Getting Started with Have Freedom Hosting
Welcome to Have Freedom Hosting!
Whether you're setting up your first website or moving an existing website to a new hosting account, getting started can seem a little overwhelming. This guide walks you through the basic steps you'll want to take after signing up for hosting and points you toward the tools you'll use most often.
You don't need to understand everything about web hosting to get started. We'll take it one step at a time.
1. Access Your Customer Portal
Your Have Freedom Hosting customer portal is where you manage your account and services.
From the customer portal, you can typically:
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View and manage your hosting services
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Manage your account information
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View invoices and billing information
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Manage domains associated with your account
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Open and respond to support tickets
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Access account-related information
Your customer portal and your hosting control panel serve different purposes. The customer portal manages your Have Freedom Hosting account and services, while cPanel manages the technical side of your hosting account.
2. Access cPanel
cPanel is the control panel used to manage many of the technical features included with your hosting account.
From cPanel, you can manage things such as:
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Website files
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Email accounts
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Domains and subdomains
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Databases
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SSL certificates
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Backups, where available
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Application installations
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FTP accounts
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Website statistics and other hosting tools
If you're following a guide in this knowledgebase that tells you to open cPanel, this is the control panel it is referring to.
3. Connect Your Domain
Your domain name is the address people use to reach your website, such as:
yourdomain.com
Your hosting account is where the website itself lives.
For your website to work correctly, your domain needs to be connected to your hosting account using DNS settings.
Depending on where your domain is registered, this may involve changing your domain's nameservers or updating specific DNS records.
Important: DNS changes can take some time to become visible across the internet. Don't be concerned if your website does not begin working immediately after making a DNS change.
If you're new to DNS, don't worry. The knowledgebase has separate guides explaining domains, nameservers, DNS records, and connecting your domain to Have Freedom Hosting.
4. Set Up Your Website
Once your domain is connected, you'll need to put a website on your hosting account.
You have several options depending on what you're building.
WordPress or Another Application
If you're using WordPress or another supported application, you can often install it through Softaculous in cPanel.
This is usually the easiest option if you don't already have a website to upload.
Upload an Existing Website
If you already have website files, you can upload them using:
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cPanel File Manager
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FTP or another supported file-transfer method
Your primary website files will normally be placed in the appropriate website directory, such as public_html.
5. Set Up Your Email
Your hosting account can also be used to host email addresses associated with your domain.
For example:
You can access your email through Webmail or configure your account in an email application such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or another compatible mail client.
Before configuring an email application, make sure you have created the email account in cPanel.
6. Secure Your Website
Once your website is online, you'll want to make sure it is properly secured.
At a minimum, you should:
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Use HTTPS for your website
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Keep WordPress and other applications updated
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Keep plugins and themes updated
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Use strong, unique passwords
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Avoid sharing your hosting credentials
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Remove applications or files you no longer need
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Keep backups of important website data
If your website uses WordPress or another application, security also includes keeping the application and its extensions up to date.
7. Test Everything
Before considering your website finished, take a few minutes to test it.
Check that:
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Your domain loads correctly
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Your website displays as expected
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HTTPS is working
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Your pages and navigation work
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Images and other resources load correctly
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Your email address can send and receive messages
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Any forms or other interactive features work properly
Testing your website immediately after setting it up can help you catch problems before visitors do.
8. Need Help?
You don't have to figure everything out on your own.
The Have Freedom Hosting knowledgebase contains guides covering common hosting tasks, including websites, email, domains, DNS, WordPress, file management, and troubleshooting.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, you can also open a support ticket with the Have Freedom Hosting support team.
When contacting support, provide as much useful information as possible, including:
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The domain or service you're having trouble with
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What you were trying to do
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What happened instead
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Any error message you received
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When the problem started
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Screenshots, if they help explain the problem
Never include your account password, email password, or other sensitive credentials in a support ticket.
Your Basic Hosting Roadmap
If you're not sure where to begin, the process is generally:
Create your hosting account → Access cPanel → Connect your domain → Set up your website → Set up email → Enable HTTPS → Test everything
You don't need to complete every step at once. Work through them as you need them, and use the appropriate knowledgebase article for each task.
Welcome to Have Freedom Hosting — we're glad to have you here.
