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Git Version Control on cPanel lets you do two things:
  1. Host bare Git repositories on your server. Useful as a private origin you can push to from anywhere.
  2. Clone existing repositories from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or self-hosted Git into your account, with optional auto-pull deployment to a public folder.
Open it from cPanel home → Files → Git™ Version Control. A fresh account starts empty with a Create button.
Empty Git Version Control page with Create button

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Create a repository

1

Click Create

From the Git landing page, click Create. You’ll be asked whether to clone an existing remote or start fresh.
2

Pick the source

  • Clone a Repository. Paste an HTTPS or SSH URL like git@github.com:you/your-repo.git. For private SSH repos, you’ll need an SSH key set up first (see below).
  • New Repository. No remote, just an empty repo on the server you can push to from your laptop.
Git create dialog with Clone or New repository options
3

Set the path

The Repository Path is where the repo lives on disk. A sensible default is repositories/<repo-name>. For an auto-deploy setup, point it at the public folder (public_html/<repo-name>).
4

Name it and create

Give the repo a display name and click Create. cPanel runs git clone (or git init) and shows you the result.

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SSH keys for private repos

If you’re cloning a private GitHub or GitLab repo over SSH, the server needs an SSH key the remote provider trusts. SSH keys are managed from a separate cPanel page: Security → SSH Access → Manage SSH Keys.

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Generate a new key

1

Open SSH Access

cPanel home → Security → SSH Access → Manage SSH Keys.
2

Click Generate a New Key

Pick a key name. Leave the password empty for unattended deploys, or set one if you want extra protection. Pick ed25519 for the type. Click Generate Key.
3

Authorize the key on your account

Back at Manage SSH Keys, find your new key under Public Keys and click Manage → Authorize. This adds the key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys so the server itself can use it.
4

Copy the public key to your Git provider

Click View next to the public key, copy the full text, and paste it into GitHub → Settings → SSH Keys (or your provider’s equivalent).
You can now clone private repos from that provider via SSH URL. cPanel uses the authorized key automatically.

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Use an existing key

If you already have an SSH key pair on your local machine, paste the public key into Import Key instead of generating a new one. The private key never leaves your machine.

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Pull updates and deploy

Once a clone is set up, the repo’s Manage page has a Pull or Deploy tab.
  • Pull from Remote. Runs git pull with the configured remote and branch. Use this for manual deploys.
  • .cpanel.yml deployment. If your repo contains a .cpanel.yml file at the root, cPanel runs the tasks defined inside on every pull. Common pattern: copy files from the cloned repo into public_html/ so the live site updates without serving the .git/ directory directly.
A minimal .cpanel.yml: 
---
deployment:
  tasks:
    - export DEPLOYPATH=/home/username/public_html/
    - /bin/cp -R src/* $DEPLOYPATH

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Things to know

  • Cloned repos via the New Repository flow are bare. Clones from a remote are working trees.
  • Cloning a repo with submodules works via HTTPS or SSH if the right keys are in place.
  • Repos placed under public_html/ will have their .git/ folder served unless blocked by .htaccess. Either deploy to a separate folder, or block .git/ requests in your web server config.
  • Private repos cloned over HTTPS need credentials cached or a personal access token in the URL. SSH is simpler for unattended deploys.

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