Viewing and Editing Files in cPanel File Manager

The cPanel File Manager allows you to inspect and modify files directly on the server without downloading them to your local computer. This functionality is useful for quick checks and minor changes to website files.

Viewing files without editing

If you only need to review the contents of a file, you can open it in view mode.

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. Open the Tools page.
3. In the Files section, click File Manager.
4. Locate and select the file you want to inspect.
5. Click the View icon in the toolbar.

[Screenshot placeholder: File Manager with View icon selected]

The file contents are displayed in a new browser window in read-only mode. This option is commonly used to review configuration values or verify file content on cPanel hosting services.

Editing files directly on the server

File Manager includes a built-in editor that allows direct modification of text-based files.

Supported file types

The editor can be used for plain text files, including:

• Configuration files
• HTML files
• CSS stylesheets
• JavaScript files

Opening the editor

1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager.
2. Select the file you want to modify.
3. Click the Edit icon in the toolbar.

[Screenshot placeholder: File Manager toolbar showing Edit icon]

Selecting character encoding

Before the editor opens, you are prompted to select the character encoding.

1. Choose the correct encoding for the file. The default is UTF-8 (Unicode).
2. Confirm the selection to proceed.

Selecting an incorrect encoding may corrupt the file contents, especially for configuration files used by applications hosted on cloud servers.

[Screenshot placeholder: Character encoding selection dialog]

Saving or discarding changes

After editing the file:

1. Click Save Changes to apply modifications immediately.
2. If you do not want to keep the changes, close the editor window without saving.
3. Click Close to exit the editor.

Edits are applied instantly to the live site. For complex changes or frequent edits, working on a local copy and deploying via an FTP workflow may be more appropriate, particularly for environments similar to Plesk hosting setups.