The Terminal gives you command-line access to your hosting account from inside the browser. It is useful for running tools that have no graphical option, such as Composer or WP-CLI, and for working faster than the File Manager allows.
Opening the Terminal
- In cPanel, open Terminal under the Advanced section.
- Read and accept the warning prompt the first time.
- A black command window opens, placed in your home directory.
If the Terminal tool is missing, it may be disabled on your plan; ask support on WhatsApp at +254 796 358081 whether it can be enabled.
Useful Commands
You operate as your cPanel user, with access only to your own account.
cd public_html # move into your website folder
ls -la # list files including hidden ones
du -sh * # show the size of each item
tail -n 50 error_log # view the last 50 log lines
Running WP-CLI and Composer
Many shared servers include these tools:
wp plugin list # list WordPress plugins
wp core update # update WordPress core
composer install # install PHP dependencies
If wp or composer is not found, you may need the full path, or the tool may not be installed.
Safety Notes
- You cannot leave your own account, so you will not affect other users.
- There is no undo. A wrong
rmdeletes files permanently, so double-check delete commands. - Take a backup before running anything that changes many files.
The Terminal is the quickest way to clear a large cache folder, search files for a string with grep, or run a one-off maintenance command without uploading a script.