What cPanel does
Behind every website is a server that stores the files, runs the software and sends the email. Controlling that server used to mean typing commands. A control panel replaces the commands with a dashboard of icons and forms. cPanel is the best known of these panels, and it has been the standard for shared web hosting since the late 1990s.
In practice you log in to a web page and click what you want: a new email address, a new database, a certificate for a new domain. cPanel carries out the work on the server and shows you the result. See cPanel and control panel in the glossary for short definitions.
What you will find inside
The exact tools depend on your host, but most cPanel accounts look like this:
| Area | What you do there | Typical tools |
|---|---|---|
| Files | Upload and edit website files, set up FTP/SFTP, restore backups | File Manager, FTP Accounts, Backup |
| Databases | Create and manage the databases that WordPress and other apps use | MySQL Databases, phpMyAdmin |
| Domains | Add domains and subdomains, set redirects, edit DNS records | Domains, Redirects, Zone Editor |
| Create mailboxes, forwarders and spam settings, open webmail | Email Accounts, Forwarders, Email Deliverability | |
| Security | Manage SSL certificates, block IP addresses, protect folders with a password | SSL/TLS Status, IP Blocker, Directory Privacy |
| Software | Install WordPress and other apps in one click, choose the PHP version | Softaculous Apps Installer, Select PHP Version |
| Metrics | See visitors, bandwidth and errors | Visitors, Errors, Bandwidth, Resource Usage |
Your first ten minutes in cPanel
- Log in and look around. The home screen groups tools into sections. Use the search box at the top to find a tool by name.
- Check your SSL certificate in SSL/TLS Status, so every site on the account is served over HTTPS.
- Install WordPress (or another app) from the Softaculous Apps Installer, if you want one.
- Create your email addresses under Email Accounts, and add the email authentication records (see our SPF, DKIM and DMARC guide).
- Turn on two-factor authentication in Security, so a stolen password alone cannot open your account.
- Find your backups and make sure you know how to restore one.
cPanel, WHM and the other panels
You will see two names. cPanel is the account-level panel you use for your own sites and email. WHM (Web Host Manager) is the server-level tool your hosting company uses to create accounts and look after the server. You never need WHM on shared hosting.
Other panels exist, such as Plesk and DirectAdmin, and some hosts build their own. cPanel's advantage is familiarity: millions of sites use it, so help articles, video tutorials and developers who know it are easy to find, and moving between two cPanel hosts is straightforward.
Do you need cPanel?
If you run one WordPress site and never touch email or databases, a simple managed platform may be enough. If you want to host several sites, create your own mailboxes, install different apps, or keep control of your files and backups, a control panel is the practical way to do it. A host that includes cPanel in the price is giving you flexibility without per-feature fees.
cPanel on Cloud Cabin hosting
Every Cloud Cabin web and WordPress hosting plan includes cPanel, with LiteSpeed Enterprise and LSCache, NVMe storage, free SSL certificates, daily offsite backups with JetBackup, Imunify360 malware protection, and 80+ one-click apps through Softaculous. Plans start at £4.99 a month. Compare the plans.
Keeping your cPanel account secure
- Use a long, unique password and a password manager.
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
- Delete email accounts, FTP accounts and databases you no longer use.
- Keep WordPress, themes and plugins up to date: out-of-date software, not cPanel itself, is how most sites are hacked.
The website security checklist goes through the full list.
Frequently asked questions
cPanel is licensed software, so hosting companies pay for it. Most include it in the price of the plan. Every Cloud Cabin web hosting plan includes cPanel at no extra charge.
Yes, when it is kept updated and you protect your login with a strong password and two-factor authentication. Most compromises come from outdated website software or stolen passwords.
Yes. Most hosts offer a one-click installer, and on Cloud Cabin plans it is Softaculous. You choose the domain and WordPress is ready in a minute or two.
cPanel is the dashboard for one hosting account. WHM is the server administrator's tool that hosting companies use to create and manage many accounts.
Yes, and it is usually simple, because both hosts have the same tools. See our guide to moving a WordPress site.
