How to Upload Files to Your Website Using cPanel File Manager

The cPanel File Manager lets you upload files to your website directly from your browser — no FTP software needed. This is the easiest way to upload web files, images, PDFs, and other content to your hosting account.

Step 1: Open File Manager

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. In the Files section, click File Manager.
3. Select the directory to open:
   • Web Root (public_html/) — choose this for website files (recommended)
   • Home Directory — shows all your files including hidden ones
   • Document Root for — choose this if you have multiple domains/addon domains
4. Check Show Hidden Files if you need to see .htaccess and other dotfiles.
5. Click Go.

Step 2: Upload Files

1. Navigate to the folder where you want to upload files (typically public_html for your main website).
2. Click the Upload button in the toolbar.
3. Click Select File and browse to the file on your computer.
4. You can select multiple files at once.
5. Wait for the upload progress bar to complete.
6. Click Go Back to return to the file list.

Step 3: Upload a ZIP and Extract

If you have a large website, it is faster to upload a ZIP file and extract it on the server:

1. Upload the .zip file as described above.
2. Right-click the uploaded ZIP file.
3. Select Extract.
4. Choose the extraction path (usually public_html).
5. Click Extract File(s).
6. You can delete the ZIP file after extraction to save disk space.

Important Notes

• The main website directory is public_html. Files outside this folder are not accessible via the web.
• Your homepage file should be named index.html or index.php.
• File Manager has a maximum upload size limit (usually 256 MB per file). For larger files, use FTP or split the upload into smaller parts.
• You can also drag and drop files directly into the File Manager window in modern browsers.
• File permissions should typically be 644 for files and 755 for directories.

Troubleshooting

• "File too large" error during upload: The file exceeds the server upload limit. Use FTP instead, or compress the file into a ZIP and upload the ZIP (which is often smaller).
• "Upload failed" with no specific error: Your disk space may be full. Check your disk usage in cPanel. Also check the file name — special characters and spaces can sometimes cause issues.
• Uploaded files are not showing on the website: Ensure the files are in the correct directory (public_html), and the main file is named index.html or index.php. Also check file permissions.
• ZIP extraction failed: The ZIP file may be corrupted or exceed the extraction size limit. Try re-downloading the ZIP, or use FTP to upload individual files.
• Cannot see uploaded files: Click the Reload button in File Manager. If files still don't appear, check that they uploaded to the correct directory.

Need help? Contact our support team.