Unhide essential configuration “dotfiles” within File Manager to securely troubleshoot, redirect, or edit platform settings.
This guide will help you view hidden files in cPanel, including important configuration files such as .htaccess, .env, and .user.ini. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to locate hidden files in File Manager and access website configuration files when troubleshooting, configuring redirects, improving security, or managing WordPress settings. Enabling their visibility is perfectly safe and only changes what you see in File Manager, not how your website operates on your 1-grid Customer Zone hosting account.
Before You Begin
Before attempting to expose hidden environment files, make sure you have:
- Access to your 1-grid Customer Zone
- An active legacy web hosting account running cPanel
- The specific domain name directory root you wish to inspect
💡 Context: Some website files are hidden by default because they contain vital script, server, or application settings. These files usually begin with a period (.) and are commonly called “dotfiles” (e.g., .htaccess, .env, .user.ini). They are typically utilised to force HTTPS, configure custom redirect pathways, or handle WordPress permalinks.
Follow These Steps
1. Open cPanel
Log in to your 1-grid Customer Zone, locate the web hosting service associated with your target domain name, and select Login to cPanel.
2. Open File Manager
Once inside cPanel, navigate down to the Files section block and click File Manager.
3. Enable Hidden Files from the Initial Window
If a directory selection pop-up window prompts you before loading the directory view:
- Select your target website directory root path list.
4. Enable Hidden Files from File Manager Settings
If the File Manager interface loads your folders directly without a pop-up window:
5. Locate the .htaccess File
Navigate to your primary site root folder, which is commonly named public_html. Look for the file titled exactly .htaccess.
💡 Tip: If you need to change its contents, right-click the file line item and select Edit or Code Editor to launch your text window inputs safely.
What Happens Next?
Once saved, File Manager refreshes your screen tree structure instantly.
- Visibility Active: All system configurations, developer
.envvariables, and security rules will display cleanly with a period symbol preceding their names. - Technical Stability: Simply looking up these parameters does not change website features until you physically rewrite code inside the files.
Important Things to Know
- Non-Existent Defaults: Certain clean app installations or brand new websites do not automatically generate a
.htaccessfile until a plugin or manual rule requires it. You can manually build one by naming a blank file exactly.htaccess. - The Error Threat: Typing typos or bad syntax inside server-level configuration files will instantly throw internal server errors (HTTP 500) or crash your redirect strings. Always extract a local text backup before typing modifications.
- File Permissions Matter: To balance accessibility and system folder security, ensure your
.htaccessfile properties maintain a strict file permission level of 644.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overwriting code paths or deploying system changes without downloading a local backup copy file first.
- Naming manual text backups “htaccess.txt” or forgetting the mandatory starting period syntax when building files from scratch.
- Modifying multiple nested server parameters at the same exact time without testing individual website responses.
- Saving modifications to an alternate domain folder root instead of your intended public directory.
If This Didn’t Work
If configuration strings fail to render on screen after saving your menu modifications, click refresh on your browser or log out and back into cPanel to clear localised storage parameters. Ensure you are looking at the true directory route connected to your live URL domain name mapping.
You’re Ready!
Your cPanel File Manager is fully configured to display hidden files. Managing and tracking your backend dotfiles allows you to debug your apps, configure secure updates, and deploy platform adjustments with complete control.
Related Articles
- How to Modify PHP Settings Through .htaccess
- How to Redirect Your Website to HTTPS with 1-grid
- Understanding File Permissions in cPanel
Need Help?
If you still cannot locate your .htaccess file after enabling hidden metrics, or if editing your configurations breaks your site functionality, contact us. Our support team is ready to help.
To help us investigate, please provide:
- Your primary domain name and active web hosting account details
- The explicit folder directory path you are modifying
- A screenshot of your File Manager workspace view
- Any systemic error messages visible on your screen layout