Sitejet builds your site in its editor and publishes it to the document root of the chosen domain in your cPanel account. Until you publish, the site exists only in the builder. This guide covers getting the domain ready, publishing safely and fixing common problems.
Before you start
- The domain is in your cPanel account. Add it in cPanel → Domains → Domains → Create A New Domain if needed.
- The domain points to MdmHost: our nameservers at your registrar, or an A record to your server IP shown in cPanel's General Information.
- You know whether the domain's folder already contains a website.
Check what is in the folder
- Open cPanel → Domains → Domains and note the domain's Document Root, for example
public_htmlorexample.com. - Open that folder in cPanel → Files → File Manager.
- If it contains WordPress (
wp-config.php) or other site files you want to keep, back them up first: select all, choose Compress and download the archive, or rely on a JetBackup restore point.
Publish
- Open Sitejet Builder from cPanel and open the site.
- Click Publish.
- Confirm the domain. If Sitejet warns that existing content will be replaced or moved, read the message carefully before continuing.
- Wait for the confirmation, then open the domain in a private browser window.
After later edits, click Publish again; visitors see the last published version until then.
Enable HTTPS
AutoSSL issues free certificates automatically once the domain resolves to the server. To speed it up, go to cPanel → Security → SSL/TLS Status, select the domain and www name and click Run AutoSSL. Then turn on Force HTTPS Redirect for the domain in cPanel → Domains → Domains.
Build first, publish later
You can work on the site for days before publishing. If the domain currently shows another live site, leave it there and publish only when the Sitejet site is complete. To show a preview to others, create a subdomain such as preview.example.com and publish a copy there.
Unpublish or go back
To return to your previous site, restore the backup you made: extract the archive in the document root, or restore the folder from cPanel → JetBackup → File Backups. Make sure Sitejet's index.html does not take priority over the restored site's index file.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Old WordPress site still loads | index.php takes priority over index.html; move the old files to a subfolder |
| Old host's site loads | DNS still points elsewhere; update nameservers and wait for propagation |
| cPanel default page | Published to a different domain; check the domain in Sitejet |
| Certificate warning | AutoSSL not yet run, or www missing in DNS |
| Some images missing | Publish was interrupted; publish again |
Check where a domain currently points with the WHOIS checker and the IP checker.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have Sitejet and WordPress on the same domain?
Not in the same folder. Use a subdomain for one of them, for example WordPress on blog.example.com and Sitejet on the main domain.
Does publishing affect email?
No. Publishing only changes website files. Mailboxes and DNS mail records are untouched.