How to Access Your Server or Account Applicable for versions 100 and newer

Accessing Your Account

Upon logging in, you may encounter a message that reads, "There is a problem with this website's security certificate." To fix this, replace the self-signed certificate of your server with a purchased SSL certificate. You can do this through WHM’s "Purchase and Install an SSL Certificate" interface (located under WHM » Home » SSL/TLS » Purchase and Install an SSL Certificate).

If your hosting provider supports it, a free SSL certificate from WebPros International, LLC might be installed automatically during setup. For more details, check out the section on Free cPanel-signed certificates in the "Purchase and Install an SSL Certificate" documentation.

Choose the cPanel & WHM Product to Access

Follow these steps to log in to the cPanel interface:

1. Open your browser and enter your server's IP address or domain followed by port 2083 (e.g., https://198.51.100.1:2083).
2. In the Username field, input your cPanel username.
3. In the Password field, type your password.
4. Click the Log in button.

For additional details, refer to the Accessing cPanel guide.

To log in to WHM, complete these steps:

1. Open your browser and enter your server's IP address or domain followed by port 2087 (e.g., https://198.51.100.1:2087).
2. In the Username field, input your WHM username.
3. In the Password field, enter your password.
4. Click the Log in button.

For further information, check the Accessing WHM guide.

To access the Webmail interface, perform the following steps:

1. Open your browser and enter your server's IP address or domain followed by port 2096 (e.g., https://198.51.100.1:2096).
2. Enter your email address in the Email Address field.
3. Click the Log in button.

For more details, refer to the Accessing Webmail guide.

Components of a cPanel & WHM URL

The protocol specifies how your browser communicates with a remote server. For cPanel, WHM, and Webmail, the https protocol is used, which ensures secure HTTP communication over an encrypted connection. This encryption safeguards your username and password by preventing them from being transmitted as plain text. Example: https://

This represents the IP address or domain name of the server you wish to access. It tells your browser which remote server to connect to. When using a domain name, ensure that the DNS records for the domain have fully propagated.

The port number identifies the specific service used by cPanel & WHM. To include it in the URL, append a colon (:) followed by the port number. Example: 2083

The server appends a security token to your session’s URL to protect against unauthorized access via Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF). A security token typically includes the string cpsess followed by a 10-digit number. Example: cpsess1234567890

For detailed guidance on configuring connections for cPanel, WHM, and Webmail, refer to the How to Configure Your Firewall for cPanel & WHM Services documentation.

External Authentication

Some hosting providers allow you to log in to cPanel or Webmail using external authentication services, such as cPanelID, Google®, Facebook®, or even your hosting provider’s portal. This feature simplifies account management by reducing the number of passwords you need to remember.

If you're a system administrator and want to enable external authentication options for users, refer to the Manage External Authentications documentation.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) enhances account security by adding an extra layer to the login process. When enabled, users must enter a unique six-digit code generated for their account to successfully log in. For detailed guidance, refer to the Two-Factor Authentication for cPanel or Two-Factor Authentication for WHM documentation.

How to Access cPanel

To access the cPanel interface, you first need to have or create a cPanel account. Once your account is ready, follow these steps:

1. Open your preferred web browser.
2. Enter the server's IP address or domain name along with the port number 2083 in the address bar.

1. https://198.51.100.1:2083 – Use this to access cPanel securely via your server’s IP address.
2. https://example.com:2083 – Use this to access cPanel securely via your domain name.

Make sure you use an encrypted connection (HTTPS) for secure access.

Use Your cPanel Account

Follow these steps to log in to your cPanel account:

• Enter Username: Type your cPanel username in the Username field.
• Enter Password: Input your account password in the Password field.
  • If you forget your password, reset it or contact your hosting provider for assistance.
• Log In: Click Log in to access the cPanel Tools interface.

• Open your 2FA app on your smartphone to generate a six-digit code.
• Enter the generated six-digit security code.
• Click Continue to complete the login process.

This ensures secure access to your cPanel account.

Use External Authentication for cPanel

To log in using an external authentication method, follow these steps:

1. Choose an Identity Provider:
   Select the external authentication provider (e.g., Google, Facebook, or cPanelID) that you want to use.
2. Log in to the Provider:
   If required, enter your credentials in the provider’s login interface.

3. Note:

   If you have an account with the cPanel Store, cPanel Tickets, or Manage2 billing system, use your credentials as your cPanelID. Refer to cPanelID documentation for more details.

