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File Manager in cPanel gives you browser-based access to your hosting files. You can upload, edit, move, and delete files without needing an FTP client.

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Open File Manager

Log in to cPanel through your client area or at yourdomain.com/cpanel. Go to Files and click File Manager. By default, File Manager opens in your home directory. To change this, click Settings in the top-right corner and choose a default folder (home directory, web root, or a specific domain’s document root). You can also enable Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) here to see files like .htaccess. The left sidebar shows your directory tree. Click a folder to view its contents in the main panel. Key directories:
DirectoryPurpose
public_htmlYour website’s root folder. Files here are publicly accessible
mailEmail data for your domains
tmpTemporary files
logsAccess and error logs
Use the Search bar in the top-right to find files. You can search all files, just public_html, or the current directory.

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Upload files

1

Navigate to the target folder

Open the folder where you want to upload files (usually public_html or a subfolder inside it).
2

Click Upload

Click Upload in the toolbar. A new tab opens.
3

Add your files

Drag files into the upload area or click Select File to browse. Files upload to the folder you opened in the first step.
You cannot upload folders directly. To upload a folder, compress it into a .zip file first, upload the archive, then extract it in File Manager.

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Edit files

Select a file and click Edit in the toolbar. The code editor supports syntax highlighting and lets you make quick changes to configuration files, HTML, PHP, and other text files.
You cannot edit files larger than 1 MB in the browser editor. Download larger files, edit them locally, and re-upload them.

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Set file and folder permissions

1

Select the item

Click on the file or folder you want to change.
2

Open the permissions dialog

Click Permissions in the toolbar.
3

Set the permission value

Use the checkboxes or enter a numeric value (e.g. 755 for directories, 644 for files). Click Change Permissions to save.
Standard permissions for most hosting setups:
TypePermission
Directories755
Files644
wp-config.php (WordPress)600 or 640

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Compress and extract archives

To compress files or folders, select them and click Compress in the toolbar. Choose a format (Zip, Gz, or Bz2) and a destination path. This is useful for creating backups or preparing files for download. To extract an archive, select the .zip, .gz, or .bz2 file and click Extract. Choose where to extract the files and click Extract Files.

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Create, rename, move, and delete

  • Create — Click + File or + Folder in the toolbar, enter a name and path, then click Create.
  • Rename — Click the item’s name directly to edit it inline, or select the item and click Rename.
  • Move — Select one or more items and click Move. Enter the destination path.
  • Copy — Select items and click Copy. Enter the destination path. You cannot copy an item to the same folder it’s already in.
  • Delete — Select items and click Delete. Deleted items go to the Trash folder. Click Empty Trash to permanently remove them, or View Trash to restore them.
You can also right-click files and folders for a context menu with all available actions.