Upload your website with File Manager or FileZilla

There are two easy ways to put your website files on your hosting account: File Manager in cPanel, which works in your browser, or an FTP program such as FileZilla, which is better for lots of files or regular updates. This guide covers both.

Where your website files go

Your main domain's website lives in the public_html folder. Anything you put there is visible at https://yourdomain.co.nz. Addon domains and subdomains each have their own folder, which you chose when you created them (you can check it in cPanel under Domains).

Your home page needs to be called index.html or index.php and sit directly inside that folder, not in a subfolder.

Option 1: Upload with File Manager

1. Log in to cPanel from your service page under Services → My Services (https://www.hooplahosting.co.nz/client/clientarea.php?action=services).
2. Open File Manager (type it in the cPanel search bar).
3. Double-click public_html (or your addon domain's folder) to open it.
4. Click Upload in the toolbar, then drag your files in or click Select File.
5. When the upload bar reaches 100%, click Go Back to return to the folder.

Uploading a whole site? Zip it on your computer first and upload the single .zip file. It's much faster than uploading hundreds of files one by one. Then, in File Manager, right-click the zip file, choose Extract, and delete the zip once the files are in place.

If the extracted files end up in a subfolder (for example public_html/mysite/), open that folder, click Select All, then Move and change the path to /public_html.

Option 2: Upload with FileZilla

1. Download FileZilla Client from the official site, filezilla-project.org, and install it. Choose the plain FileZilla Client download and decline any bundled offers.
2. Open FileZilla and go to File → Site Manager → New site.
3. Fill in the connection details:
   • Protocol: FTP - File Transfer Protocol
   • Host: ftp.yourdomain.co.nz (if your domain isn't pointing to us yet, use the server hostname from your hosting welcome email)
   • Port: 21
   • Encryption: Require explicit FTP over TLS
   • Logon Type: Normal
   • User / Password: your cPanel username and password, or an FTP account you've created (see below)
4. Click Connect. The first time, FileZilla shows the server's certificate. Tick Always trust this certificate and click OK.
5. Your computer's files are on the left and your hosting account is on the right. Open public_html on the right, then drag files across from the left to upload them.

Always use explicit FTP over TLS. Plain FTP sends your password unencrypted.

Create a separate FTP account (optional)

If a web designer or developer needs access, give them their own FTP account rather than your cPanel password. They'll only be able to reach the folder you choose.

1. In cPanel, open FTP Accounts.
2. Enter a Log In name and a strong password.
3. Set the Directory to the folder they need, for example public_html. Leaving it as the default creates a new empty folder for them instead.
4. Click Create FTP Account.

The FTP username is the full name including your domain, for example designer@yourdomain.co.nz. You can delete the account once their work is finished.

Troubleshooting

• I still see the old site or a default page: make sure your index.html or index.php is directly inside public_html, and remove any old index file you no longer need. Then refresh your browser with Ctrl+F5 (Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac).
• FileZilla times out or can't connect: check the host, username and password. Too many failed logins can block your IP address. See Why is my IP address blocked from cPanel, WHM or my website?
• "Disk quota exceeded" during upload: your account is full. See Disk space full or nearly full.
• Your site shows "Not secure": see AutoSSL: install or fix your free SSL.

Need help?

If you get stuck, open a support ticket and we'll help you get your site online.