SSH (Secure Shell) gives you command-line access to your hosting account over an encrypted connection. You connect from a terminal program on your own computer using four pieces of information: your username, your password, your server's address, and a port number. SSH is enabled by default, so there is nothing to request before you start.
Check that your plan includes SSH
SSH access is included with Web Hosting Pro and Enterprise plans, Reseller Hosting, and Cloud and Dedicated servers.
The Go web hosting plan does not include SSH access. If you are on Go, the connection will be refused no matter which program you use.
Managed WordPress Hosting uses a separate SSH username and password that you set in your Client Area, not your cPanel password. To connect to a Managed WordPress site, follow Connect to SSH or SFTP with Managed WordPress instead of this article.
Gather your connection details
You need four values before you connect.
Username — the same username you use for cPanel. On a Cloud or Dedicated server you can also connect as
root.Password — the same password you use for cPanel. For
rooton a Cloud or Dedicated server, use the root password from your welcome email.Server address — your domain name, or your account's IP address.
Port —
27for web hosting and reseller hosting accounts.2243for Cloud and Dedicated servers.
SSH does not use the standard port 22, so the port has to be given every time you connect.
Connect from macOS or Linux
macOS and Linux include an SSH client, so there is nothing to install.
Open Terminal. On macOS it is in Applications > Utilities. On Linux, search your applications for Terminal.
Type the command below, replacing the username, server address and port with your own values, then press Enter.
ssh [email protected] -p 27
You can use your IP address instead of your domain name:
ssh [email protected] -p 27
For a Cloud or Dedicated server, use port 2243:
ssh [email protected] -p 2243
Connect from Windows
Windows 10 and Windows 11 include an SSH client, so you can connect without installing anything. Open Windows Terminal, PowerShell or Command Prompt and use the same command:
ssh [email protected] -p 27
If you prefer a program with a graphical interface, or you are on an older version of Windows, use PuTTY. It is free, and you can download it from the PuTTY latest release page.
Set up PuTTY
Start PuTTY.
In Host Name (or IP address), type your domain name or your account's IP address. You can include your username here as
[email protected]so PuTTY doesn't ask for it later.In Port, type
27for a web hosting or reseller account, or2243for a Cloud or Dedicated server.Under Connection type, select SSH.
Click Open.
Enter your username, if PuTTY asks for it, then your password.
What you'll see on the first connection
The first time you connect to a server, your SSH program shows the server's fingerprint and asks you to confirm you trust it. Accept it to continue. Your program remembers the server after that and won't ask again.
While you type your password, nothing appears on screen — no characters, dots or asterisks. This is normal and the password is still being entered. Type it and press Enter.
You'll know it worked when the screen shows a command prompt ending in $ or #, with your username and server name in front of it. To end the session, type exit and press Enter.
If the connection is refused
A refused or timed-out connection usually means one of three things: you are on the Go plan, which does not include SSH; the port is wrong for your type of account; or your own network or firewall is blocking outgoing connections on that port. Check the port first, then try from a different network.
If none of those apply, open a support ticket with the exact command you ran and the error message you received.
On a Cloud or Dedicated server, you can also let WHC's technicians connect for support work by installing WHC's SSH keys on your server.