In a WHM/cPanel hosting environment, understanding user roles is critical for managing access and security. There are three primary types of user roles:
Root User
The root user has full administrative access to the server. This includes access to all WHM settings, user accounts, services, and security configurations.
Reseller User
Resellers have access to a limited WHM interface that allows them to manage their own clients, create hosting packages, and monitor usage under their account.
cPanel User
The end-user level, cPanel accounts are used to manage individual websites. This includes email, files, databases, and domain settings.
Best Practices
- Use root only when necessary, and disable password login in favour of SSH keys.
- Ensure resellers cannot modify root-owned resources.
- Apply resource limits to cPanel users via Packages in WHM.
