Essential Tips for Managing a Transferred Website on cPanel: A Guide for Beginners

Are you stepping into the world of website management for the first time, especially after transferring a site to a new hosting environment? If so, you’re not alone. Many web developers and enthusiasts face similar challenges when taking ownership of an existing site, particularly when moving from static pages or content management systems like WordPress to a new setup. Here’s a comprehensive overview to help you navigate this process confidently.

Understanding Your Hosting Environment

Since your site is hosted on cPanel without root access, your file management will be limited to the public_html directory. This is standard for shared hosting plans. Remember, you won’t have control over server configurations but can manage files, databases, and some security settings through cPanel.

Key Considerations Before Making Changes

1. Backup Everything: Before you do anything, create a complete backup of your website files and databases. Most cPanel providers offer one-click backup solutions. This safeguard ensures you can restore your site if something goes wrong.

2. Familiarize Yourself with the Existing Code: The current website uses a custom PHP CMS running on PHP 7.4 with spaghetti code. Your initial goal should be to avoid altering core functionalities, focusing instead on separating PHP logic from HTML and JavaScript where possible. This will make future design updates easier and safer.

3. Plan Your Development Environment: To safely experiment with design alterations, set up a local development environment. Tools like WAMP (Windows), XAMPP (cross-platform), or MAMP (Mac) are excellent choices. Download the site files and database dump to your local machine, and replicate your live environment locally for testing before deploying changes live.

4. Version Compatibility: Check the PHP version on your server (PHP 7.4). Ensure your local environment matches this to prevent compatibility issues. Also, verify versions of MySQL/MariaDB, Apache, and other components to mirror your production environment.

Understanding SSL and Ports

• SSL Certificates: If your site uses HTTPS, you’ll need to configure SSL locally to test secure connections. For local testing, you can set up self-signed certificates or bypass SSL. However, ensure your live server’s SSL settings are correct before re-deploying.
• Ports: Standard web traffic runs over port 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS). No special configuration is usually needed unless your hosting provider specifies otherwise.

Practical Steps to Take

1. Backup: Create full site and database