How to Use the StackCP File Manager: Upload, Extract & Edit Code

The File Manager is StackCP's built-in tool for managing your website's files directly from your browser — no separate FTP program required. It covers everything from uploading and editing files to checking disk usage and spotting infected files flagged by the malware scanner.

This guide walks through every part of the File Manager so you know exactly what each button does.

What Is the File Manager?

The File Manager is a visual (GUI) way to manage the files in your hosting account without needing FTP software. You can upload, move, create, edit, and delete files and folders, all from a browser tab.

Step 1: Access the File Manager

1. Log in to StackCP.
2. Go to Manage Hosting, then select Manage on the package you want to work with.
3. Find File Manager, listed under Web Files.

You'll land on the root of your hosting package, showing the files and folders there. Double-click any folder to open it and view its contents.

Step 2: Learn the Navigation Basics

• Home (top left) — takes you back to the root of your hosting instantly.
• Refresh (next icon) — reloads the current folder so you're seeing the latest state after any changes.
• Hamburger menu (top right) — expands to reveal the main toolset.

Step 3: Understand the Main Toolbar

Opening the hamburger menu gives you:

• Cut / Copy / Paste / Clear Clipboard — standard file operations. Select a file or folder, cut or copy it, navigate to the destination folder, and paste. Clear Clipboard removes anything currently cut/copied.
• New File — opens a naming field, then choose Create or Create & Open to start editing immediately.
• New Folder — same naming flow, for creating a new directory.
• Upload — drag and drop files from your computer, or select them manually. Added files appear in a list at the bottom of the page; you can queue multiple files before clicking the Upload button (top right) to start the transfer.
• Search — find a file or folder by name across your hosting; results let you jump straight to its location.
• Open in New Window — pops the File Manager out into a separate browser window.
• List view / Grid view — toggle how files and folders are displayed.

Step 4: Use Right-Click (Context Menu) Tools

Right-clicking a file, folder, or empty space (Ctrl+click on a Mac) reveals additional, context-specific tools:

• Code Editor / Rich Text Editor — edit a file directly in your browser. By default, double-clicking a file also opens it in the Code Editor.
• Delete — removes the selected file or folder, with a confirmation prompt first.
• Download / Download as ZIP — download a copy locally. Selecting a folder automatically zips it first, then downloads the archive.
• Compress — select one or more files/folders and compress them into a named ZIP file.
• Rename — opens a field to edit the file or folder's name.
• Permissions — view and edit Read, Write, and Execute permissions, shown in both alphabetical (e.g., rwxr-xr-x) and numerical (e.g., 755) notation. After changing permissions, it's worth running the File Permissions Checker (covered in our companion guide) to confirm nothing is left insecure.
• File Info / Folder Info — shows name, path, size, permissions, and last modified date.
• Get Disk Usage — generates a report showing your largest files and folders, with charts breaking down where your space is being used. It takes a moment to populate. Once generated, you can reopen it via the menu in the bottom left, though it won't persist after you leave the File Manager page.

Step 5: Uploading and Extracting Archives

1. Open the hamburger menu and select Upload.
2. Drag your ZIP, TAR, or other archive file into the upload area, or select it manually.
3. Once queued, click the Upload button (top right) to transfer it to your hosting.
4. Once uploaded, right-click the archive and look for an extract/decompress option to unpack its contents directly on the server — useful for deploying a theme, plugin, or full site export without uploading hundreds of individual files one by one.

Step 6: Editing a File Directly

1. Double-click any text-based file (HTML, PHP, CSS, JS, etc.) to open it in the built-in Code Editor.
2. Make your changes.
3. Save directly from the editor — there's no need to re-upload the file afterward.

For files intended to display formatted text rather than code, the right-click menu also offers a Rich Text Editor option.

Step 7: Checking for Malware

In the bottom right of the File Manager, there's a link to the built-in Malware Scanner. If a scan has flagged your package as infected, this is reflected here too — showing a list of infected files, each marked with an icon, with the option to jump straight to the folder where they're located. (See our dedicated Malware Scan guide for how to run a scan from scratch.)

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

• Forgetting to click Upload after queuing files. Adding files to the list doesn't start the transfer — you need to click the Upload button afterward.
• Changing permissions without checking the recommended values. Use the File Permissions Checker after any manual permission change to confirm you haven't left something insecure or broken.
• Deleting without checking File Info first. A quick check of a file or folder's details can prevent accidentally deleting something still in use elsewhere on your site.
• Not using Search for a lost file. Rather than manually clicking through folders, the Search tool jumps you straight to the right location.

Troubleshooting

"My uploaded ZIP file won't extract." Confirm the archive format is supported (Zip, Tar, GZip, and Zip Tar Archive are commonly supported) and that the file uploaded completely without being interrupted.

"I can't find a file I know I uploaded." Use the Search tool from the hamburger menu rather than manually browsing — it's faster and works across your entire hosting package.

"A page on my site is showing a permissions-related error after I made a manual change." Right-click the affected file or folder, select Permissions, and compare against the recommended settings — or run the File Permissions Checker for an automatic comparison and fix.

Comparing File Manager to FTP: When to Use Each

For a non-technical site owner, a natural question is when to use the File Manager versus setting up FTP access (covered in our companion guide). As a general rule:

• Use the File Manager for quick, occasional edits — fixing a typo in a file, uploading a handful of images, extracting a plugin or theme ZIP, or checking disk usage. It requires no setup and works from any browser.
• Use FTP for bulk transfers — migrating a large existing website, syncing a local development folder regularly, or working with a developer who prefers a dedicated FTP client with drag-and-drop syncing between your computer and the server.

Many site owners use both: the File Manager for day-to-day quick fixes, and FTP for larger, occasional bulk uploads.

A Practical Walkthrough: Deploying a Downloaded Theme or Plugin

A common beginner task is installing a theme or plugin you've downloaded as a ZIP file from a marketplace, rather than through your CMS's built-in installer. Here's how that typically looks using the File Manager:

1. Download the ZIP file to your computer from the marketplace or developer's site.
2. Open the File Manager and navigate to the correct folder (for WordPress, typically wp-content/themes or wp-content/plugins).
3. Open the hamburger menu, select Upload, and add your ZIP file.
4. Click Upload to transfer it to the server.
5. Right-click the uploaded ZIP and use the extract/decompress option to unpack its contents directly in that folder.
6. Once extracted, the theme or plugin should appear in your CMS's admin dashboard, ready to activate.
7. Delete the original ZIP file afterward to keep your file space tidy, if you no longer need it.

This entire process typically takes a few minutes and avoids the need to upload potentially hundreds of individual theme or plugin files one at a time.

Managing Disk Usage Proactively

Rather than waiting until you receive a storage warning from your hosting provider, it's worth periodically checking your Disk Usage report — particularly if your site includes user uploads, a media-heavy blog, or an e-commerce catalog that grows over time. Since the report doesn't persist once you leave the File Manager page, treat it as a point-in-time check rather than an ongoing dashboard: run it every month or two, note anything unexpectedly large, and decide whether it's still needed (an old backup ZIP left in place, for instance, is a common and easy-to-miss space consumer).