Uploading your website files is how you place your site on your hosting account so it can be viewed online. This is usually done through cPanel’s File Manager or an FTP program.
Before you begin
Make sure:
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Your hosting account is active
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Your domain is connected to your hosting account, or you know where your files should go
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You can access cPanel
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Your website files are ready on your computer
Where your website files usually go
In most hosting accounts, your main website files are uploaded to the correct web root folder for your domain. This is often the main public website folder used by your hosting account.
If you are using an addon domain, subdomain, or custom setup, the correct folder may be different.
Steps to upload files using File Manager
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Log in to your SMWS client area.
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Open your hosting service.
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Click Login to cPanel.
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Open File Manager.
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Browse to the correct website folder for your domain.
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Click Upload.
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Select the files from your computer.
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Wait for the upload to finish.
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Return to File Manager and confirm the files are in the correct folder.
If your website is a zip file
If your website files are compressed into a zip file:
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Upload the zip file to the correct folder.
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Select the zip file in File Manager.
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Use the Extract option.
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Confirm the files were extracted into the correct location.
Common things to check
If your website does not load correctly after upload, review:
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Whether the files were uploaded to the correct folder
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Whether your main homepage file is present
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Whether old files are still causing conflicts
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Whether your domain is fully connected to the hosting account
Notes
Uploading files to the wrong folder is one of the most common website setup mistakes. If your site is not showing, the first thing to check is the folder location.
Need help?
If you are not sure where your website files should go or want help uploading them correctly, contact support and we will help you.
