Using File Manager in cPanel - The Basics

Ways to Upload Files

Once you have signed up with Cheap Host, one of your first tasks may be to upload files to your hosting space.
There are two common ways to do this:

How to Upload Files in File Manager

Before uploading your website files, place them into a folder on your own computer and create a .zip file.
This allows you to upload everything in one go rather than uploading each file individually.

1. Log in to cPanel through the Client Area or using the details from your New Account Information email.
2. Go to the Files section.
3. Select File Manager.

Next, navigate to the directory where you want to upload the files. For most websites, this will be the
public_html folder.

Upload the ZIP File

1. Open the folder you want to upload files into.
2. Click Upload from the top menu.
3. Click Select File.
4. Choose the .zip file from your computer.
5. Wait for the upload to finish.

You should see a progress bar while the file is uploading. Once complete, the upload should show as finished.

After the upload has completed, return to the folder where you uploaded the file.

Extract the ZIP File

Once the .zip file is visible in File Manager, you can extract it.

1. Select the uploaded .zip file.
2. Click Extract from the top menu.
3. Confirm the extraction location.
4. Wait for cPanel to extract the files.

The files will usually be extracted into a folder with the same name as the ZIP file.

Move Files into the Correct Folder

If your files were extracted into a separate folder, you may need to move them into the correct website folder,
such as public_html.

1. Open the extracted folder.
2. Click Select All from the top menu.

1. Click Move from the top menu.
2. Enter the destination path, for example public_html.
3. Click the move button to complete the process.

Your files should now be in the correct website directory.

Clean Up After Uploading

After extracting and moving your files, it is a good idea to remove anything no longer needed.

• Delete the original .zip file if it is no longer required.
• Delete any empty extracted folder if the files have been moved out.
• Check that your website files are in the correct folder.
• Test your website in a browser after uploading.

How to Edit Files in cPanel

File Manager can also be used to edit files directly, such as HTML, CSS, PHP, configuration files or simple text files.

1. Open File Manager.
2. Browse to the file you want to edit.
3. Select the file.
4. Click Edit from the top menu, or right-click and choose Edit.
5. Make your changes carefully.
6. Click Save Changes.

How to Copy Files in cPanel

You can copy individual files, folders, or multiple selected items to another location inside your hosting account.

1. Select the file or folder you want to copy.
2. Click Copy from the top menu, or right-click and choose Copy.
3. Enter the destination path where the copy should be placed.
4. Click Copy File(s).

This can be useful if you want to make a quick copy of a file before editing it.

How to Compress Files in cPanel

File Manager can also create compressed archive files, which is useful if you want to download a folder or take a quick manual backup.

1. Select the folder or files you want to compress.
2. Click Compress from the top menu, or right-click and choose Compress.
3. Choose the archive type, usually Zip Archive.
4. Confirm the archive name and location.
5. Click Compress File(s).

Common File Manager Tasks

File Manager is useful for many everyday hosting tasks, including:

• Uploading website files.
• Extracting ZIP archives.
• Editing simple website files.
• Moving files between folders.
• Creating backups of folders.
• Deleting files you no longer need.