Set up my Web Hosting (cPanel) account
After you purchase a Web Hosting (cPanel) plan, you need to set it up before you can use it to host your website.
Warning: Setting up an account can change a domain's DNS records, so existing websites and email addresses might stop working. For help finding the best path, on our Contact Us.
- Go to your GoDaddy product page.
- Under Web Hosting, next to the Web Hosting (cPanel) account you want to set up, click Set up.
- Complete the on-screen fields, and then click Finish.
- We'll ask you which of your domains you want to associate with the account as your primary domain. You can also specify a subdomain if you like.
- We'll ask if you'd like to install WordPress during setup. If so, you'll set your WordPress username and password at that time.
- If you're setting up your account with an Internationalized Domain Name, you'll need to enter the punycode version of the domain name.
When setup is complete, your account Dashboard appears. Your primary domain name appears at the top.
Next steps
- Change your cPanel password to something you know: We auto-generated a cPanel login name and password to set up cPanel for your account. We can't show you that password for security reasons. Before you start using the account, it's a good idea to change your cPanel password to something you know.
- Learn more about your new Web Hosting (cPanel) account: Take our Guided Tour of the account Dashboard, WordPress, and cPanel.
- Install an SSL certificate: Planning an online store? Then you've got to have a secure website. Here's our path for requesting and installing an SSL certificate.
- Set up website backups: Backing up your site is a great way to protect your content and data if there's a real problem. You can set up backups yourself in cPanel, or let us handle that for you with our Website Backup service.
- Start building your site with WordPress: Check out our list of the basics you need to start building your new WordPress website.
- Find Help articles when you need them: Here's the home page for Web Hosting (cPanel) help articles.
More info
- Your cPanel username and password are randomly generated during setup. You can change your password in the account Dashboard.
