What is a web hosting control panel?
A hosting control panel gives you a graphical interface to manage your website, email, databases, and files-no command line needed.
UnderHost NOC
Network Operations
On this page
A web hosting control panel is a browser-based dashboard that lets you manage your hosting account without needing to use the command line or SSH. Think of it as the management layer between you and the server.
Who needs a control panel?
Most website owners-especially on shared hosting-use a control panel for everything from uploading files to creating email accounts. You do not need to know Linux, server administration, or any programming language to use one effectively.
Even developers on VPS servers often prefer a control panel over doing everything manually, because it speeds up repetitive tasks like issuing SSL certificates, managing databases, and setting up new sites.
What a control panel manages
| Area | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Files | Upload, edit, rename, move, and delete website files via a browser-based file manager or FTP |
| Domains | Add domains, create subdomains, set up redirects, manage addon domains |
| DNS | Edit A records, CNAME, MX, TXT records when your nameservers point to the server |
| Create mailboxes, forwarders, autoresponders, spam filters; access webmail | |
| Databases | Create MySQL/MariaDB databases, manage users, import and export via phpMyAdmin |
| PHP | Switch PHP versions per domain, adjust memory limits and other settings |
| SSL | Issue free Let's Encrypt certificates, check SSL status, install custom certificates |
| Backups | Create full or partial backups, download archive files, restore from backups |
| Security | Block IPs, set file permissions, enable two-factor authentication; manage SSH keys (VPS/Dedicated only) |
| Software | Install WordPress and other apps (where Softaculous or a similar tool is available) |
Types of control panels
UnderHost offers four control panels depending on your service type:
| Panel | Best for | Typical plan |
|---|---|---|
| cPanel | Shared and reseller hosting. Familiar, feature-rich, widely documented. | Shared, Reseller |
| DirectAdmin | Shared hosting alternative. Lightweight and fast with a simpler interface. | Shared |
| CloudPanel | VPS hosting. Modern interface, fast, Nginx-based, excellent for PHP and WordPress. | Cloud VPS |
| aaPanel | VPS hosting. Free and open-source, supports Nginx, Apache, and OpenLiteSpeed. | Cloud VPS, Dedicated |
Not sure which one your plan uses? See Which control panel does my UnderHost service use?
What a control panel cannot do
Control panels have limits. Some things require server-level access or UnderHost support:
- Root-level changes-changing firewall rules at the OS level, installing system software, or modifying kernel settings require root/SSH access (VPS/dedicated) or a support request (shared hosting).
- Service restarts-restarting Apache, Nginx, MySQL, or PHP-FPM at the system level is not available in shared hosting control panels.
- IP-level configurations-assigning dedicated IPs, configuring rDNS (PTR records), and managing network interfaces are handled at the server level.
- Plan upgrades-upgrading your hosting plan is done through CustomerPanel, not the control panel.
If you are unsure whether a task can be done in the control panel or requires server access, open a support ticket at CustomerPanel. The support team can tell you exactly what is possible on your specific plan and server.
Need help accessing your panel?
Check out our guides for logging in and using cPanel, DirectAdmin, or other control panels.
