How to Use the Text Editor in cPanel File Manager

What is the editor?

cPanel is the control panel for your hosting account. A control panel is a website where you manage your hosting. Inside it, File Manager lets you see your website files. File Manager also has a built-in text editor. A text editor is a simple program for changing words and code in a file, like Notepad on Windows.

You use it to fix a small mistake fast. For example, you can change a line in a PHP file or a rule in .htaccess.

Three editor choices

• Edit: the plain text editor. Good for most work.
• Code Editor: shows colors for code and line numbers. Good for PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• HTML Editor: shows the page like a visitor sees it. Use it for simple HTML pages only.

Steps

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Click File Manager in the Files section.
3. Open the folder with your file. Website files are usually inside public_html.
4. Right-click the file.
5. Choose Code Edit or Edit.
6. A window may ask about the character set. Leave the default, usually UTF-8, and click Edit.
7. The file opens in a new tab. Click where you want to type and make your change.
8. Click Save Changes at the top right.
9. Click Close when you finish.

Handy buttons

• Undo and Re-do go back or forward one change.
• Find looks for a word in the file.
• Reload loads the file again and drops your unsaved changes.
• Font Size makes the text larger so it is easier to read.
• Word Wrap makes long lines fit on screen.

Check your change

Open your website in a new tab. Press the refresh button. If you see an error, open the file again and undo your edit. Or put the backup copy back.

The editor cannot open images or zip files. Download those instead. If the editor does not open, open a support ticket.

Quick recap

• File Manager has a built-in text editor.

  

• Right-click a file and choose Edit or Code Edit.
• Click Save Changes to keep your work.
• Make a backup copy before editing.
• Test your website afterwards.