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File Manager

The cPanel FILE MANAGER allows you to modify the files and contents of files that are part of your website. The FILE MANAGER allows point and click uploading, editing, copying, and more. If you need access to the files that make up your website, you will need to use the FILE MANAGER.

To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.

Changing your current directory

Since your website's files will likely be in multiple directories, it is important to know how to navigate to the directory that you wish to be in. You can only access the files in the directory that you are currently in; so, changing directories is necessary to complete many tasks.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. To move to a specific directory (folder), click on the icon next to the directory's name
  3. To go back up to the previous directory you were in, click on Up one level.
  4. To go back to your home directory click on the '/' before the name of the current folder.

Uploading files to your site

For your site to show up on the internet, it needs to be present in your site’s public_html directory. You can use the FILE MANAGER to upload files to this directory, and to other directories by using the Upload file(s) option.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the words Upload File(s).
  3. Click on a box marked Choose:
  4. Select a file to upload from the pop-up window by clicking on it.
  5. Click on the open button and the window will disappear.
  6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 to prepare more files to be uploaded.
  7. When the list is full or you have no more files to upload, click on Upload. You will be brought back to the FILE MANAGER in the directory you have uploaded the files to.

NOTE: If the upload was successful, the following will appear (except filename.extension will be the name of the file(s) you have uploaded):

Upload Status filename.extension (filename.extension): upload succeeded.

Renaming files

Often, changing the name of a file is a necessary adjustment to certain parts of a website. A file’s name can be changed by using the Rename File function in the File Manager.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the icon next to the file you wish to rename.
  3. Click on the words Rename File on the right hand side of the screen.
  4. Type the new name for the file in the blank field next to the button marked Rename.
  5. When finished typing the new name of the file, click on the button marked Rename.

NOTE: If the rename was successful, the following will appear (except filename1 will be the old name of the file, filename2 will be the new name, and /home/folder will be the name of the directory you are in):

Renamed filename1 -> filename2 in /home/folder/

Deleting Existing Files

You can use the FILE MANAGER to delete any files from your site that you no longer wish to keep. You may need to delete files if the amount of disk space your site takes up is close to the amount of disk space that you are allowed to have in total.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the icon next to the file you wish to delete.
  3. Click on the words Delete File on the right side of the screen.
    NOTE: If the delete was successful, the following image appears on the upper right hand side of the screen.
  4. To remove files from the system completely, click on the file's picture next to the trash can icon.

Editing a file's contents

You can use the File Manager to edit the contents of a script or a text file by using the Edit File option. Image files can not be edited with the Edit File option.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the icon next to the file you wish to edit.
  3. Click on edit file on the right side of the screen.
  4. Another window will open with the contents of that file.
  5. To edit the file simply add, remove, or change text by typing in the window.
  6. When you have finished editing the file click on the Save button.
  7. If you wish to change the name of the file type a new name in the Save file as: field.
    NOTE: After saving the changes to the file following will appear (except file will be the name of the file and /home/directory//file will be the directory you are in and the filename):
    /home/directory//file File Saved
    Continue editing file
  8. To continue editing the file, click on the word file.
  9. To return to the File Manager close the browser window.

Creating new files

You can create files in any directory on your site by using the Create New File option in the File Manager, This option allows you to create a text, HTML or script file in the directory you are currently in.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the words Create New File.
  3. Type the name of the new file in the blank field above the drop-box containing the words Text Document.
  4. Click on the drop-box containing the words Text Document and select the type of file you wish to create.
  5. Click on the box marked Create.

NOTE: If the file was created successfully, the following will appear (except filename will be the name of the file you have created and /home/directory will be the directory you have created the file in. File Type will be replaced with the type of file you have created):

Creation of filename (File Type) succeeded in/home/directory

Copying files

You can use the Copy File function to copy a file into a different directory than its current location. This is very useful is you need multiple copies of the same file in different locations. You can also copy files as a backup before changing them.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the icon next to the file you wish to copy.
  3. Next, click on Copy File on the right hand side of the screen.
  4. A list of folder will appear on the left hand side of the screen.
  5. Click on the name of the folder you wish to copy the file into.

NOTE: If the copy was successful an image similar to the following will appear on the right hand side of the screen.

Moving files

You can use the Move File function in the File Manager to move a file from one directory to another directory without creating a copy of the file.

  1. To access the FILE MANAGER, click on the icon above the words File Manager on the main screen of your cPanel interface.
  2. Click on the icon next to the file you wish to move.
  3. Click on the words Move File in the menu on the right hand side of the screen.
  4. A list of folders will appear on the left hand side of the screen.
  5. Click on the name of the folder you wish to move the file into.

NOTE: If the move was successful an image similar to the following will appear on the right hand side of the screen.