4. Authorize the Provider:
   Allow the identity provider to connect to the server.
5. Access cPanel:
   Once authenticated, the cPanel login interface will confirm successful authentication.
   • If the provider is linked to one cPanel account, you’ll be logged in automatically.
   • If multiple cPanel accounts are linked, select your desired account or choose Link Another Account to add a new one.

If the identity provider isn’t linked to a cPanel account, you’ll see this message:“Your account is not associated with an existing 'cPanel' account. Please log in to connect the account.”

1. Enter your cPanel username and password.
2. Complete the login process to link the external account to your cPanel account.

How to Access WHM

To access WHM, enter the IP address or domain and the 2087 port in your preferred browser. For example:

• https://198.51.100.1:2087 — Access WHM over an encrypted connection with your IP address.
• https://example.com:2087 — Access WHM over an encrypted connection with your domain name.

You can log in with one of the following methods:

Use WHM Account

To log in with your WHM account, perform the following steps:

1. Enter your WHM username in the Username text box.
2. Enter your password in the Password text box.
3. Click Log in. The WHM Home interface will appear.

If your account uses two-factor authentication (2FA), perform the following additional steps:

1. Open your preferred 2FA app on your smartphone to retrieve the six-digit security code.
2. Enter the six-digit security code that the app provides.
3. Click Continue.

Use External Authentication for WHM

To log in with external authentication, perform the following steps:

1. Click the button that corresponds to your external authentication identity provider.
2. If you need to log in to the identity provider, the provider’s login interface will appear. Enter your authentication credentials.

   • Note:

     If you own an account in the cPanel Store, cPanel Tickets system, or Manage2 billing system, use that username as your cPanelID. For more information, read our cPanelID documentation.

3. Authorize the provider to log in to the server, if needed.
4. The WHM login interface appears and displays a message confirming your authentication with the provider.
   • If you already linked the identity provider to a single WHM account, the interface automatically logs you in.
   • If you already linked the provider to multiple WHM accounts, a new interface appears. Select the desired WHM account or click Link Another Account to link another account.

If you need to link the identity provider to a WHM account, you will see the following message:"Your account is not associated with an existing 'WHM' account. Please log in to connect the account." Enter your username and password and log in to your server. This action links the external provider to your WHM account.

How to Access Webmail

You can access Webmail directly through your browser or log in to Webmail through the cPanel interface.

Access Webmail Directly

To access Webmail, enter the IP address or domain and the 2096 port in your preferred browser. For example:

• https://198.51.100.1:2096 — Access your Webmail over an encrypted connection with your IP address.
• https://example.com:2096 — Access your Webmail over an encrypted connection with your domain name.

You can log in with one of the following methods:

Use Webmail Account

To log in with your Webmail account, perform the following steps:

1. Enter your username in the Username text box.
2. Enter your password in the Password text box.
3. Click Log in. The Webmail interface will appear.

Use External Authentication for Webmail

To log in with external authentication, perform the following steps:

1. Click the button that corresponds to the external authentication identity provider you wish to use.
2. If needed, log in to the identity provider by entering your authentication credentials.

   Note:

   If you own an account in the cPanel Store, the cPanel Tickets system, or the Manage2 billing system, use that username as your cPanelID. For more information, read our cPanelID documentation.

3. Authorize the provider to log in to the server, if needed.
4. The Webmail login interface will appear and confirm your authentication with the provider.
   • If you've linked the provider to a single Webmail account, the interface automatically logs you in.
   • If the provider is linked to multiple Webmail accounts, a new interface will appear. Select the desired Webmail account or click Link Another Account to link another account.

Note:

IUse the add_authn_link UAPI function to add more accounts. Once you add more than one account, you can link them through the login interface.

5. If you need to link the provider to a Webmail account, you will see the message:"Your account is not associated with an existing 'Webmail' account. Please log in to connect the account."
   • Enter your username and password to log in. This action will link the external provider to your Webmail account.

Access Webmail from the cPanel Interface

To access Webmail from the cPanel interface, perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to cPanel’s Email Accounts interface (cPanel » Home » Email » Email Accounts).
2. In the actions column, click Check Email for the email account you wish to access. The Webmail interface will appear.

How to Use SSH to Log in to the Command Line

Many system administration tasks and some website administration tasks require access to the server via the command line interface (CLI). To log in to the command line, refer to our How to Access the Command Line documentation.

Change the Login Interface Locale

Changing the locale in the interface will adjust the default language. To change the login interface’s locale:

1. Click the desired locale’s name at the bottom of the interface.
2. If your locale is not listed, click ... to display a full list of available locales.
3. After selecting a new locale, the login interface will refresh with the new locale.