How to Connect to Your GoDaddy Hosting Account via SSH Using Terminal (macOS or Linux)

sleon

5 months ago

If you’re using GoDaddy hosting and want to connect securely via SSH from a macOS or Linux Terminal, this guide walks you through the process step-by-step. SSH (Secure Shell) allows you to manage your files, run scripts, and execute server commands remotely.

Prerequisites

Before connecting via SSH, you’ll need:

SSH access enabled in your GoDaddy hosting account
Your cPanel username
Your hosting account’s IP address
Your cPanel password
An SSH client (macOS and Linux include one by default via Terminal)

Step 1: Enable SSH Access in GoDaddy

Log in to your GoDaddy account: https://www.godaddy.com/
Navigate to My Products > Web Hosting > Click Manage next to your hosting plan
Under Settings, confirm that SSH Access is enabled
Note your:
- Server IP Address
- cPanel Username
- cPanel Password

Step 2: Open Terminal

On macOS: Press Command + Space, type Terminal, and press Enter
On Linux: Press Ctrl + Alt + T or open Terminal from the applications menu

Step 3: Connect via SSH

In your Terminal, type the following command:

ssh your_cpanel_username@your_server_ip -p 22

Replace your_cpanel_username with your actual cPanel username, and your_server_ip with the IP address of your server.

Example:

ssh iaxqt3ttztc4@208.109.63.30 -p 22

Step 4: Enter Your Password

When prompted, type your cPanel password and press Enter. Note that the terminal will not display your password as you type for security purposes.

Step 5: Accept the Host Key

If this is your first time connecting to the server, you’ll see a message like:

The authenticity of host '208.109.63.30' can't be established...
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Type yes and press Enter.

You’re Connected

You should now see a command prompt that indicates you’re logged into your GoDaddy hosting account via SSH.

Optional: Use SSH Keys

To avoid typing your password every time, you can generate an SSH key and upload the public key to your hosting account via the cPanel SSH Access section.

By following these steps, you can securely access and manage your GoDaddy hosting account directly from your Terminal using SSH.