Customer documentation
Email & databases
Manage cPanel email tools, MX routing, MySQL databases, users, privileges, and phpMyAdmin safely.
Email on cPanel hosting
Mailboxes
Create mailbox users when email is included with the hosting package.
Forwarders
Send mail from one address to another mailbox.
Autoresponders
Send automatic replies for vacation, intake, or temporary notices.
MX records
Control where mail for the domain is delivered. Use external MX records if another provider hosts email.
Email routing
Make sure routing matches whether mail is local to cPanel or hosted somewhere else.
Quotas
If mail stops receiving, check mailbox quota and account storage.
Create a mailbox
Create mailboxes only when email is included with the hosting package and the domain uses cPanel or compatible MX records for mail delivery.
- 1Open Email Accounts in cPanel.
- 2Choose the domain for the mailbox.
- 3Enter the mailbox name, such as info, support, billing, or your first name.
- 4Set a strong password or generate one.
- 5Review mailbox storage quota if the interface asks for it.
- 6Create the mailbox and test sign-in from webmail or the mail client settings shown in cPanel.
Email routing and MX
Email routing decides whether cPanel handles mail locally or sends it to another provider. This matters when the domain uses Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another external mail host.
Local mail
Use when cPanel mailboxes should receive mail for the domain.
External mail
Use when another provider handles mail and MX records point outside cPanel.
Forwarders
Forward one address to another mailbox without creating a full inbox.
Autoresponders
Send automatic replies for temporary notices or intake messages.
Mailbox quota
If mail stops arriving, check storage quota before changing DNS.
Forwarders and autoresponders
Forwarder
Copies mail from one address to another. Useful for role addresses like info@ or support@.
Mailbox plus forwarder
Use when someone needs both an inbox and a copy sent elsewhere.
Forwarder only
Use when the address should not keep a local inbox.
Autoresponder
Sends an automatic reply, such as a vacation notice or intake confirmation.
Loop risk
Do not create forwarders or autoresponders that reply to each other repeatedly.
External providers
If mail is hosted by Google, Microsoft, or another provider, update MX records there instead of creating cPanel mailboxes blindly.
Databases and PHP apps
WordPress-style sites and PHP applications often need a MySQL database, database user, password, and privileges. Keep these separate from the customer portal password.
- 1Create the database in cPanel.
- 2Create or choose a database user.
- 3Assign the user to the database with the privileges the app needs.
- 4Enter the database name, username, password, and host into the app configuration.
- 5Use phpMyAdmin only when you understand the data you are editing, and back up first.
Create a database for an app
Many PHP apps need a database name, database user, password, and privileges. The app will not work until the database user is assigned to the database.
- 1Open MySQL Databases or the database tool available in cPanel.
- 2Create the database and copy the full generated database name.
- 3Create a database user with a strong password.
- 4Add the user to the database.
- 5Grant the privileges the application needs, commonly All Privileges for a single app-owned database.
- 6Enter the database name, username, password, and host into the app installer or config file.
- 7Keep a copy of the credentials in a secure password manager, not in public notes or screenshots.
phpMyAdmin import and export
Export before changes
Export the database before manual edits, plugin changes, migrations, or search/replace work.
Import target
Confirm you selected the correct database before importing a SQL file.
Large import
Large SQL files may timeout. Open support if the import is too large for browser upload.
Prefix mismatch
Apps like WordPress may use table prefixes. Make sure imported tables match the app configuration.
Character encoding
If symbols look broken after import, stop and ask support before overwriting more data.
Database troubleshooting
Database fails
Confirm database name, database user, password, host, and user privileges.
Connection refused
Confirm the app uses the correct database host for the hosting account.
Access denied
Reset the database user password and confirm the user is assigned to the database.
Missing tables
Check whether the database import completed and whether the app points to the right database.
phpMyAdmin edits
Export a backup before changing data manually.
Email fails
Check Email Routing, MX records, mailbox quota, spam filters, and whether the domain uses external mail.