Knowledgebase

Where Should I Upload My Website Files? (Firstserv Guide)

The Short Answer

Your website files should be uploaded to the:

public_html/

directory.

Understanding the cPanel File Structure

Every hosting account has a home directory, which is the main folder you access when connecting via:

• FTP / SFTP
• SSH
• cPanel File Manager

A typical home directory may look like this:

.bash_logout  
.bash_profile  
.bashrc  
.contactemail  
.cpanel/  
etc/  
.htpasswds/  
mail/  
public_ftp/  
public_html/  
tmp/  
www@

Important Notes

• Files and folders beginning with a dot (e.g. .cpanel, .htpasswds) are hidden system files
• These are required for your hosting account to function correctly

⚠️ Do not modify or delete these unless you are certain of what you’re doing

Where Your Website Files Go

All of your website’s public files should be uploaded into:

public_html/

Example

If your domain is:

yourdomain.com

and you upload a file here:

public_html/image.jpg

It will be accessible in a browser at:

https://yourdomain.com/image.jpg

What is the “www” Folder?

You may also see a folder named:

www

This is simply a shortcut (symlink) to the public_html directory.

✅ You can treat it the same as public_html

What About Other Domains?

• Additional domains (addon or subdomains) may use different document roots
• These are often subfolders within your home directory

👉 For those setups, consult your domain configuration within cPanel.

What Are the Other Folders Used For?

Other directories in your account serve specific purposes, such as:

• mail/ – email storage
• tmp/ – temporary files
• etc/ – system configuration

✅ These are essential for your hosting account and should not be altered unnecessarily.

Best Practice

If you’re new to hosting:

✅ Stick to working within the public_html/ directory
✅ Only upload and manage your website files there
✅ Avoid modifying system folders

Summary

• Your website’s public files belong in public_html/
• The www folder points to the same location
• Other directories are system-related and should not be changed

If you’re unsure where to upload files for specific domains or need help managing your file structure, the Firstserv support team is always available to help.