{"id":245316,"date":"2026-01-29T05:23:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T05:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/?p=245316"},"modified":"2026-01-29T06:25:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T06:25:51","slug":"ssh-connections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/ssh-connections\/","title":{"rendered":"SSH Connections: How to Use PuTTY for Mac &amp; Linux\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-highlights-nbsp\"><strong>Key highlights<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand what an SSH connection is and why&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;used for secure server access.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Learn the difference between SSH1 and SSH2 and why Bluehost&nbsp;requires&nbsp;SSH2.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Discover how&nbsp;SSH connection&nbsp;is used for file transfers, remote&nbsp;management&nbsp;and&nbsp;server administration.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Follow step-by-step instructions to connect&nbsp;SSH&nbsp;on Windows and Terminal on macOS and Linux.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand basic SSH security practices, including server verification and encrypted access.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Managing your website&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;have to mean risking your data.&nbsp;That\u2019s&nbsp;where&nbsp;SSH (Secure Shell) comes in&nbsp;a secure, encrypted way to connect directly to your&nbsp;website&nbsp;server and take full control with confidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SSH creates a protected connection between your computer and your remote server, allowing you to run commands, transfer&nbsp;files&nbsp;and&nbsp;manage your site without exposing sensitive information. At Bluehost, we use SSH2, the latest and most secure version, to ensure your connection stays safe and reliable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With an SSH connection, you can securely move files, log in to your server&nbsp;remotely&nbsp;and&nbsp;perform FTP-related tasks with an added layer of protection. Think of it as a private, encrypted tunnel that gives you direct access to your server whenever you need it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide,&nbsp;we\u2019ll&nbsp;walk you through everything you need to know about SSH&nbsp;from the basics to setting it up,&nbsp;so you can manage your website securely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-nbsp-an-nbsp-ssh-connection-nbsp\"><strong>What is&nbsp;an&nbsp;SSH Connection?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/help\/article\/ssh-access\">SSH (Secure Shell) connection<\/a>&nbsp;is a secure way to connect to a remote server over the internet. It encrypts the data sent between your computer and the server, protecting login credentials and commands from unauthorized access.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SSH connection is commonly used for:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Secure remote server access for managing hosting accounts and servers&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/help\/article\/sftp\">Encrypted file transfers<\/a>&nbsp;using protocols like SCP and SFTP&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Remote command execution through a command-line interface&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Server administration tasks, such as software updates and configuration changes&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As&nbsp;SSH encrypts all communication, it is significantly safer than older remote access methods and has become the industry standard for secure server management. It is especially valuable for users who need direct, reliable control over their hosting environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eligible shared hosting plans at Bluehost support SSH access, which you can enable through cPanel. For VPS and dedicated servers, SSH access is included by default, allowing you to securely manage your environment over SSH2.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" viewBox=\"0 0 1001 300\"> \n<image width=\"1001\" height=\"300\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/VPS-Hosting-1.png\"><\/image> <a xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/vps-hosting\"> \n<rect x=\"82\" y=\"201\" fill=\"#fff\" opacity=\"0\" width=\"173\" height=\"63\"><\/rect> \n<\/a> \n<\/svg>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ssh-nbsp-versions-ssh1-vs-ssh2-nbsp\"><strong>SSH&nbsp;versions (SSH1 vs SSH2)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two primary versions of&nbsp;SSH connection:&nbsp;SSH1&nbsp;and&nbsp;SSH2.&nbsp;While both are designed to provide secure remote access, SSH2 offers improved&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/website-security\/\">website security<\/a>&nbsp;and reliability and is the version currently in use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>SSH1<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>SSH2<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Security status&nbsp;<\/td><td>Outdated&nbsp;<\/td><td>Current and secure&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Encryption strength&nbsp;<\/td><td>Weaker encryption&nbsp;<\/td><td>Strong encryption&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Authentication&nbsp;<\/td><td>Limited methods&nbsp;<\/td><td>Enhanced authentication&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Data integrity&nbsp;<\/td><td>More vulnerable&nbsp;<\/td><td>Improved protection&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Industry usage&nbsp;<\/td><td>Deprecated&nbsp;<\/td><td>Industry standard&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bluehost support&nbsp;<\/td><td>Not supported&nbsp;<\/td><td>Supported exclusively by&nbsp;Bluehost&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since SSH2 includes stronger encryption and better protection against security vulnerabilities,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/help\/article\/ssh-access\">Bluehost requires customers to use&nbsp;SSH2<\/a>&nbsp;for all SSH connections.