Django App Hosting on cPanel

Deploying a Django project on a shared hosting environment using cPanel (with Python App support) can be a smooth process. Here’s how to do it from start to finish.

PrerequisitesPermalink to “Prerequisites”

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• A shared hosting plan with cPanel access
• Python App support (look for “Setup Python App” in cPanel)
• Domain or Subdomain ready
• Your Django project (in a standard structure).
• Access to File Manager or SSH (optional but helpful).

Step 1: Prepare Your Django ProjectPermalink to “Step 1: Prepare Your Django Project”

Ensure your project follows this structure:

myproject/
    ├── manage.py
    ├── myproject/
    │   ├── __init__.py
    │   ├── settings.py
    │   ├── urls.py
    │   └── wsgi.py
    └── requirements.txt

Then:

1. Generate requirements.txt:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

3. Zip your project (excluding venv, .git, __pycache__):

   zip -r myproject.zip myproject/

   ShellCopy to clipboard

Step 2: Upload Project to cPanelPermalink to “Step 2: Upload Project to cPanel”

1. Go to File Manager in cPanel.
2. Upload the myproject.zip file to a location like: /home/username/myproject/
3. Extract the zip file.
4. Move the extracted folder to your desired location, e.g., /home/username/myproject/ if needed.

Step 3: Create a Python AppPermalink to “Step 3: Create a Python App”

1. Open Setup Python App in cPanel.
2. Click Create Application and configure.

• Python version: e.g. 3.11
• Application root: myproject
• Application URL: select a domain or subdomain
• Application startup file: passenger_wsgi.py (cPanel pre-created)
• Application entry point: application (cPanel pre-created)

4. Click Create.

Step 4: Create passenger_wsgi.pyPermalink to “Step 4: Create passenger_wsgi.py”

1. Inside your project root (myproject/), create a file named passenger_wsgi.py (most of cPanel provide pre-created file).

2. Add this content (update myproject to your actual project name):

import sys
import os

project_home = os.path.expanduser('~/myproject')
if project_home not in sys.path:
    sys.path.insert(0, project_home)

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'myproject.settings')

from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
application = get_wsgi_application()

If you’re using a subdirectory (e.g., yourdomain.com/backend), append this to the file:

os.environ['FORCE_SECRET_NAME'] = "/backend"

And in settings.py:

FORCE_SCRIPT_NAME = "/backend"
STATIC_URL = "/backend/static/"
MEDIA_URL = "/backend/media/"

Step 5: Install DependenciesPermalink to “Step 5: Install Dependencies”

1. In Setup Python App, copy the virtualenv path.
2. Open cPanel Terminal or SSH:

source /home/username/virtualenv/myproject/3.11/bin/activate
cd ~/myproject/
pip install -r requirements.txt

No terminal access? Use the Setup Python App interface instead.

• Go to the Configuration Files section.
• Add requirements.txt.
• Click Run Pip Install.

Step 6: Update Django SettingsPermalink to “Step 6: Update Django Settings”

In myproject/settings.py update the following:

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['yourdomain.com', 'www.yourdomain.com']

CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = [
   "https://yourdomain.com",
   "https://www.yourdomain.com",
]

CORS_TRUSTED_ORIGINS = [
   "https://yourdomain.com",
   "https://www.yourdomain.com",
]

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'staticfiles')

Step 7: Collect Static FilesPermalink to “Step 7: Collect Static Files”

Run the following in terminal:

python manage.py collectstatic

Your static files should now be in the staticfiles/ directory.

Step 8: Migrate the DatabasePermalink to “Step 8: Migrate the Database”

python manage.py migrate

If no terminal access, use the Python App interface:

In the Execute python script section, you can run:

For static files:

-m manage collectstatic --noinput

For migrations:

-m manage migrate

Step 9: Restart the AppPermalink to “Step 9: Restart the App”

Back in Setup Python App, click Restart next to your Django app.

Done!Permalink to “Done!”

Visit your domain/subdomain:

• Example: https://yourdomain.com or htpps://yourdomain.com/subdomain (depending on your setup)

you should see your Django project running 🎉.

TroubleshootingPermalink to “Troubleshooting”

Got a 500 Error?

Check logs here:

/home/username/myproject/stderr.log

Can’t find Python App option?

Your hosting provider may not support it. Contact them or consider upgrading your plan.

Optional: Subdomain .htaccess Routing (I haven’t tested this).Permalink to “Optional: Subdomain .htaccess Routing (I haven’t tested this).”

If you’re skipping FORCE_SCRIPT_NAME setup, you may need a .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /backend/
WSGIScriptAlias /backend /home/username/myproject/passenger_wsgi.py

Place .htaccess in the subdomain’s root directory.

To Serve Media and Static FilesPermalink to “To Serve Media and Static Files”

To make your uploaded media and static files accessible via browser, add the following to your urls.py:

from django.views.static import serve
from django.conf import settings
from django.urls import re_path

urlpatterns = [
    #Media files (user uploads)
    re_path(r"^media/(?P<path>.*)$", serve, {"document_root": settings.MEDIA_ROOT}),

    #Static files (CSS, JS, images)
    re_path(r"^static/(?P<path>.*)$", serve, {"document_root": settings.STATIC_ROOT}),

    # ... your other URL patterns
]

Final TipsPermalink to “Final Tips”

• Set DEBUG = False in production.
• Keep your SECRET_KEY safe.
• Use SQLite for simpler setups or configure MySQL/PostgreSQL via cPanel.

Need Help?Permalink to “Need Help?”

If you get stuck or run into an error, feel free to:

• Check your error logs (stderr.log)
• Revisit each step — a small path or typo might cause issues
• Contact your hosting provider if Python App is not visible
• Ask the Django community on Stack Overflow or Django Discord

Happy coding!