How Does Cpanel Work?

Websites need a place to live and they require maintenance which is possible through what we know as hosting. Websites are hosted so that they can be available on the world wide web allowing us end users access to the websites content.

Most hosting services have a control panel, which is a web-based interface that allows users to manage their websites and server settings easily.

When hosting on the web, you need to manage your websites unless you're using a service that handles it for you. This is where cPanel comes in, offering an easy way to manage website’s files, emails, security and more.

In this article we’ll be exploring what cPanel is, and its advantages. But before we get a better understanding about Cpanel, what is web hosting ?

Web Hosting

Web hosting is simply the process of renting or buying space to store or house a website on the world wide web. The website which contains HTML, CSS, and image contents, etc are housed on a server.

The components of web hosting typically involves the following;

Server: A server is a computer that stores the website's data, which may include HTML files, images and other contents.

Domain Name: A domain name is the address used to access or locate a website. The domain name is linked to the IP address of a server where a website is being hosted.

Hosting Plan: Hosting providers offer various hosting plans for resources like RAM, diskspace, control panel access,etc For instance, Verpex hosting services offers a range of hosting plans, from wordpress to shared web hosting, that are affordable.

Types of web hosting

There are different types of hosting and Verpex offers different type of hosting services including;

Dedicated Hosting: is an hosting option whereby the server is dedicated to a single customer.

Reseller Hosting: Reseller hosting is where a user buys a hosting package and can resell to their clients or other users.

Hosting for WordPress: Hosting for WordPress is a type of hosting that is optimised for wordpress websites.

Shared Hosting: Shared hosting allows multiple websites to use a single server, the cost of maintenance is then shared between the users, and this makes it a cost effective option to host your website.

VPS Hosting: Virtual private server involves partitioning physical servers into multiple virtual servers. The virtual machine or server provides virtualized server resources on a physical server shared between multiple users.

Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting is a way to store website data on multiple servers instead of one. By distributing resources across multiple servers, it is a flexible and reliable option of hosting.

What is cPanel?

cPanel is a web hosting control panel used for managing websites and servers. cPanel provides users with a graphical interface and a variety of tools that can be used to simplify administrative tasks related to managing websites and servers.

It is used by web developers and hosting companies, and is paired with Web Host Manager. Web host managers allow administrative access to the back end of cPanel and control multiple cPanel accounts on a server. cPanel and WHM is used for managing multiple websites or reselling hosting services.

Several features of cPanel include;

Website Management: cPanel allows users to easily manage websites by providing tools for file management,domain and subdomain management, FTP(file transfer protocol) access , website backup ,etc.

Email: cPanel allows users to easily create and manage email accounts associated with their domain. It provides web-based email access for users to send, receive and organise messages and also configure auto responders for automated email responses, and email forwarders to redirect messages from one address to another.

Server Configuration:Users can configure server settings including PHP versions supported on the server, security options SSL certificate installations and access control.

Database Management: cPanels allows users to create and manage databases, and also provides tools to import and export data, including managing database back ups.

Application Installation: cPanel provides tools for installing applications content management systems like wordpress, drupal, and e-commerce platforms like Magento, and many more. It enables users set up quickly and easily without the use of third-party applications

Security Features: cPanel offers security features like SSL (secure socket layer) certificates management, password protected directories, email security features IP blocking , it also supports 2FA(Two-factor authentication) for extra layers of security and provides access controls to enhance the security of a website.

Analytics and Metrics: cPanel allows users to access website statistics, including bandwidth usage, visitors analytics, error logs, usage reports to gain information about the performance of the website.

Benefits of cPanel

• cPanel provides a user friendly interface that is easy for anyone to manage their files, email and databases.

• cPanel provides a comprehensive hosting management, it comprises all users need to manage various features of a web hosting environment.

• Application integration is straightforward, and doesn't require manual set-up.

• cPanel includes security tools to protect websites such as SSL/TLS management for securing websites with SSL certificates, IP blocking, directory password protection,etc

• cPanel is efficient and saves time because it automates certain tasks like security updates, and application installations.

• cPanel makes it easy to create and manage email accounts, manage spam filters, and access webmail services from a centralised location.

• cPanel provides tools to monitor server resources making it easy to improve performance and manage bandwidth.

Here are some considerations - or key aspects to be aware of;

Customization: Customization is limited especially when you wish to implement custom configurations.

Cost: cPanel is not free therefore, depending on the accounts you need to manage it can be a little pricey.

Learning Curve: The UI is intuitive however beginners may need to learn the use of most of the features it offers.

Compatibility with Non-PHP features: cPanel works with PHP-based applications, however, managing other platforms like Node.Js may require additional effort such as custom coding.

Let’s take a tour around what the control panel looks like. The first interface you’ll see is the file manager which is used for file management.

File Manager

This interface is-friendly user and intuitive, and users can manage files easily from the web hosting control panel.

Users can perform different operations like uploading new files, creating, copying, renaming file directories, which eliminates the need for an external FTP client(which helps users upload to a server and download from a server).

By the left side you can see the directory tree which displays different folders that users can easily navigate through within the file structure. Users can also preview files like images, text and pdf documents, and search for files within their website file structure using the search bar.

Within the files section, there's a backup option to allow users create and manage backup of website files, databases, email accounts,etc. Backup is necessary for data protection and disaster recovery and cPanel offers different types of backup options, including notifications for backups.

Applications

This section provides users the ability to install and manage various applications and content management systems directly from the hosting panel. In the above image, we see wordpress is already installed but you can install others that you prefer.

Database

In the Database section, you'll see phpMyAdmin, a widely-used web-based database management tool that is often included in cPanel installations. It allows users to manage mySQL or MariaDB databases through an intuitive, user-friendly web interface.

Users can create new databases, delete current databases, create tables, manage indexes or foreign keys relationships, insert update and delete records, add new SQL users, show current users and much more. phpMyAdmin allows users to import or export database in various formats, including CSV, Excel and XML

Software

The software section in cPanel provides tools to help users manage web applications, and optimise site performance.

Summary

cPanel simplifies and organises the process of managing websites and servers, making it easier for users to manage a server or website without having technical knowledge. It is one of the most used control panels for website owners, hosting providers, and web developers.

Frequently Asked Questions