I Just Bought Linux Hosting — How Do I Upload My Website Files?

👤 Purvaco Technologies 📅 November 4, 2025 🏷️ Hosting

So you’ve just purchased Linux Hosting — congratulations! 🎉

That’s a great first step toward launching your website.

But now you might be asking yourself, “Okay, what’s next? How do I actually upload my website files and make my site live?”

Don’t worry — you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions new website owners have after buying hosting. The good news?

Uploading your website to Linux hosting is straightforward once you understand the process.

In this guide by Purvaco, we’ll walk you through everything — from preparing your files, connecting to your hosting account, and uploading them safely, to making your site go live on the internet.

Let’s get started.

Understanding What Linux Hosting Is

Before we dive into the steps, it helps to understand what Linux hosting actually means.

Linux hosting is a type of web hosting that runs on the Linux operating system — the most popular OS for web servers. It’s secure, stable, and supports most web technologies like PHP, MySQL, WordPress, HTML, and Python.

If your website uses technologies such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or any PHP-based framework (like Laravel), Linux hosting is perfect for you.

At Purvaco, our Linux hosting environment is optimized for speed and reliability, meaning you don’t have to worry about server-side configurations — you just focus on your website.

What You’ll Need Before Uploading

Let’s make sure you have everything ready before starting:

Your website files — HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, or your CMS installation (like WordPress).
Access to your Purvaco hosting account — login credentials for your control panel (like cPanel or DirectAdmin).
Domain name connected — your domain should be pointing to your hosting nameservers.
An FTP client (optional) — like FileZilla or WinSCP, if you prefer uploading through FTP.

If you have all of these, you’re ready to move on.

Where to Upload Your Files

In Linux hosting, your main website files go inside a folder called public_html (also known as the document root).

Here’s how it works:

Anything you place inside public_html becomes publicly accessible via your domain.
Files outside this folder are not accessible from the web (and are used for configuration or private data).

So if your domain is www.example.com, and you upload an index.html file inside public_html, visiting your domain will show that file instantly.

Different Ways to Upload Your Website Files

You can upload your website files to Linux hosting in three main ways:

Using the File Manager in your hosting control panel (cPanel).
Using an FTP client like FileZilla.
Using SSH (Secure Shell) for advanced users.

Let’s go through each one step-by-step.

Option 1: Upload via cPanel File Manager (Beginner-Friendly)

If you’re new to hosting, this is the easiest and most visual way.

Step 1: Log in to your cPanel

Go to the link provided by Purvaco (like yourdomain.com/cpanel)
Enter your username and password.

Step 2: Open File Manager

Once inside cPanel, scroll down to the Files section.
Click on File Manager.

Step 3: Navigate to public_html

In the left panel, open the public_html directory.
This is the folder where your website files belong.

Step 4: Upload your files

Click on the Upload button at the top.
Select all your website files (or ZIP folder) from your computer.
Wait for the upload to complete.

Step 5: Extract if it’s a ZIP file

If you uploaded a ZIP archive, right-click it and select Extract.
All files will unpack into the folder.

Step 6: Check your website

Open your domain in the browser (like www.example.com)
You should now see your website live!

This method is quick, reliable, and doesn’t require any external software.

Option 2: Upload via FTP (For Regular or Large Transfers)

If you frequently update your website, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the better choice.

Step 1: Install an FTP client

Download and install FileZilla, Cyberduck, or WinSCP.

Step 2: Gather your FTP credentials

You’ll find these inside your Purvaco control panel:

Host: ftp.yourdomain.com
Username: Your cPanel username
Password: Your cPanel password
Port: 21 (default FTP port)

Step 3: Connect to your server

Open FileZilla → Enter the credentials → Click Quickconnect.

You’ll now see two panels:

Left side: Your computer
Right side: Your Linux hosting server

Step 4: Navigate to public_html

On the right side, double-click the public_html folder.

Step 5: Drag and drop files

Drag all your website files from your computer (left) to the public_html folder (right).
The progress bar at the bottom will show upload status.

Step 6: Verify your upload

Once done, open your website in a browser. Your files should now be live.

FTP is great for transferring large sites or when your internet connection is slow — it can resume interrupted uploads automatically.

