How to Upload a Static Website to cPanel via File Manager

This guide provides detailed instructions for uploading a static website (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other static files) to cPanel using File Manager, including specific steps for main domains, subdomains, and subdirectories.

Prerequisites

• A hosting account with cPanel access, including login credentials (username and password).
• Static website files prepared on your local computer, organized in a folder with an index.html file as the homepage. Validate your HTML code using an online validator to check for errors.
• Compress files into a ZIP archive for faster uploads if you have many files.
• A web browser to access cPanel.
• For subdomains or subdirectories, ensure they are set up in cPanel (see Step 3 for details).

Note: File Manager is suitable for small to medium uploads. For large sites, consider using an FTP client like FileZilla for efficiency.

Step 1: Log In to cPanel

• Open your web browser and navigate to your cPanel login URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/cpanel or https://yourserverip:2083).
• Enter your cPanel username and password.
• Click “Login” to access the cPanel dashboard.
• You can easily login via your telaHosting’s client area.

Step 2: Access the File Manager

• In the cPanel dashboard, locate the “Files” section.
• Click the “File Manager” icon to open the File Manager interface.
• If prompted, select the directory to open (e.g., Web Root or public_html). By default, it opens in your home directory.

Tip: To view hidden files (e.g., .htaccess), click “Settings” in the top-right corner of File Manager, check “Show Hidden Files (dotfiles),” and save.

Step 3: Set Up and Navigate to the Appropriate Directory

• For Main Domain:

  • Navigate to the public_html folder in the File Manager’s left sidebar.
  • Double-click to open it. This is where your main website files will reside (e.g., https://yourdomain.com).

• For Subdomain:

  • First, ensure the subdomain is created:
    • In the cPanel dashboard, go to the “Domains” section and click “Subdomains.”
    • Enter the subdomain name (e.g., sub for sub.yourdomain.com).
    • Specify the document root (e.g., public_html/subdomain_folder) or accept the default.
    • Click “Create.” This creates a folder (e.g., public_html/subdomain_folder).
  • In File Manager, navigate to the subdomain’s folder (e.g., public_html/subdomain_folder).
  • Double-click to open it.

• For Subdirectory:

  • Decide the subdirectory path (e.g., public_html/blog for yourdomain.com/blog).
  • In File Manager, navigate to public_html (or the parent directory).
  • Click “+ Folder” in the top menu, enter the folder name (e.g., blog), and create it.
  • Double-click the new folder to open it.

Note: Subdomains require DNS propagation (up to 24 hours), but files can be uploaded immediately. Subdirectories are accessible instantly upon creation as long as the main domain is propagated already.

Step 4: Upload Your Website Files

• In the top menu of File Manager, click “Upload.”
• On the upload page, drag and drop your files from your local computer, or click “Select File” to browse and choose files.
• If uploading a ZIP file:
  • Upload the ZIP archive.
  • Return to the directory, right-click the ZIP file (or select it and click “Extract” from the top menu).
  • Confirm the extraction path (usually the current directory) and extract the files.
• Wait for the upload to complete. A progress bar and confirmation message will appear.

Tip: Ensure the index.html file is in the root of the target directory (e.g., public_html for main domain, public_html/subdomain_folder for subdomain, or public_html/blog for subdirectory). You can upload multiple files at once.

Step 5: Configure Domain/Subdomain Settings (If Needed)

• For Subdomains:
  • Verify the subdomain setup in cPanel’s “Subdomains” section.
  • Ensure the document root matches the folder where you uploaded files (e.g., public_html/subdomain_folder).
  • Save any changes.
• For Subdirectories:
  • No additional configuration is needed unless you’re using custom URL rewriting (e.g., via .htaccess for clean URLs).
• These steps ensure your website points to the correct directory.

Step 6: Verify and Test Your Website

• Open a new browser tab and visit the appropriate URL:
  • Main domain: https://yourdomain.com
  • Subdomain: https://sub.yourdomain.com
  • Subdirectory: https://yourdomain.com/subdirectory (e.g., yourdomain.com/blog)
• Your static website should load. If it doesn’t, troubleshoot:
  • Verify file permissions (644 for files, 755 for directories—right-click in File Manager and select “Change Permissions”).
  • Ensure index.html is present and correctly named (case-sensitive).
  • Clear browser cache or use incognito mode.
  • For subdomains, wait for DNS propagation if recently created.
• Check server error logs in cPanel for debugging if issues persist.

Additional Tips

• Security: Remove sensitive files (e.g., ZIP archives) from public directories after extraction.
• Updates: To update files, re-upload only the changed files to the same directory.
• File Organization: Maintain a clean folder structure to avoid conflicts (e.g., separate subdomains and subdirectories clearly).
• Alternatives: For frequent or large uploads, consider FTP for faster transfers.

This guide ensures your static website is successfully uploaded to your main domain, subdomain, or subdirectory via cPanel’s File Manager.