How to change file and folder permissions in cPanel File Manager

Permissions control who can read, modify, or execute files inside your hosting account. In cPanel, you can correct them from File Manager when a site shows a 403 error, a 500 error, image upload problems, or files that cannot be edited.

On shared hosting, the usual values are 644 for files and 755 for folders. Avoid using 777, because it allows overly broad write access and can leave your site vulnerable.

Before you start

• Identify the correct site path, usually public_html or the domain/subdomain folder.
• Back up the file or folder before changing permissions.
• Change only the affected item, not the whole site, unless support tells you to do that.
• Keep the error you saw in the browser, CMS, or error log available.

Steps

1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager. If your panel is in Spanish, you may see it as Administrador de archivos.
2. Browse to the folder where the file or directory you want to fix is located, for example public_html.
3. Select the file or folder once to enable the top options.
4. Click Permissions or Change Permissions, depending on your cPanel language.
5. For regular files, use 644: owner with read/write, group with read, and public with read.
6. For regular folders, use 755: owner with read/write/execute, group and public with read/execute.
7. Save the change and confirm that the permissions column shows the expected value.
8. Make this same change only on other files or folders that actually need it.

Final verification

• The file is set to 644 or the folder is set to 755, as appropriate.
• The site loads without a 403 or 500 error after you reload it in a private window.
• The CMS can upload or read the file that was failing before.
• You did not leave site files or folders set to 777.

Common errors

• You changed permissions in the wrong folder: go back to File Manager, confirm the domain path, and correct only the right item.
• The site still shows a 403 error: check for .htaccess rules, IP blocks, or ModSecurity before changing more permissions.
• The site shows a 500 error after the change: restore usual permissions (644 files, 755 folders) and check the cPanel error log.
• An application asks for 777 to write files: avoid that value in production; contact support to review ownership, path, or application settings.

Recommended reading

• How to use File Manager in cPanel to edit files with a backup
• How to fix error 500 using File Manager in cPanel
• How to check site errors from cPanel