cPanel File Manager lets you work with your website files right in your web browser -- no FTP program needed. This guide shows you how to open File Manager on your Instant Access Internet Services account, find your website folder, and upload, create, move, rename, delete and restore files.
How to open File Manager
- Log in to cPanel (see How to Log In to cPanel from the Client Area).
- Go to Files > File Manager. It opens in a new browser tab.
The screen has three parts: a toolbar across the top, a folder tree on the left, and the contents of the current folder on the right. Double-click a folder to open it. The navigation buttons above the file list (Home, Up One Level, Back, Forward and Reload) help you move around, and Select All / Unselect All work on everything in the current folder.
Where your website files live
File Manager opens in your home directory (for example /home/username). This folder holds your mail, logs and settings as well as your website, so be careful here.
public_html-- your website. Anything you put here is visible athttps://example.com. Your home page is usuallyindex.htmlorindex.php.- Subdomain folders -- each subdomain has its own document root, which you can see in Domains (see How to Create a Subdomain in cPanel).
mail,etc,logs,tmp-- system folders. Don't rename or delete these.
Tip: click Settings (top right) and choose Web Root (public_html) as the default directory if you want File Manager to open straight into your website folder. The same window has Show Hidden Files (dotfiles), which you need to see files like .htaccess (see How to Show Hidden Files (.htaccess) in cPanel File Manager).
How to upload files
- Open the folder you want to upload into (for example
public_html). - Click Upload in the toolbar. A new tab opens.
- Drag your files onto the page, or click Select File and choose them.
- If you are replacing files that already exist, tick Overwrite existing files first.
- Wait until each progress bar turns green and shows complete, then click the Go Back to link to return to the folder.
Uploading lots of files? Put them in a ZIP file, upload the single ZIP, and extract it on the server. It is much faster -- see How to Upload and Extract a ZIP File in cPanel.
How to create a new file or folder
- Go to the folder where the new item should go.
- Click + File or + Folder in the toolbar.
- Type the name (for example
about.htmlorimages) and check the path shown below it. - Click Create New File or Create New Folder.
How to rename, copy, move or download
Click once on a file or folder to select it (hold Ctrl, or Cmd on a Mac, to select several). Then use the toolbar, or right-click the item for a menu:
- Rename -- type the new name and press Enter. File names on the server are case-sensitive:
Photo.jpgandphoto.jpgare different files. - Copy or Move -- enter the destination path, for example
/public_html/old, and confirm. - Download -- saves a single file to your computer. To download a whole folder, compress it first (see How to Compress and Download a Folder in cPanel).
- Edit -- opens a text file in the built-in editor (see How to Edit a File in cPanel File Manager).
- Permissions -- changes who can read or run the file (see File and Folder Permissions Explained (644 and 755)).
How to delete and restore files
- Select the file or folder and click Delete.
- Leave Skip the trash and permanently delete the files unticked if you might want it back, then confirm.
Deleted items go to the Trash folder and still count against your disk space. To bring something back, click View Trash, select the item and click Restore. To free up the space for good, click Empty Trash.
If you deleted something permanently or emptied the trash, you can still restore it from a JetBackup 5 backup, as long as it existed when a backup ran (see How to Restore a File or Folder with JetBackup 5).
How to search for a file
Use the Search box at the top right. The drop-down next to it lets you search All Your Files, only public_html or the Current Directory. Type part of the file name and click Go.
Common questions
I uploaded my site but still see the old page
Make sure the files are directly inside public_html, not inside an extra folder such as public_html/mysite. Then clear your browser cache. If you use WordPress with LiteSpeed Cache, purge the cache too (see How to Speed Up WordPress with LiteSpeed Cache).
Why can't I see my .htaccess file?
Files that start with a dot are hidden by default. Turn on Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) in Settings (see How to Show Hidden Files (.htaccess) in cPanel File Manager).
My upload fails or stops partway
Very large files can time out in the browser. Split the upload into smaller ZIP files, or use an FTP program such as FileZilla (see How to Connect to Your Website with FileZilla (FTPS)). Also check that your account has disk space left (see Understanding cPanel Statistics: Disk Space, Bandwidth and Databases).
Can I map my website as a network drive (Web Disk)?
Web Disk isn't included on standard plans. Use File Manager or FTP instead, or open a ticket if you need it.
Related guides
- How to Show Hidden Files (.htaccess) in cPanel File Manager
- How to Edit a File in cPanel File Manager
- How to Upload and Extract a ZIP File in cPanel
- How to Create an FTP Account in cPanel
- How to Restore a File or Folder with JetBackup 5
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
