Soft2Hosting
cPanel File Manager Guide: Uploading, Permissions, Archives and Editing Files
cPanel's File Manager lets you upload, move, edit and compress your website's files from the browser, without an FTP program. The main things to get right are working in the correct folder, keeping safe file permissions, and taking a copy before you edit anything important.
Finding your way around
- public_html holds your main domain's website. Files here are publicly reachable.
- Addon domains and subdomains usually have their own folders, shown in cPanel's Domains page.
- Files outside public_html, such as configuration kept above the web root, are not directly reachable from the web.
- Turn on Show Hidden Files in Settings to see files such as
.htaccess.
Uploading and extracting
- Open the destination folder and choose Upload.
- For many files, compress them into a zip on your computer first, upload the single archive, then right-click it and choose Extract.
- Delete the archive afterwards so it does not use storage.
File permissions
Permissions control who can read, write and execute each file. For typical PHP and WordPress sites on cPanel shared hosting, common safe values are:
| Item | Typical permission | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Folders | 755 | Owner can write, everyone can read and enter |
| Files | 644 | Owner can write, everyone can read |
| wp-config.php | 600 or 640 | Readable only by the owner (and group, if needed) |
Never set 777. WordPress's hardening guide explains why world-writable files are a security risk and recommends the values above.
Editing files safely
- Right-click the file and choose Copy to make a backup first, for example
functions.php.bak. - Use Edit for small text changes, or Code Editor for syntax highlighting.
- Save, then reload the site immediately to check nothing broke.
- If it did, restore the backup copy.
Compressing for download
Select a folder, choose Compress, pick zip, then download the archive. This is a quick way to take a copy of a site before a big change.
Protecting a folder
cPanel's Directory Privacy tool adds a username and password to a folder, useful for a staging copy or an internal area. It is separate from WordPress logins.
Mistakes to avoid
- Uploading a site into the wrong folder, so the domain shows a blank page.
- Deleting
.htaccesswithout a copy. - Leaving backup archives or old site copies in public_html, where anyone can download them.
Plans
| Plan (billed yearly) | Websites | NVMe storage | Backups | Extras | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Pro | 1 | 10 GB | 5 accounts | Weekly | Free auto SSL, 5 databases, 100 GB bandwidth | ₹2,499 |
| Business Pro Hosting | 10 | 50 GB | Unlimited | Daily | LiteSpeed + cache, basic DDoS protection, unmetered bandwidth | ₹4,999 |
| Enterprise Pro Hosting | Unlimited | 100 GB | Unlimited | Daily backup + restore | LiteSpeed + Redis cache, advanced DDoS protection, priority support | ₹7,999 |
Prices are annual in INR, as listed on the Soft2Hosting cPanel plans page. Taxes and final terms are confirmed at checkout. Every plan includes cPanel access and free SSL.
Other useful File Manager actions
- Search: find a file by name across your account, useful when a plugin or theme asks you to edit a specific file.
- Move and rename: reorganise folders without downloading anything.
- Trash: deleted files can go to a trash folder first, so skip-trash only when you are sure.
- View: open images and text files to check them without editing.
- Disk usage: sort by size to find large files that are using your plan's NVMe storage.
Keeping public_html tidy
Old site copies, test folders and installer scripts left in public_html are a common way sites get compromised. After any project, remove what is no longer needed, and keep backups outside the account.
Uploading a whole WordPress site
When moving a WordPress site by hand, upload the site as one zip into public_html, extract it, then check that wp-config.php has the right database details for this account. Set folder and file permissions to the values above after extraction, because archives sometimes carry the permissions of the computer they were made on. Finally, delete the zip and any installer files so they are not left publicly reachable.
If you are ever unsure which folder a domain uses, check cPanel's Domains page before uploading anything.
Frequently asked questions
File Manager or FTP?
File Manager is convenient for small changes. For large uploads or regular deployments, an SFTP client is faster and resumes interrupted transfers.
Why does my site show a 403 error?
Usually wrong permissions or a missing index file. Check folders are 755 and files 644.
Can I restore a deleted file?
Not from File Manager itself. Use your own backup or ask support about the plan's backups.