In that case, all they have to do is give you a direct link through which you can log in and have free access. You should log in to CPanel with the username and password provided by your host.

Since there are various CPanel provider companies, your own CPanel software /control panels may look different from that of other users as it relates to the designs, features, themes and outlook, but they’re basically the same thing, and once you have a basic understanding of how to use a CPanel, it would be easy for you to work around the features in other CPanels.

No matter the design or style your host chooses for your CPanel, every CPanel is divided into different sections for better accessibility and functionality, and should you be at sea as to how to locate a particular function, there’s always a search bar for you to input the name of the function you’re looking for.

CPanels are basically used for uploading files, adding domains and sub-domains, installing software, creating email accounts, managing databases, enhancing security and a whole lot of other functions. Below are step by step instructions on how to use CPanels to perform certain tasks:

• installing software;

1. Search for the “auto-installers” tool.
2. Click on the software you wish to install.
3. Follow the installation prompts that come up.

• uploading files;

If you’re using File Manager-

1. Go to your cPanel dashboard and look for the files section.
2. Click on file manager and select the domain you wish to manage.
3. Manage your files and upload new files by using the toolbar that appears at the top.

If you’re using FTP Accounts-

1. Go to Files.
2. Click on FTP Accounts.
3. Create an FTP account if you haven’t created one already by entering your login details.
4. Log in to the FTP program of your choice and begin managing your files.

• creating email accounts;

1. Go to the email/mail tab.
2. Click on email/mail account.
3. Click “add email account” and you’d be directed to fill in certain details.
4. When you’re done with filling the form, click on “create account” and access it via webmail or through an external email client.

• managing database;

1. Go to “databases” from your dashboard.
2. Click on “MySQL Database Wizard.”
3. Create and name your database user by providing your username and password through the “create user” icon.
4. Click on the “all privileges” checkbox, followed by “next step.”
5. To manage your newly created databases, click on the “MySQL Databases” and follow prompts.

• beefing up your website/server security;

To increase the security of the server or your website, you can use the password protection directories or Deny Manager tools for IP addresses on CPanel and follow the pop-up windows that are convenient for beginners.

CPanel Modules

A CPanel control panel is divided into different sections called modules for ease of use and accessibility. Depending on your CPanel set up, the different modules include (but are not limited to)-

• files;

The files module allows you access and manages different files in your website/server without needing an external client like the FTP. It comprises backup, backup wizard, file manager, images, web disk, etc.

• databases;

Databases work by helping you manage all your stored posts, settings, and general information with modules like MySQL Database Wizard, MySQL Databases, phpMyAdmin, Remote MySQL, etc.

• web applications;

This module allows you to manage and install various applications and software on your website/server and includes WordPress, Drupal, etc.

• domains;

This section helps you manage different domain modules like redirects, sub-domains, add-on domains, DNS manager, aliases, etc.

• metrics;

Metrics help you keep tabs on the performance of your website/server to enable you see how well it’s operating towards achieving the goals for which it was set up. Metrics modules include bandwidth, errors, raw access, visitors, webalizer and so on.

• software;

Common modules in the software are Perl modules, Cloudflare DDoS protection, and PHP modules.

• security;

Web users need to be assured that the security of sensitive data files stored on the website is secure and protected against hackers and any form of corruption. The security module helps keep data secured and accessible to only authorized users. Security modules include IP blocker, leech protection, etc.

• email;

You can manage all your email accounts with the email modules such as user filters, encryption, email wizard, default address, address importer, among others.

• preferences;

Under preferences, you can change the outlook and layout and customize them to suit your specific needs. Preferences also help your CPanel layout look unique and personalized. The common modules in this category include video tutorials, shortcuts, change language, manage resources, update contact info, etc.

cPanel Add-ons

CPanel add-on is tools, apps or programs that integrate into your CPanel control panel, and are built to run alongside the CPanels for better functionality. Various CPanel add-ons are available for users.

Some of the notable add-ons include Installatron, Frantastico, Softaculous, radio control panel add-ons, VestaCP, cPanel, ISPmanager, and DirectAdmin, etc.

cPanel control panels are built to make website management easy for everyone. Website owners and hosting services are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous benefits it offers.

Do you require any assistance with your CPanel choices? Please feel free to contact GTHost for help, we’ll be more than happy to help.