5 cPanel Tricks You Didn’t Know About

cPanel is probably the most popular web hosting control panel in the world.

It’s reliable, affordable, secure and intuitive.

It’s also packed with useful features.

Here are five useful cPanel tricks to try on your site.

(Remember: your host may use a skinned version of cPanel, so you may have to hunt for these options in different menus).

1. Create Custom Error Pages

You can create custom error pages by editing your .htaccess file. But there is an easier way.

In cPanel, look under Advanced. Click Error Pages. Here, you can edit your error pages for 400, 401, 403 404 and 500 errors.

2. Deny IP Addresses

Again, you can ban IP addresses using .htaccess if you want to limit problematic visitors.

In cPanel, it’s easy to block IPs: under Security, click IP Deny Manager and enter the IP addresses there.

3. Convert and Resize Images

If you manage a static site or need to resize an image quickly, cPanel gives you the tools to do so.

Under Advanced, look for Image Tools. You can create thumbnails of images within a directory, rescale any individual image or convert the image to a different format (gif, jpg or bmp).

It’s convenient, although best only used in emergencies.

4. Create and Manage a Mailing List

For mailing list management, we like MailChimp, but cPanel does have an alternative tool under the Mail menu.

It’s good at bounce processing, and it’s easy to set up public pages for the mailing list, but it’s best used for small lists with light use.

5. Access Using SSH

In an emergency, use cPanel’s Java-based SSH client for command line access.

Not all hosts enable this tool, so you’ll have to check if you have it. It’s under Security, and the link is labelled SSH Access.

cPanel: the Versatile Control Panel

cPanel’s primary purpose is to make hosting easier. These little extras can be helpful in a pinch.

Explore cPanel’s menus to find even more hidden features.