Understanding where to upload your website files is crucial for your website to function correctly. This guide will help you understand where to place your files in cPanel.
The Short Answer
The short answer to this question is the public_html/ directory.
Further Detail
Every cPanel account has what is called a home directory. This is the directory that you would normally see when you connect via FTP, SFTP, or SSH using your account's primary cPanel user details.
A brand new cPanel account home directory looks a little like this:
.bash_logout .bash_profile .bashrc .contactemail .cpanel/ etc/ .htpasswds/ mail/ public_ftp/ public_html/ tmp/ www@
Depending on your software, you may not see the files and directories that begin with a dot (e.g., .htpasswds). In any case, never delete or modify any of these files or directories unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Your website files should be uploaded into the public_html/ directory.
For example, if your domain was mywebsite.com, then a file located at public_html/mypicture.jpg would be served to the internet as http://mywebsite.com/mypicture.jpg.
The www item is nothing more than a shortcut to the public_html/ directory - you can treat it as the same thing if you find that easier.
What about the Other Files and Directories?
All of the other files and directories are required to ensure your web hosting and email accounts function correctly. Therefore, if you are new to cPanel, stick purely to the public_html/ directory and you won't break your hosting account.
Remember, if you're unsure about something, don't hesitate to reach out to our WebGee support team. We're here to help!