Manage Files in cPanel

This article explains how to manage files in cPanel. It outlines the available tools and actions you can use to upload, download, edit, move, and delete files within your hosting account.

Access your cPanel File Manager

1. Log in to your cPanel. 

2. Scroll down to the Files section. 

3. Click File Manager. 

Once you're in the File Manager, you can do the following actions:

• Change the File Manager settings
• Create files or folders
• Delete files or folders
• Rename files or folders
• Edit files
• Copy files or folders
• Move files or folders
• Upload files
• Download files
• Update files or folders permissions
• Compress files
• Extract a compressed file

Change the File Manager settings

To change the default folder to open when you access your File Manager, follow these steps:

1. Click Settings on the upper right part of the File Manager interface. 
2. Select a folder to open by default:
   • Home Directory — The main folder for your account. 
   • Web Root (public_html or www) — The most direct route to your files. 
   • Public FTP Root (public_ftp) — The folder for your FTP files. 
   • Document Root for: — The folder for the domain that you select from the menu (applicable if you have addon domains in your cPanel). 
3. On the same interface, you can also check the Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) option, so you will be able to see files with filenames that start with a dot (e.g., .htaccess, .well-known, .trash).
4. Click Save.

Create files or folders

To create files or folders, follow these steps:

1. Open the folder or directory where you want the new file or folder to be created. 
2. Click File or Folder on the File Manager toolbar. 
3. On the next interface, enter the new item's name in the New File Name: or New Folder Name: text box.
4. Click Create New File or Create New Folder. 

Delete files or folders

To delete files or folders, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file or folder you want to delete. 
2. Click Confirm. 

Rename files or folders

To rename files or folders, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file or folder you want to rename. 
2. Select Rename from the options. 
3. Enter a new file or folder name. 
4. Click Rename File. 

Edit files

To edit files, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file you want to edit. 
2. Click Edit from the options. 
3. Click the Edit button to open the file editor. 
4. Make the changes that you want. 
5. Click Save Changes at the top of the page when you're done. 

Copy files or folders

To copy files or folders, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file or folder that you want to copy. 
2. Select Copy from the options. 
3. Enter the folder or directory name where you want to place the copied file or folder.
   IMPORTANT. All files inside the folder will also be copied. If you accidentally put an incorrect directory or path name, the system will automatically create a new folder with the directory or path name you've indicated.
    
4. Click Copy Files.

Move files or folders

To move files or folders, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file or folder that you want to move. 
2. Select Move from the options. 
3. Enter the folder or directory name where you want to move the file or folder. 
   IMPORTANT. All files and folders inside the folder you want to move will also be moved. If you accidentally put an incorrect directory or path name, the system will automatically create a new folder with the directory or path name you've indicated.
4. Click Move Files. 

You can also move files by dragging a file into a new destination folder. 

Upload files

To upload files, follow these steps:

1. Go to the folder or directory path where you want the files to be uploaded. 
2. Click Upload at the top of the page. 
3. On the next page, click Select File. This opens your computer's file explorer or file finder. 
4. Locate and select the file that you want to upload. 
5. Click Open or the relevant button in your file explorer or file finder to proceed with the upload. 
    

   NOTE. If you want to overwrite the existing files in your cPanel folder, check the Overwrite existing files checkbox.

Download files

To download files, follow these steps: 

1. Right click on the file that you want to download. 
2. Select Download from the options. 

Update files or folders permissions

To update files or folder permissions, follow these steps:

1. Right click on the file or folder you want to modify. 
2. Select Change Permissions from the options. 
3. Use the checkboxes or text boxes to change the item’s permissions. 
4. Click Change Permissions to save the changes. 

Compress files

To compress files into one folder, follow these steps: 

1. Right click the folder that contains all the files you want to compress. 
2. Click Compress from the options. 
3. Select a compression type. 
4. Click Compress Files. 

Extract a compressed file

To extract a compressed file, follow these steps: 

1. Right click the compressed file. 
2. Select Extract from the options. 
3. Click Extract Files. 

To learn more about cPanel File Manager, read the cPanel File Manager documentation. 

FAQ

What folder in cPanel should I upload my files? 

When setting up for a website you want to make sure that your Name Servers and DNS settings are correct. But these aren’t the only components that make up a website. You also need to add content files to have a better display of your product or services on your website. Files like, pictures, text, and videos. And knowing where to upload these files in your hosting account is important to make your website work properly. This article, you'll learn what is a default home folder.

What Is a Default Home Folder

The path to the specific folder within your account also depends on whether it's for the Main Domain, an Addon Domain, or a Subdomain. This table will help you understand how they work.

You can edit or create files in your file manager, follow the steps in this guide to access the file manager. Please let us know if you need any further assistance, or if you have any questions. We’d love to help!

What is a .htaccess file? 

A .htaccess file is a configuration file used by web servers running on Apache. It allows you to control how your website behaves without needing to edit the main server configuration. 

It is commonly used to manage settings such as: 

• Redirects (e.g., redirecting one URL to another)  
• URL rewriting (making URLs more user-friendly)  
• Access control (restricting or allowing access to specific files or folders)  
• Custom error pages (e.g., 404 pages)  
• Security rules and permissions  

The .htaccess file is usually located in the root directory of your website and can be edited using the File Manager in cPanel or a text editor. 

Because it directly affects how your website runs, even small changes to this file can impact your site’s functionality.