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you understand the differences between SSH versions and why SSH2 is the recommended standard, the next step is choosing the right tool. For Windows users, PuTTY is one of the&nbsp;most commonly used&nbsp;SSH clients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Also read<\/strong>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/ssh-public-private-keys\/\">How to generate an SSH public or private key<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Bluehost, we do prioritize giving website owners control and security. We offer full SSH support across Shared, VPS&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dedicated hosting plans, enabling secure, encrypted SSH2 connections right out of the box.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This allows developers the freedom to manage their sites,&nbsp;whether debugging WordPress or deploying complex applications&nbsp;without compromising security. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" viewBox=\"0 0 1001 300\"> \n\n  <image width=\"1001\" height=\"300\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Shared-Hosting.png\"><\/image> <a xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/web-hosting \"> \n\n    <rect x=\"86\" y=\"203\" fill=\"#fff\" opacity=\"0\" width=\"128\" height=\"63\"><\/rect> \n\n  <\/a> \n\n<\/svg>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-connect-to-ssh-on-windows-nbsp\"><strong>How to connect to SSH on Windows?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 include an optional OpenSSH client, so you can connect to your server directly from&nbsp;Command Prompt&nbsp;or&nbsp;PowerShell&nbsp;without installing extra software. If you prefer a graphical client or want features like saved sessions and .ppk&nbsp;key support, you can use&nbsp;PuTTY&nbsp;instead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-option-1-use-the-built-in-ssh-client-command-prompt-powershell-nbsp\"><strong>Option 1: Use the built-in SSH client (Command Prompt \/ PowerShell)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-make-sure-openssh-client-is-installed-nbsp\"><strong>Step 1: Make sure OpenSSH Client is installed<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>On most up-to-date Windows 10 and 11 systems, the OpenSSH Client is installed by default, but you can verify it:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;\u2192&nbsp;Apps&nbsp;\u2192&nbsp;Optional features.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scroll through the list for&nbsp;OpenSSH Client.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If it is not listed, click&nbsp;Add a feature, search for&nbsp;OpenSSH Client, select it and click&nbsp;Install.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, you can quickly test from the terminal:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open&nbsp;Command Prompt&nbsp;or&nbsp;Windows PowerShell&nbsp;and run:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>ssh <\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you see usage help (options for the ssh command), the client is installed.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-gather-your-ssh-details-nbsp\"><strong>Step 2: Gather your SSH details<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Before connecting, have these details ready:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Server hostname&nbsp;(for example,&nbsp;[yourdomain].com&nbsp;or your server\u2019s IP).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>cPanel username.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Password or SSH key&nbsp;(depending on how SSH is configured in your Bluehost account).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find your cPanel username in the&nbsp;Stats&nbsp;section on the left-hand side of your cPanel dashboard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-open-command-prompt-or-powershell-nbsp\"><strong>Step 3: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click&nbsp;Start&nbsp;and type&nbsp;cmd&nbsp;or&nbsp;PowerShell.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Press&nbsp;Enter&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Command Prompt&nbsp;or&nbsp;Windows PowerShell.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-connect-with-the-ssh-command-nbsp\"><strong>Step 4: Connect with the ssh command<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In the terminal window, run the ssh command, replacing&nbsp;username&nbsp;and&nbsp;[example].com&nbsp;with your cPanel username and domain name:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>ssh username@example.com<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>ssh mycpaneluser@mydomain.com \n\nssh mycpaneluser@123.45.67.89 <\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>If&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;using a non-default port (for example, 2222), specify it with&nbsp;-p:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>ssh -p 2222 username@example.com<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-5-handle-the-first-time-host-authenticity-prompt-nbsp\"><strong>Step 5: Handle the first-time host authenticity prompt<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When you connect for the first time from this Windows machine,&nbsp;you\u2019ll&nbsp;see a message&nbsp;indicating&nbsp;that the authenticity of the host&nbsp;can\u2019t&nbsp;be&nbsp;established&nbsp;and showing an RSA or ED25519 key fingerprint.