How to Change the Time in My Cpanel: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a website owner or administrator, knowing how to change the time in my CPanel is crucial for the smooth operation of your site. One often-overlooked aspect is configuring the server’s time zone. Why is this important? Server time plays a key role in accurately logging events, scheduling tasks, and ensuring your website’s time-sensitive actions (like cron jobs or email schedules) function properly. If your server’s time zone isn’t set correctly, it can cause confusion or lead to operational errors.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to change the time on your CPanel server and make sure it aligns with your local or preferred time zone.

1. How to Change the Time in My CPanel?

Before jumping into the steps, let’s quickly touch on why adjusting the time in CPanel might be necessary:

Scheduled Tasks (Cron Jobs): If your server’s time zone doesn’t match your local time zone, scheduled tasks may run at unexpected times.
Logs and Data: Logs, error reports, and backups are all timestamped. Incorrect server time can confuse the analysis of logs and backup files.
Email and Notifications: Email time stamps can also be affected. Having the correct time zone ensures email notifications and system alerts are sent at the right time.

2. How to Check the Current Time in CPanel

Before making any changes, you’ll want to verify the current time zone. Here’s how:

1. Login to Your CPanel Account: First, access your CPanel by navigating to https://yourdomain.com/cpanel and entering your login credentials.
2. Find the “Server Information” Section: Once you’re logged in, scroll down to the “Statistics” or “Server Information” section on your dashboard.
3. Check the Time Zone: Here, you should see a section that lists the Server Time and the current Time Zone. This will allow you to determine if it’s set to your preferred time zone or needs adjustment.

3. Steps to Change the Time Zone in CPanel

If you find that your server’s time zone is incorrect, follow these steps to change it:

Step 1: Access the “Server Time” Settings

Go to “Select PHP Version”: Inside your CPanel hosting dashboard, look for the “Software” section and click on “Select PHP Version.”
PHP Settings: Here, you may also see other settings like PHP extensions and options, but we’re interested in the “Options” tab. The time zone settings can sometimes be modified directly within this area.

Step 2: Modify PHP.ini Settings for Time Zone

Locate the PHP.ini Editor: In some CPanel versions, you’ll find a direct link to modify the php.ini configuration. This is where server-wide PHP settings, including time zone, are managed.
Update the Time Zone: In the php.ini file, search for the date.timezone directive. You’ll change the value from the default (often UTC) to your preferred time zone. For example, to set the time zone to New York, you would add:

date.timezone = “America/New_York”

3. Save the Changes: After modifying the file, save your changes. You’ll typically see a confirmation message that the settings were updated successfully.

Step 3: Verify the Changes

Check the Time Zone Again: Go back to “Server Information” to verify that the new time zone has been applied.
Test by Viewing Logs or Using Cron Jobs: To further confirm, you can test by checking the timestamps on logs or by running a cron job to see if it triggers at the expected time.

Using the Terminal (for Advanced Users)

If you have SSH (Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell) access to your server, you can change the server time zone using the terminal. This is more direct and can be done with a few commands:

Login to Your Server via SSH: Use an SSH client like PuTTY to log into your server with your root credentials.
Change the Time Zone: Use the following command to list available time zones:

bash

timedatectl list-timezones

Find your desired time zone, then use this command to set it:

bash

sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/New_York

Confirm the Change: To verify, you can check the current date and time zone with:

bash

timedatectl

READ: Unlocking the Power of cPanel VPS Hosting

5. Common Time Zones and Their Names

Here are a few common time zone names to use in your php.ini or terminal configuration:

America/New_York – Eastern Standard Time (EST)
America/Chicago – Central Standard Time (CST)
America/Los_Angeles – Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Europe/London – Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Asia/Tokyo – Japan Standard Time (JST)

6. Considerations After Changing the Time Zone

Once you’ve updated the time zone, you should consider the following:

Impact on Cron Jobs: If you have cron jobs running at specific times, double-check that they are now scheduled correctly according to the new time zone.
Log File Review: Review logs and backups to ensure they’re now reflecting the correct time stamps.
Third-Party Applications: If you’re using applications like WordPress, Joomla, or Magento, make sure the time zone setting is also aligned with your CPanel settings to avoid discrepancies.

7. Troubleshooting Common Time Zone Issues

If after changing the time zone you’re still experiencing issues, consider the following troubleshooting tips:

PHP Caching: Some hosting providers may cache PHP configurations. You may need to clear the cache or restart the PHP service.
Outdated Time Zone Database: Ensure your server’s time zone database is up to date, as older databases can cause discrepancies.
Server Time Sync: Ensure the server’s system time is synchronized with an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server to prevent time drift.

Conclusion

Changing the time zone in CPanel is a simple but important task that can save you from confusion and errors, especially when scheduling tasks or managing logs. By following the steps above, you can easily adjust your CPanel server time to match your desired time zone. Whether you’re managing cron jobs or simply ensuring accurate timestamps, keeping your server time synced correctly is essential for smooth operations.

FAQ’s

Can I change the time zone in CPanel for all domains?
Yes, the time zone change applies server-wide, so all domains and accounts on the server will use the updated time zone.
Why is my CPanel time zone still incorrect after I changed it?
If the time zone isn’t updating, it might be due to caching issues, an outdated PHP configuration, or incorrect server synchronization. Try clearing cache or restarting the PHP service.
Do I need root access to change the time zone in CPanel?
Typically, no. You can modify the time zone through the CPanel interface, but root access is required if you wish to use SSH commands for a direct change.
How can I verify if my time zone update was successful?
After updating the time zone, check the Server Information section in CPanel and review your logs or cron jobs to ensure the correct time zone is applied.
Can I set different time zones for different domains on the same CPanel server?
Unfortunately, CPanel applies a server-wide time zone. You would need separate hosting if you need different time zones for different domains.