File Manager Overview

The File Manager in cPanel is a browser-based file explorer for your hosting account. You can create, rename, move, copy, edit, and delete files and folders without an FTP client. This article walks you through the main File Manager actions, from opening the interface to working with compressed files and folder permissions.

About the File Manager

File Manager lets you manage your website's files directly inside cPanel. It supports the most common file operations you'd otherwise do with an FTP client. For larger uploads or batch operations, an FTP client is often still faster — see Managing FTP Accounts in cPanel.

Before you begin

• An active Exact Hosting cPanel hosting plan. File Manager is available inside cPanel.
• cPanel login credentials. See Managing cPanel Access if you need help signing in.
• A backup before making bulk changes. See Creating a Full Backup Using Backup Wizard.

Step 1: Open File Manager

1. Sign in to cPanel. See Managing cPanel Access.
2. In the Files section, click File Manager.

Step 2: Adjust File Manager preferences

You can change which directory File Manager opens to by default, and whether it shows hidden files.

1. From the File Manager page, click Settings in the top-right corner.
2. In the Preferences window, choose your default directory. Setting this to /public_html (or /www) opens File Manager directly in your site's web root.
3. Select Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) to display files like .htaccess.
4. Click Save.

Step 3: Create files and folders

Use the toolbar's + File or + Folder buttons to add new items.

1. Click + File or + Folder in the toolbar.
2. Enter the new item's name in the New File Name or New Folder Name field.
3. Confirm the location in the New file will be created in field.
4. Click Create New File or Create New Folder.

Step 4: Rename a file or folder

1. Either click the item's name once, or right-click the item and choose Rename.
2. Type the new name.
3. Press Enter to save.

Step 5: Move files and folders

You can move a single file or multiple files at once.

1. Select the file(s) you want to move. Hold Shift to select more than one (highlighted items appear in blue). You can also drag a single file directly onto a destination folder.
2. Click Move in the toolbar.
3. Enter the destination path in the Enter the file path that you want to move this file to field.
4. Click Move File(s).

Step 6: Copy files and folders

1. Select the file(s) you want to copy (hold Shift for multiple selections).
2. Click Copy in the toolbar, or right-click the selection and choose Copy.
3. Enter the destination path in the Enter the file path that you want to copy this file to field.
4. Click Copy File(s).

Step 7: Modify file or folder permissions

File permissions determine who can read, write, and execute a file. The default is 0644 for files.

1. Select the file or folder.
2. Click Permissions in the toolbar, or right-click the item and choose Change Permissions.
3. Use the checkboxes or numeric field to adjust read, write, and execute permissions.
4. Click Change Permissions.

Step 8: Delete and restore files

Deleted items go to the Trash first, so you can recover them if you change your mind.

To delete an item:

1. Select the file or folder.
2. Click Delete in the toolbar, or right-click and choose Delete.
3. In the Trash dialog, click Confirm. To skip the Trash and delete permanently, check the Skip the trash and permanently delete the files box first.

To restore an item:

1. Click View Trash in the toolbar.
2. Select the file or folder you want to recover.
3. Click Restore, then click Restore File(s).

To permanently empty the Trash, click Empty Trash.

Step 9: Upload and download files

To upload:

1. Click Upload in the toolbar.
2. Drag and drop files onto the upload area, or click Select File to browse.

Uploaded files land in the directory you were viewing when you clicked Upload. The current directory is shown at the bottom of the upload page.

To download:

1. Select the file.
2. Click Download in the toolbar, or right-click the file and choose Download.

Step 10: Edit a file

File Manager has a built-in editor for text and code files.

1. Select the file.
2. Click Edit in the toolbar, or right-click and choose Edit.
3. In the dialog, accept the defaults and click Edit.
4. Make your changes and click Save Changes in the top-right corner.

Other right-click actions

Right-clicking a file or folder shows additional actions depending on what's selected.

Next steps

• Use an FTP client for bulk operations. See Managing FTP Accounts in cPanel.
• Learn what .htaccess can do. See What Is the .htaccess File?.
• Back up your site before bulk changes. See Creating a Full Backup Using Backup Wizard.
• Read the official cPanel reference. See the cPanel File Manager documentation.

Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.