File Manager

cPanel's File Manager lets you upload, edit, move, and delete files on your hosting account directly from your browser.

Opening File Manager

1. Log into cPanel.
2. In the Files section, click File Manager.
3. By default, File Manager opens to your home directory. Your website files are inside the public_html folder.

Navigating Files

The File Manager interface has two main panels:

• Left panel — A folder tree for quick navigation between directories.
• Right panel — Displays the contents of the currently selected directory.

Double-click any folder to open it. Use the path bar at the top to jump to a specific location. Click Up One Level to go back to the parent directory.

Showing Hidden Files

Files starting with a dot (like .htaccess) are hidden by default. To display them:

1. Click Settings in the upper-right corner of File Manager.
2. Check Show Hidden Files (dotfiles).
3. Click Save.

Uploading Files

1. Navigate to the folder where you want to upload files (usually public_html).
2. Click Upload in the toolbar.
3. Drag and drop files onto the upload area, or click Select File to browse your computer.
4. Wait for the upload to finish, then click Go Back to return to File Manager.

Creating Files and Folders

Use the toolbar buttons at the top:

• + File — Creates a new empty file. Enter a name and click Create New File.
• + Folder — Creates a new directory. Enter a name and click Create New Folder.

Editing Files

1. Select the file you want to edit by clicking on it once.
2. Click Edit in the toolbar. Choose Edit for the code editor or HTML Editor for a visual editor.
3. Make your changes in the editor.
4. Click Save Changes when finished.

Moving, Copying, and Renaming Files

• Move — Select a file, click Move, enter the destination path, and click Move File(s).
• Copy — Select a file, click Copy, enter the destination path, and click Copy File(s).
• Rename — Select a file, click Rename (or right-click and choose Rename), type the new name, and press Enter.

File Permissions

File permissions control who can read, write, and execute files on your server. To change them:

1. Select the file or folder.
2. Click Permissions in the toolbar.
3. Set the desired permissions using the checkboxes or by entering a numeric value (e.g., 644 for files, 755 for folders).
4. Click Change Permissions.

Extracting Archives

You can extract .zip, .gz, and .bz2 archives directly in File Manager:

1. Upload your archive file to the desired directory.
2. Select the archive file.
3. Click Extract in the toolbar.
4. Confirm or change the extraction path, then click Extract File(s).

Compressing Files

To create an archive of files or folders:

1. Select the files and/or folders you want to compress. Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) to select multiple items.
2. Click Compress in the toolbar.
3. Choose the compression type (Zip is recommended for compatibility).
4. Enter a name for the archive and click Compress File(s).

Deleting Files

Select the file or folder and click Delete. Deleted items are moved to the Trash folder (.trash in your home directory). To permanently delete without moving to trash, check Skip the trash in the confirmation dialog.

To empty the trash, click Empty Trash in the File Manager toolbar.