Accessing your cPanel file from file manager

Short answer: In cPanel open File Manager, click public_html, then Upload. Turn on Show Hidden Files in Settings to see .htaccess.

Open File Manager

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. In the Files section, click File Manager.
3. On the left, click public_html. This is your main website folder.

Upload files

1. Open the folder where the files should go.
2. Click Upload in the top bar.
3. Drag your file in, or click Select File.
4. Wait for the bar to reach 100 percent, then click Go Back.

For many files, zip them on your computer, upload the zip, then right-click it and choose Extract.

Show hidden files

1. Click Settings at the top right.
2. Tick Show Hidden Files (dotfiles).
3. Click Save.

Edit a file safely

1. Right-click the file and choose Copy to make a backup copy first.
2. Right-click the original and choose Edit.
3. Make your change and click Save Changes.

If your site breaks, delete the edit and rename the copy back.

Permissions

Right-click a file, choose Change Permissions. Use 644 for files and 755 for folders.

Questions people ask

Where do my website files go?

The main website goes in the public_html folder. An addon domain has its own folder, set when you created it.

I cannot see .htaccess.

Click Settings at the top right of File Manager and tick Show Hidden Files (dotfiles).

What file permissions should I use?

Usually 644 for files and 755 for folders. Never set 777.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket with your domain name and what you see. Please do not put passwords in the ticket.