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Managing Files with File Manager

File Manager in cPanel is a full-featured browser-based file explorer. You can upload, edit, move, rename, compress, and delete files without needing an FTP client.

Navigating the File System

Your account root shows several directories. The most important ones are:

  • public_html β€” your primary website files
  • mail β€” email storage (do not edit)
  • logs β€” server access and error logs

Uploading Files

Navigate to the destination folder, click Upload in the toolbar, and drag files or click Select File. Files up to 250 MB can be uploaded this way. For larger files, use FTP or compress them first.

Compressing and Extracting Archives

Select one or more files/folders and click Compress to create a ZIP file. To extract, select a ZIP file and click Extract. This is useful for bulk uploads β€” upload one ZIP, then extract on the server.

Editing Files In-Browser

Right-click any text file and choose Edit. The built-in code editor supports syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Always take a backup before editing live files.

File Permissions

Correct permissions prevent security issues and PHP errors:

  • Files: 644 (owner read/write, others read only)
  • Folders: 755 (owner full access, others read/execute)
  • Config files: 600 (owner only)
Never use permission 777 on any file or folder β€” it allows anyone on the server to write to it.

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