SSH provides a command-line connection to a hosting account. Availability, authentication and permissions depend on your product. Shared-hosting SSH does not imply root access to a VPS.

Find the account controls

  1. Open your cPanel hosting product and select its management dashboard.
  2. Find the server or account settings and the SSH access control. If it is absent, check the help for that exact plan before assuming SSH is available.
  3. Enable access if needed, then obtain the hostname or IP address, port and username shown for the account.
  4. Follow its authentication instructions. Use keys where the product supports them, or the required account authentication when it does not.

Connect carefully

Use a trusted SSH client and the supplied connection details. Verify the server's host key through a trusted channel; investigate an unexpected host-key change instead of automatically accepting it. Never paste a private key or password into a support enquiry.

Before running commands

Confirm the current directory and target website. Back up files before changing them and avoid running commands you do not understand. You do not need to disable your firewall or make website files publicly writable to use SSH.

Turn off access when it is no longer needed if that fits your workflow.

Reference and product help

cPanel SSH access reference. If your account shows different controls, use the product help centre for your exact product.