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typical example:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cThe authenticity of host &#8216;[example].com&#8217;&nbsp;can\u2019t&nbsp;be&nbsp;established.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cRSA key fingerprint is&nbsp;xx:xx:&#8230;\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Steps:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify that the&nbsp;hostname or IP address&nbsp;matches your&nbsp;server&nbsp;details.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;correct, type&nbsp;yes&nbsp;and press&nbsp;Enter&nbsp;to add the host to your&nbsp;known_hosts&nbsp;file.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When prompted, enter your&nbsp;cPanel password&nbsp;and press&nbsp;Enter.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: For security reasons, no characters will appear on the screen while you type your password.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If authentication succeeds,&nbsp;you\u2019ll&nbsp;see a shell prompt on your server and can run commands according to your Bluehost plan\u2019s SSH permissions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-option-2-use-putty-graphical-ssh-client-nbsp\"><strong>Option 2: Use PuTTY (graphical SSH client)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>PuTTY is a free, widely used SSH client for Windows that gives you a graphical interface, saved sessions and support for PuTTY-specific key formats like&nbsp;.ppk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-download-and-install-putty-nbsp\"><strong>Step 1: Download and install PuTTY<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Visit the official PuTTY download page at:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chiark.greenend.org.uk\/~sgtatham\/putty\/latest.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.chiark.greenend.org.uk\/~sgtatham\/putty\/latest.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under the Windows section, download the&nbsp;Windows installer (.msi)&nbsp;for the latest stable release.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run the installer and follow the prompts to install PuTTY and related tools.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you prefer a portable&nbsp;option, you can download the standalone&nbsp;.exe&nbsp;version instead of the installer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-gather-your-ssh-connection-details-nbsp\"><strong>Step 2: Gather your SSH connection details<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As with the native client, have these ready:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Host Name (or IP address)&nbsp;\u2013 for example,&nbsp;[yourdomain].com.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Port&nbsp;(typically 22, unless Bluehost has given you a custom port).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>cPanel username.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Password or SSH private key&nbsp;(if using key-based authentication).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-configure-a-new-putty-session-nbsp\"><strong>Step 3: Configure a new PuTTY session<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open&nbsp;PuTTY.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the&nbsp;Session&nbsp;category:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your domain name or server IP in&nbsp;Host Name (or IP address).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make sure&nbsp;Port&nbsp;is set to&nbsp;22&nbsp;(or your custom SSH port).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure&nbsp;Connection type&nbsp;is set to&nbsp;SSH.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>(Optional) To pre-fill your username:&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to&nbsp;Connection \u2192 Data.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your cPanel username in&nbsp;Auto-login username.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-load-your-ssh-key-if-using-key-based-login-nbsp\"><strong>Step 4: Load your SSH key (if using key-based login)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use SSH keys instead of a password:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In PuTTY, go to&nbsp;Connection \u2192 SSH \u2192 Auth \u2192 Credentials.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click&nbsp;Browse&nbsp;next to&nbsp;Private&nbsp;key file for authentication.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select your PuTTY private key file (e.g.,&nbsp;.ppk).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have an OpenSSH-format key, you may need to convert it to&nbsp;.ppk&nbsp;using&nbsp;PuTTYgen, as described in your key-generation guide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-5-save-your-session-for-future-use-recommended-nbsp\"><strong>Step 5: Save your session for future use (recommended)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Return to the&nbsp;Session&nbsp;category.