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clpctl cheat sheet: CloudPanel commands you'll actually use

clpctl is CloudPanel's command-line tool. Everything you click in the CloudPanel dashboard, like creating sites, databases and SSL certificates, you can also do with one line in the terminal. That's handy when the panel won't load, when you manage many sites, or when you want to script repeat jobs.

This is a practical cheat sheet, grouped by task, with a short explanation for each command. Run them as root unless noted.

In every example, replace

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YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD

, the domain and the user names with your own.

Tip: to see every option for a command, add

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--help

, for example

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clpctl site:add:php --help

.

Locked out of the panel
Reset a CloudPanel user's password

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clpctl user:reset:password --userName=john.doe --password='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Turn off two-factor login for a user who lost their phone

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clpctl user:disable:mfa --userName=john.doe

See all panel users

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clpctl user:list

Create sites
PHP site (use

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clpctl vhost-templates:list

to see template names such as Generic, WordPress or Laravel)

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clpctl site:add:php --domainName=www.example.com --phpVersion=8.4 --vhostTemplate='Generic' --siteUser=john --siteUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Node.js site

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clpctl site:add:nodejs --domainName=app.example.com --nodejsVersion=22 --appPort=3000 --siteUser=appuser --siteUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Python site

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clpctl site:add:python --domainName=py.example.com --pythonVersion=3.12 --appPort=8090 --siteUser=pyuser --siteUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Static HTML site

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clpctl site:add:static --domainName=static.example.com --siteUser=staticuser --siteUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Reverse proxy (for Docker containers or apps on another port)

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clpctl site:add:reverse-proxy --domainName=tool.example.com --reverseProxyUrl='http://127.0.0.1:8000' --siteUser=tooluser --siteUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Delete a site (asks you to type "yes"; this removes the site's files)

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clpctl site:delete --domainName=www.example.com

SSL certificates
Free Let's Encrypt certificate (for www.example.com you automatically get example.com too)

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clpctl lets-encrypt:install:certificate --domainName=www.example.com

Add extra names to the same certificate

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clpctl lets-encrypt:install:certificate --domainName=www.example.com --subjectAlternativeName=shop.example.com

Install your own certificate (bought SSL or Cloudflare Origin)

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clpctl site:install:certificate --domainName=www.example.com --privateKey=/root/ssl/key.pem --certificate=/root/ssl/cert.pem

Databases
Create a database and user for a site

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clpctl db:add --domainName=www.example.com --databaseName=shop_db --databaseUserName=shop_user --databaseUserPassword='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Export (backup) a database, compressed because the name ends in .gz

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clpctl db:export --databaseName=shop_db --file=shop_db.sql.gz

Import a database (run it in the folder where the file is)

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clpctl db:import --databaseName=shop_db --file=shop_db.sql.gz

Show the MySQL master (root) login

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clpctl db:show:master-credentials

Protect the CloudPanel login
Add an extra browser password in front of the panel

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clpctl cloudpanel:enable:basic-auth --userName=john.doe --password='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD'

Remove it again

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clpctl cloudpanel:disable:basic-auth

Cloudflare
Refresh Cloudflare's IP list (CloudPanel already does this daily; useful after you start using "Cloudflare only")

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clpctl cloudflare:update:ips

Panel users
Add an admin user

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clpctl user:add --userName='jane' --email='[email protected]' --firstName='Jane' --lastName='Doe' --password='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD' --role='admin' --timezone='UTC' --status='1'

Add a user who can only see certain sites (great for clients)

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clpctl user:add --userName='client1' --email='[email protected]' --firstName='Client' --lastName='One' --password='YOUR-STRONG-PASSWORD' --role='user' --sites='example.com' --timezone='UTC' --status='1'

Delete a user

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clpctl user:delete --userName='client1'

Safety tips

• Put passwords in single quotes, especially if they contain
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  !
  or
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  $
  , so the shell doesn't change them.
  
• Commands with a password stay in your shell history. Clear it afterwards with
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  history -c
  if other people use the server.
  
• Always export a database before you import over it or delete a site.
  

Sources (checked October 2026): CloudPanel CLI: root user commands · CloudPanel CLI interface

New to clpctl? Start here: Getting started with the clpctl command