Enabling SSH for a cPanel account (reseller guide)

As a reseller, you can grant SSH (Secure Shell) access to cPanel accounts you manage through WHM. SSH allows account holders to connect to the server via a command-line interface — useful for tasks such as running scripts, managing files, and using developer tools. There are two methods available to enable this, depending on your level of access and how your reseller account is configured.

⚠️ SSH access grants command-line access to an account’s files and processes. Only enable it for accounts where the user has a legitimate need and you trust them to use it responsibly.

Method 1: Modify an Account

This is the most direct method, but it may not always be available depending on your reseller permissions. If your WHM access includes the ability to modify accounts, you can enable SSH on a per-account basis.

1. Log in to your WHM control panel.
2. In the left-hand navigation or search bar, find and click Modify an Account (under the Account Functions section).
3. Select the cPanel account you want to modify from the account list, then click Modify.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the account settings and check Shell Access.
5. Click Save to apply the changes.

💡 If you do not see the Modify an Account option in your WHM, your reseller account may not have been granted this privilege. Use Method 2 (Feature Lists) instead, or contact us to request the necessary permissions.

Method 2: Enable SSH via Feature Lists

Feature Lists control which cPanel features are available to accounts on a given package or plan. By adding SSH access to a Feature List, you can enable it for any account assigned to that list. This method is useful when you want to enable SSH for a group of accounts, or when the Modify an Account option is unavailable.

1. In WHM, navigate to Packages > Feature Manager.
2. Select the Feature List you want to edit from the drop-down (e.g. the list assigned to the relevant hosting package), then click Edit.
3. Scroll through the list of features and locate SSH Access.
4. Tick the checkbox next to SSH Access to enable it.
5. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

👉 If you manage multiple accounts that need SSH access, consider creating a dedicated Feature List (e.g. “SSH Enabled”) to make it easy to assign and revoke access consistently across accounts.

Connecting via SSH

Once SSH access has been enabled on an account, the account holder can connect using any SSH client (such as Terminal on macOS/Linux, or PuTTY / Windows Terminal on Windows). Use the following connection details:

A typical SSH command looks like this:

ssh cpanelusername@your-server-hostname.com -p 22

For example, if the cPanel username is example and the server hostname is server1.yourdomain.com, the command would be:

ssh example@server1.yourdomain.com -p 22

👉 The shared IP address for the account can be found in WHM under Account Information > List Accounts. The server hostname is typically shown in WHM’s top navigation / address bar.