What Is cPanel? A Beginner's Guide to Managing Your Hosting

Short answer: cPanel is the control panel included with SiloLobby shared, WordPress and reseller hosting. From it you manage your website's files, email accounts, databases, domains and subdomains, SSL certificates and backups, all from your browser without technical knowledge. You open it in one click from your SiloLobby client area.

If you have just bought hosting, cPanel is where you will spend most of your time. This guide shows you how to open it and walks through the tools you will use most, with practical tips for each.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is the world's most widely used web hosting control panel. It gives you a visual dashboard for everything you would otherwise do with technical commands on a server. Because it is so widespread, you will find tutorials for almost any task, and any web developer you hire will already know it.

How to open cPanel from SiloLobby

1. Sign in to your client area.
2. Open Hosting and click Manage on your plan.
3. Use the shortcut buttons (File Manager, Email, Databases, SSL, Backups, Domains) to jump straight to a tool, or open the cPanel home page.

You are signed in securely in one click. You do not need to copy or remember a separate cPanel password.

The cPanel home page

The home page groups tools into sections such as Files, Databases, Domains, Email, Metrics, Security and Software. On the right you will see your account statistics: disk usage, bandwidth, number of email accounts and databases. Check these occasionally so you know when you are approaching your plan's limits.

Files: File Manager

File Manager is a file browser for your website.

• Your main website lives in the public_html folder.
• Addon domains have their own folders (shown when you create them).
• You can upload files, upload a ZIP and extract it, edit text files, rename, move and delete files, and change permissions.

Tip: before editing or deleting files, download a copy. One wrong deletion can take a site offline.

Email: Email Accounts and forwarders

Create professional addresses such as hello@yourbusiness.com.ng:

1. Open Email Accounts and click Create.
2. Choose the address and a strong password.
3. Set the mailbox size.
4. Use Connect Devices to see the settings for Outlook, Apple Mail, the Gmail app or your phone.

Other useful email tools:

• Forwarders: send copies of one address to another (for example info@ to your personal inbox).
• Autoresponders: automatic replies, such as out-of-office messages.
• Email Deliverability: checks that your SPF and DKIM records are correct.

Shared hosting plans include unlimited email accounts.

Databases: MySQL

Apps such as WordPress, Joomla or Laravel store their content in a database.

1. Open MySQL Databases (or the Database Wizard).
2. Create a database, then a database user with a strong password.
3. Add the user to the database with the privileges it needs.
4. Use phpMyAdmin to view or export the database.

WordPress hosting creates the database for you.

Domains: addon domains, subdomains and aliases

• Addon domains host additional websites in the same account. How many depends on your plan: for example Tubor Basic hosts 3 websites.
• Subdomains such as shop.yourbusiness.com.ng or blog.yourbusiness.com.ng can run separate sites or apps.
• Aliases (parked domains) show the same website on another domain, for example your .ng version showing your .com.ng site.
• Redirects send one address to another.

Security: SSL/TLS and more

• SSL/TLS Status: your free SSL certificate is issued and renewed automatically. Check its status here.
• Two-factor authentication for cPanel logins (where available).
• IP Blocker to block abusive addresses.
• Hotlink Protection to stop other sites using your images and bandwidth.

Backups

Use Backup or Backup Wizard to download a full or partial copy of your account: home directory files, databases and email forwarders. Keep copies on your computer or cloud storage. Backup add-ons are also available for SiloLobby hosting.

Software: installing apps

With the Softaculous add-on, you can install hundreds of apps (WordPress, online shops, forums, booking systems) in a few clicks. You can also choose your PHP version for compatibility with your app.

Metrics: visitors and errors

• Visitors and Awstats show basic traffic statistics.
• Errors shows recent server errors, useful when diagnosing a broken page.
• Resource Usage shows whether your account is reaching its limits.

Good habits in cPanel

• Take a backup before major changes.
• Use strong, unique passwords for email and database users.
• Delete apps, files and databases you no longer use.
• Watch disk usage, and clean up old backups stored inside your account.
• Keep your website software updated.

cPanel vs WHM

cPanel manages one hosting account. WHM (Web Host Manager) is used by resellers and server administrators to create and manage many cPanel accounts. If you plan to host websites for clients, see reseller hosting.

Common tasks, step by step

Create a subdomain for a new project

1. Open Domains in cPanel and choose Create a New Domain.
2. Enter the subdomain, for example shop.yourbusiness.com.ng.
3. Choose its document root (folder), then submit.
4. Upload your files to that folder; SSL is issued automatically.

Point an extra domain to your main website

1. Add the extra domain in Domains.
2. Use Redirects to send it permanently (301) to your main domain.

Change your PHP version

1. Open MultiPHP Manager (or the PHP selector, depending on the server).
2. Choose your domain and select a supported PHP version your software requires.
3. Test your site afterwards.

Set up a scheduled task (cron job)

Some apps need tasks to run automatically, for example sending queued emails. Open Cron Jobs, choose how often the task runs, and paste the command your app provides.

Understanding resource limits

Shared hosting accounts have fair limits on CPU, memory and simultaneous processes so one site cannot slow others down. If your site regularly reaches its limits:

• turn on caching,
• optimise images and remove heavy plugins,
• check for bots or attacks in your logs,
• consider a bigger plan or a cloud VPS.

Keeping cPanel tidy

• Delete old backups stored in your home folder; they use disk space.
• Remove email accounts for people who have left (or convert them to forwarders).
• Delete databases left behind by removed apps.
• Check Disk Usage occasionally to see what is taking space.

cPanel security tips

• Use strong, unique passwords for every email and database user.
• Turn on two-factor authentication for cPanel where it is offered.
• Remove FTP accounts you no longer use, and prefer SFTP or File Manager.
• Never upload files from untrusted sources into public_html.
• Check the Errors and Metrics sections if your site behaves strangely.

Getting help

If you are unsure about a change in cPanel, open a support ticket from your client area before making it. Our team can guide you through file, email, database and DNS tasks.

Summary

cPanel puts your whole hosting account in one dashboard: files, email, databases, domains, SSL and backups. Open it from your SiloLobby client area in one click, take backups before big changes, and use the tools above to run your website confidently without technical help.

Get hosting with cPanel →