Option 3: Upload via SSH (For Developers and Advanced Users)

If you’re familiar with terminal commands, SSH gives you the fastest and most secure control over your server.

Step 1: Enable SSH Access

Step 2: Connect using SSH

Open your terminal (on Linux/Mac) or use PuTTY (on Windows):

ssh username@yourdomain.com

Enter your password when prompted.

Step 3: Navigate to your website directory

cd public_html

Step 4: Upload files using SCP or SFTP

If uploading from another system, use:

scp -r /local/path username@yourdomain.com:/home/username/public_html

Step 5: Extract archives (if needed)

If you uploaded a ZIP file:

unzip sitefiles.zip

SSH is perfect for developers managing frameworks or applications that need command-line control, like Laravel, Node.js, or Python.

Setting Correct File Permissions

After uploading, you might sometimes see errors like “403 Forbidden” or “Permission denied.”
This usually means your file permissions are incorrect.

Here’s the general rule for Linux hosting:

Files: 644
Folders: 755

You can change permissions via cPanel → File Manager → Right-click file → Change Permissions.

In FTP clients, you can right-click and choose “File Permissions.”

Correct permissions ensure your files are both accessible and secure.

What About Databases? (For WordPress, PHP, or CMS Users)

If your website uses a database (like WordPress or PHP CMS), there’s an extra step:

Step 1: Create a MySQL Database

Go to your cPanel → MySQL Databases

Create a new database name
Create a user and assign a password
Link the user to the database (grant All Privileges)

Step 2: Import your database

Open phpMyAdmin from cPanel → Choose your new database → Click Import → Upload your .sql file.

Step 3: Update your configuration file

Edit your website’s configuration file (for example, wp-config.php for WordPress):

Replace the database name, username, and password with the ones you created.

That’s it. Your website should now connect to the database seamlessly.

Common Problems (And How to Fix Them)

Here are some issues beginners face and how to solve them quickly:

Problem	Possible Cause	Quick Fix
Website not loading	Files not in public_html	Move files into public_html folder
“403 Forbidden” error	Wrong file permissions	Change permissions to 644 for files
Database connection error	Wrong credentials in config	Update database name, username, and password
Mixed content warning	SSL not forced	Enable HTTPS redirection
Upload failed	File too large	Zip files before uploading or use FTP

If you’re on Purvaco, you can contact support anytime — our Linux experts can diagnose and fix these within minutes.

Testing and Going Live

After uploading, it’s time to test your site:

Open your domain in a browser.
Check links, images, and forms to ensure everything works.
If your domain isn’t connected yet, use your temporary URL (shared in your hosting welcome email).

Once you’re happy with the results — congratulations, your website is officially live!

Pro Tips for Smooth Website Uploads

Here are some additional tips from Purvaco’s hosting engineers:

Always backup your local files before uploading.
Compress large websites into a ZIP file before upload — it saves time.
Use FTP for frequent updates — it’s faster than File Manager.
Keep your file structure organized (HTML/CSS in root, assets in folders).
Don’t forget to set correct permissions after upload.
Use SSL (HTTPS) to protect your visitors’ data.
Regularly update your CMS and plugins to avoid security risks.

How Purvaco Makes It Easier

At Purvaco, we know the first upload experience can feel overwhelming — that’s why we designed our Linux Cloud Hosting to make it simple.

Here’s what makes it beginner-friendly:

One-click File Manager access — no need to install extra software.
Pre-installed FTP & SSH support — instant connections.
Auto SSL & Backup tools — keep your website secure and restorable.
24/7 technical support — real engineers ready to assist.
Optimized servers — faster uploads and better stability.

Whether you’re uploading a simple HTML site or deploying a full CMS, Purvaco’s Linux Hosting gives you the control and confidence to go live without the hassle.

Conclusion

Uploading your website to Linux hosting might seem technical at first — but once you do it the first time, it becomes second nature.

The steps are simple:

Prepare your files.
Connect via cPanel or FTP.
Upload everything into public_html.
Check your permissions.
Test your website.

And just like that — your site is live for the world to see.

If you’re hosting with Purvaco, you also get peace of mind knowing your files are stored on secure, NVMe-powered servers with daily backups and expert support standing by.

So go ahead — take that next step, upload your site, and start building your digital presence today.

Ready to go live?

Get started with Purvaco Linux Hosting