- \n
- What is cPanel?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to use web panels to manage WordPress sites<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat is cPanel?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
cPanel is a hosting control panel that helps you manage hosted (or live) websites. It features a web-based, graphical interface that allows you to perform a variety of actions to your site\/server without needing to work on a command line. cPanel is commonly offered by shared hosting providers as the default solution for maintaining websites, but there are a variety of alternatives including free web panels or WordPress-specific solutions.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/layout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/CPanel-784x441.jpg\")
A screenshot of cPanel, showing some of the functions you can perform on your site or server. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n cPanel gives you the ability to perform complex site management actions right from your browser. Popular features include: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- SSL certificate configuration<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- IP address denials<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Redirects<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- File backups<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Log access<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Database administration<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Access to phpMyAdmin<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- FTP settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- File management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Note:<\/strong> While cPanel works with WordPress sites, it\u2019s not WordPress-specific. It\u2019s common to see options that may not be applicable to your site configuration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\ncPanel Hosting Alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If your host doesn\u2019t use cPanel by default, there\u2019s a strong chance they\u2019ve created a custom web panel that provides many of these same features (if not more)! That\u2019s the approach we’ve taken for WP Engine’s User Portal. Here\u2019s what it looks like\u2014you\u2019ll notice an immediate difference: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it doesn\u2019t look the same, custom web panels like this often make site management a lot quicker and easier than cPanel. For the rest of the article, I\u2019ll explain how to perform various site functions on both cPanel and WP Engine’s fully managed platform<\/a>, so you can compare what works best for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to Use Web Panels to Manage WordPress Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that you\u2019ve seen a few examples of cPanel and a custom web panel, let\u2019s talk about how to use these tools to manage your WordPress site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re going to focus on the primary web panel actions you might need for your WordPress site, including: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How to install WordPress cPanel <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to take backups of your WordPress site<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to set up DNS<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to add an SSL certificate<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to access your site via SFTP<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to Install WordPress With cPanel <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re creating a brand new WordPress site, depending on your hosting provider, you might have to install WordPress first. This is often the case with shared hosts, and you\u2019ll find the option within your cPanel dashboard. Follow the directions, and you should be able to get WordPress set up in about five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some specialized managed hosting providers, on the other hand, only host WordPress sites. Because of this, they will often handle the installation process for you. As soon as you spin up a site with your chosen host, you\u2019ll be working with WordPress!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Take Backups of Your WordPress Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Taking backups of your site at a regular cadence can be a time-saver if something goes wrong in the future. In fact, WP Engine automatically takes a backup<\/a> of our customers\u2019 sites every single night (and then give them an easy one-click restore option), because we believe this is so important for each and every site owner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To take a backup of your WordPress site with cPanel, you’ll need to click the \u201cBackup\u201d icon (it\u2019s probably in the \u201cFiles\u201d section). From there, you\u2019ll see a variety of options for manually downloading and restoring backups<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note:<\/strong> When using cPanel to download and restore WordPress backups, you may need to manually adjust files to make sure you\u2019re only working with the ones that impact your WordPress site. Sometimes the download processes include additional files, which can break your site in the restoration process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To take a backup of your WordPress site with a managed host, you\u2019ll follow a similar process by navigating to the \u201cBackups\u201d or “Backup Points” tab of the dashboard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The big difference, however, is that we automatically take backups for you every night, so you don\u2019t have to do it manually. Plus, restoring is a super simple process and only includes the files your WordPress site needs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to set up DNS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Setting up your domain name is pretty quick in both cPanel and a custom dashboard. With cPanel, you should see a section dedicated to \u201cDomains.\u201d This should have everything you need, whether you\u2019re pointing DNS for the first time, adding a subdomain, or making changes.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Example](\"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/layout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/C-panel-Domain-784x441.jpg\")
Example of using cPanel to manage domains.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n *Note:<\/strong> While cPanel allows you to make DNS changes, these changes will only work if your domain is pointed to your host\u2019s nameservers where you\u2019re making changes within the cPanel. If you\u2019re using your domain provider\u2019s default nameservers, then you\u2019ll need to make your DNS changes in your domain provider\u2019s dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using WP Engine’s User Portal, you can easily find your domain information under the Domains <\/strong>tab, where can easily set up DNS for the first time or make changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, WP Engine has a bunch of helpful resources<\/a> to help you go live with a variety of domain registrars! It\u2019s a super simple, streamlined process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to add an SSL certificate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Adding an SSL certificate <\/a>to your WordPress site is a must these days. Not only is it important for site security and performance, but it can also impact your website\u2019s search results and level of trust from visitors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To add an SSL certificate with cPanel, look for the SSL\/TLS icon. (Probably in the \u201cSecurity\u201d section) From there, you\u2019ll need to go through the Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) steps, which involves a back-and-forth process between your hosting provider and SSL certificate provider.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Some](\"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/layout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/SSL-C-Panel-784x441.jpg\")
Some of the steps required to add an SSL certificate via cPanel. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s not really a way to speed this up with cPanel, but if you\u2019re using a managed host optimized for WordPress, you\u2019ll have a much better experience. Every site hosted on WP Engine gets a free SSL certificate<\/a>, and there\u2019s no back-and-forth to set it up\u2014just a few quick clicks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Access Your Site via SFTP <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In order to access your site\u2019s files via FTP with cPanel, you\u2019ll need to create specific user credentials for each site you own. To do that, look for the \u201cFTP Accounts\u201d icon in the \u201cFiles\u201d section. This will give you all the options you need to create, manage, and remove users and their access to your site via FTP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/layout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/FTP-C-panel.jpg10-784x441.jpg\")
How to step up FTP accounts in cPanel. <\/em>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nUsing WP Engine’s platform, it’s easy to manage multiple sites with multiple people. Your account credentials are also your SFTP credentials, so there\u2019s no need to create more usernames and passwords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is especially nice if you manage multiple WordPress sites (you\u2019ll see all the sites you have access to in your WP Engine user portal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note:<\/strong> This article is a good overview of the primary functions you need for your WordPress site, but you should reach out to your site\u2019s specific host with any questions. If your site is hosted on WP Engine, you can contact our award-winning support team 24\/7\/365 right here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
cPanel is a good tool for managing your website on a shared hosting provider<\/a>. What many people don\u2019t realize is that there are advanced alternatives, like managed hosting providers built for WordPress<\/a>, that make managing your WordPress site easier than ever before!
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re using a shared hosting provider for your WordPress site, you\u2019re probably familiar with something called cPanel. (Yep, even if you don\u2019t realize it!) This tool is one of the most common methods for managing websites because it allows you to control your site without working on a command line. Nice, right? What few…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":297,"featured_media":146352,"template":"","resource-topic":[912,901],"resource-role":[895,896,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-37275","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
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- How to use web panels to manage WordPress sites<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n