SSH Access (Terminal)

SSH gives you secure command-line access to your hosting account. You can open a shell straight from your browser with the cPanel Terminal, or connect from an external SSH client on your own computer.

Two Ways to Get a Shell

There are two ways to reach the command line on your account:

• Browser Terminal — The Terminal feature in cPanel opens a live shell in your browser with no client software required. This is the fastest way to run a quick command.
• External SSH client — Connect from an app on your computer, such as the built-in ssh command on macOS and Linux, or PuTTY on Windows. This is best for longer sessions, key-based login, and copy-paste workflows.

Using the Browser Terminal

1. Log into cPanel.
2. In the Advanced section, click Terminal.
3. Read and accept the warning prompt about direct server access.
4. You are dropped straight into your account's shell — no username or password needed, since you are already authenticated through cPanel.

Connecting from an External Client

To connect from your own computer, use the ssh command with your cPanel username, the server host, and port 22:

ssh [email protected] -p 22

Replace the placeholders with your own details:

• cpuser — your cPanel username (shown in the right-hand sidebar of cPanel).
• server.example.com — the server hostname, or simply your own domain name if it points at the account.
• -p 22 — the SSH port. Ultra Web Hosting uses the standard port 22.

The first time you connect you will be asked to confirm the server's host key — type yes to continue. You will then be prompted for your cPanel password (or authenticated automatically if you have set up an SSH key).

Enabling SSH on Your Account

SSH access is available on our hosting plans, but it may need to be switched on for your account first. If the Terminal feature is missing or an external connection is refused:

1. Confirm you are using the correct username, host, and port 22.
2. If the connection still fails, open a support ticket and ask us to enable SSH for your account.
3. Let us know the IP address you will be connecting from so we can allow it through the firewall if needed.

The Jailed Shell

For security, SSH sessions run inside a jailed shell. This confines you to your own account's files and a curated set of commands, so you cannot see or affect other accounts on the server. Inside the jail you can still:

• Browse, edit, and manage the files in your home directory.
• Run Git, WP-CLI, and Composer.
• Use the CloudLinux PHP Selector's per-version php binaries.
• Compress, extract, and move files, and export or import databases.

Basic Navigation Commands

Once you have a shell, these commands cover most day-to-day work:

pwd                 # print the current directory
ls -la              # list files, including hidden ones
cd public_html      # change into your web root
cd ~                # jump back to your home directory
mkdir backups       # create a directory
cp file.php file.bak  # copy a file
mv old.txt new.txt  # rename or move a file
rm file.txt         # delete a file
du -sh *            # show the size of each item
tail -f logs/error_log  # watch a log file live