Sultan Nawab It’s only recommended that you connect to your package via SSH if you’re familiar with the command-line interface.
- Download PuTTY Software for Windows and install it.
- Once you have installed PuTTY, search for and open PuTTY Key Generator on your computer.
- Select Generate and move the mouse around in the gray box to generate some Randomness. This will generate a public key.
- Add a passphrase (password). This is what you’ll need to put into the command-line interface.
- Log in to your Control Panel, and then select, SSH Access from under the Security section.
- Then input the public key that was generated from PuTTYgen into the Public Key box. A handle will be generated automatically. Then select Add Public Key.
- Head back to PuTTY Gen and select Save private key. Save this as any name you want.
- Open PuTTY. Down the left-hand side, select to expand the SSH menu and then select Auth.
- Select Browse and add the private key you have just saved.
- Head back to Session using the left-hand menu and add the hostname ‘ssh.stackcp.com’ and select Open
- The command-line interface will be shown. Then log in with your domain (e.g. domain.co.uk).
- You’ll then be prompted for the passphrase that you set earlier. Enter this.
- You’ll now have access to SSH for your site
All done.
Once you connect via SSH, you can manage files, run commands, and troubleshoot your hosting account directly from the terminal. Common tasks include navigating directories, editing configuration files, checking log files, and managing permissions. Always use a strong passphrase or SSH key authentication for security. If you encounter connection issues, verify that your firewall allows port 22 and that you are using the correct hostname ssh.stackcp.com. For more hosting tutorials, visit the Fist Host blog. Always disconnect when finished to keep your account secure.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Most tasks can be done through your control panel. SSH is only recommended if you are familiar with the command line.
You need PuTTY (for Windows), a generated public/private key pair, and the hostname ssh.stackcp.com. Follow the steps in this guide to set it up.
The passphrase is the password you set when generating your key in PuTTYgen. Enter it when prompted to complete the connection.
Related Guides
Useful First SSH Commands
Once you are logged in, here are safe commands to start with. Type pwd to see which directory you are in, and ls -la to list files including hidden ones. Use cd public_html to move into your website’s folder, and cd .. to go back up one level.
To check disk usage, run du -sh * to see how much space each folder uses, and df -h for overall disk space. If a WordPress update fails, tail -n 50 error_log shows the last 50 lines of the error log, which usually reveals the cause.
You can edit text files with nano filename — it is beginner-friendly and shows its shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. Always back up a file before editing it, so you can restore it if something goes wrong. Type exit to close the session when finished.
One last tip: never share your private key file with anyone, and set a strong passphrase on it. If a device holding your key is lost, remove the matching public key from the control panel immediately to block access.