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under&nbsp;Saved Sessions, enter a descriptive name (for example,&nbsp;My Bluehost SSH).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click&nbsp;Save.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Next time, you can just select this saved session and click&nbsp;Load&nbsp;followed by&nbsp;Open.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-6-open-the-ssh-connection-nbsp\"><strong>Step 6: Open the SSH connection<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click&nbsp;Open.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On first connect, PuTTY displays a&nbsp;server host key&nbsp;warning&nbsp;similar to&nbsp;the OpenSSH authenticity prompt: it shows the key fingerprint and asks you to confirm.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify that the&nbsp;host&nbsp;name is&nbsp;correct&nbsp;and the fingerprint matches the expected value from your host, then click&nbsp;Accept&nbsp;to store the key.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;pre-fill the username, PuTTY will prompt:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;login&nbsp;as:\u201d \u2013 enter your&nbsp;cPanel username&nbsp;and press&nbsp;Enter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your&nbsp;password&nbsp;(or unlock your key, if prompted).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Once authenticated,&nbsp;you\u2019ll&nbsp;see a command-line prompt for your server and can run commands according to your Bluehost SSH permissions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-connect-to-ssh-on-macos-and-linux-nbsp\"><strong>How to connect to SSH on macOS and Linux?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Both macOS and most Linux distributions include a built-in SSH client, so you can connect to your server directly from the Terminal without installing&nbsp;additional&nbsp;software.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-use-terminal-on-macos-or-linux-nbsp\"><strong>Use Terminal on macOS or Linux<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To start an SSH connection, open Terminal on your Mac or Linux system and run the ssh command, replacing&nbsp;username&nbsp;and&nbsp;[example].com&nbsp;with your cPanel username and domain name:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>ssh username@example.com <\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Use your cPanel username when connecting via SSH. You can find this in the Stats section on the left-hand side of your cPanel dashboard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-first-time-connection-nbsp\"><strong>First-time connection<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first time you connect from a new device,&nbsp;you\u2019ll&nbsp;see a&nbsp;host&nbsp;authenticity and fingerprint prompt. This is a normal security check:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirm that the domain name is correct.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Type&nbsp;yes&nbsp;when asked if you want to continue connecting.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your cPanel password when prompted and press Return.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For security reasons, no characters appear on the screen while you type your password.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts-nbsp\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SSH (Secure Shell)&nbsp;provides&nbsp;a secure way to connect to a remote server for tasks such as file transfers, server&nbsp;management&nbsp;and&nbsp;command execution. By encrypting all data exchanged during the connection,&nbsp;SSH connection&nbsp;helps protect sensitive account information when accessing your server.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Bluehost, we understand that advanced users need this level of control. That is why we provide full SSH2 access across our hosting plans &#8211; from Shared Hosting to VPS and Dedicated servers. We want to ensure you have the professional-grade tools necessary to manage your environment efficiently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take control of your server with secure, command-line access.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/dedicated-hosting\">Bluehost\u2019s&nbsp;dedicated hosting<\/a>&nbsp;plan&nbsp;with built-in SSH support makes management easier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-faqs\"><strong>FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1769662889693\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is SSH used for?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">SSH is used to securely access a remote server over the internet. It allows file transfers, command\u00a0execution\u00a0and\u00a0server management through encrypted connections.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1769663660186\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Is SSH safe to use for website management?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, SSH encrypts all data exchanged between your computer and the server.\u00a0This helps protect login credentials and sensitive commands from unauthorized access.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1769663676818\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Does Bluehost support SSH access?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, Bluehost supports SSH access on eligible hosting plans. 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