cPanel is one of the most popular Linux-based control panels that’s used for managing web hosting servers. It has an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is quite easy to navigate, and automation tools that greatly simplify the whole management and maintenance process of a page.
With it, you can quickly organize various web files, publish websites, create email accounts and more. With a cPanel license, you also get access to additional tools not only on this software but on the Web Host Manager (WHM) interface, too, which is responsible for the server management aspect. This control panel has various features, that can make hosting a simple and fun experience.
Files
File management is one of the essential tasks that every person responsible for a website must do. Without proper tools, this can take up a considerable amount of time that could be better utilized for other tasks. Web hosting with cPanel gives users access to several beneficial solutions for this:
• File manager. This interface allows users to create, upload, edit, delete and restore files without the need for third-party applications. Furthermore, you can also view and resize images as you please and convert them to different image file types.
• Backups. With this, you can back up everything on your website in case of an emergency. Information is stored in a zipped copy and it duplicates all your cPanel content: databases, email forwarders and filters, home directory. To easy the creation of backups, there’s a Back Wizard that has a step-by-step guide on how to do it properly. The File & Directory Restoration interface will make it easier to retrieve backed-up items.
• FTP. This covers FTP Accounts, Connections, and Anonymous FTP. It allows easier account management and surveillance of current connections to your site.
With these tools, users don’t have to spend so much time managing files with different software. It all can be done through a single GUI. Additionally, with a cPanel license, you can also monitor your available disk space, so usage management is made even easier.
Databases
These are crucial when it comes to handling server data and working with large numbers of simultaneous requests from multiple clients. Manipulating them yourselves can be quite tricky, but luckily, cPanel offers integrated features to do so:
• phpMyAdmin. This third-party tool helps with the administration of MySQL and MariaDB. Typical operations such as database, index, table, permission management are made easy through the user interface. You can also directly execute SQL statements.
• MySQL. These databases manage large amounts of information from your pages and many web-based applications require access to them. To make this even simpler, there’s also a Wizard interface that offers a step-by-step guide on how to do so. Another useful feature is Remote MySQL, which you can use to configure remote database access for remote users.
The creation and management of databases become a simple task through an appropriate interface. Getting access to such features with a cPanel license is especially beneficial for those wanting a fully functional software with an easily understandable panel layout.
Setting up emails and managing them can quickly become a headache for those that run multiple websites. But with cPanel, users can use the Routing tool which routes a domain’s incoming mail to a specific server. To filter out and block unwanted mail, one can also use the Spam Filter interface. Sending out multiple emails is also very time consuming and this software has solutions for that too – Autoresponders and Mailing Lists, which automate this whole process for you.
With the cPanel license, you also get access to the Encryption tool, which is especially beneficial for those running E-Commerce websites. You can use it to configure GnuPG, which uses a public key to encrypt messages and only a private key can decrypt it, thus your emails are extra safe.
Security
Proper protection is crucial for every website as it builds trust with the visitors. The creators of cPanel fully understand this, that’s why this control panel has various built-in security measures:
• SSH Access. This protocol provides secure access to your server through the command line. You can do this remotely and use the system as if you’re sitting next to the server.
• SSL/TLS. Through this interface you can get and manage SSL certificates, keys, signing requests. All for the sake of better website security.
• IP blocker. With this, you can easily block unwanted or malicious IPs, significantly minimizing possible threats.
• Two-Factor authentication. This feature limits access to your systems and lowers the risk of unauthorized people logging into your system.
Furthermore, with a cPanel license, you gain access to the Manage API Tokens interface. With it, you can create, update, list, and revoke these as you see fit. And if you need further help with getting certificates, there’s the SSL/TLS Wizard feature.
cPanel has many more beneficial tools for web hosts. There’s the WordPress Manager, you also get software solutions, like PHP PEAR Packages, RubyGems, MultiPHP Manager, the option to download third-party plugins for website customization, and much more. There are even visitor metric surveillance features. Overall, it’s a very functional software with many great solutions for those that want to save some time and have fun while running their websites.
