Getting around cPanel: what each part of the panel is for
PrintYour TopHost hosting is managed from cPanel. It is where you handle website files, mailboxes, databases, domains and SSL certificates, all from a browser and without typing commands. This page covers three things: how to sign in, how the home screen is laid out, and which tool to open for the jobs people do most often.
Three ways to sign in
- From the client area. Sign in at billing.tophost.md, go to My Services, pick your hosting plan and use the cPanel login button. This is the easiest route because there is no extra password to remember.
- From the welcome e-mail. When the plan is activated you get a message with the panel address, your cPanel username and password. Keep it somewhere safe.
- Straight from the browser. Type your domain followed by port 2083, for example
https://yourdomain.md:2083, and enter the cPanel username and password. This only works once the domain points to our server.
Forgot the client area password? Use the password reset page.
The home screen at a glance
TopHost servers run cPanel with the Jupiter theme. The home page has three areas:
- Search box at the top. Type part of a tool's name, such as "email" or "backup", and jump straight to it.
- Tool groups in the middle, including Email, Files, Databases, Domains, Metrics, Security, Software and Advanced.
- Right-hand column with your primary domain, the server IP address and how much of your disk space, CPU, memory and other plan resources is in use.
Which tool for which job
| You want to | Open in cPanel |
|---|---|
| Upload, edit or move website files | Files, then File Manager (or an account from FTP Accounts for an FTP program) |
| Find out what is filling the disk | Files, then Disk Usage |
| Bring back a file, a database or the whole site | JetBackup 5 |
| Create a mailbox | Email, then Email Accounts |
| Forward mail or set an out-of-office reply | Email, then Forwarders or Autoresponders |
| Create a database and its user | Databases, then MySQL Databases |
| Work inside database tables | Databases, then phpMyAdmin |
| Add a domain or subdomain | Domains, then Domains |
| Check the SSL certificate | Security, then SSL/TLS Status |
| Block a specific IP address | Security, then IP Blocker |
| Pick a PHP version | Software, then MultiPHP Manager or Select PHP Version |
| Install WordPress or another CMS | Softaculous Apps Installer on Web Hosting SSD plans; WP Toolkit on WordPress Hosting and Business Hosting |
| Build a site without code | Sitejet Builder |
| Watch resource usage | Metrics, then Resource Usage |
| Run a task on a schedule | Advanced, then Cron Jobs |
Habits that save trouble later
- Before a big change (an update, deleting files, a new theme), check in JetBackup 5 that a recent copy exists. TopHost's daily backups help a lot, yet a copy of your own on your computer is still worth having.
- Turn on two-factor authentication in the client area. Anyone who gets into the client area can also reach cPanel.
- On a shared or public computer, always use Log out in the top right corner.
- Leave configuration files alone unless you know what a change does. A single wrong line in
.htaccesscan take the whole site offline.
Cannot find a tool you need? Open a ticket and we will tell you where it is or whether your plan includes it.
