How to Host a Flutter Web App on cPanel (Nigeria Tutorial, 2025)

Hosting a Flutter web app on a shared cPanel hosting platform might look a bit complicated—especially if you’re doing it for the first time. Unlike traditional websites, Flutter apps are built differently, so the deployment process requires a few extra steps. However, once you understand how it works, it becomes quite manageable. In this post, I’ll take you through a simple, step-by-step guide to help you upload and run your Flutter web app smoothly on cPanel shared hosting. Whether you’re a developer in Nigeria or anywhere else, this method will help you get your project online without stress.

What You’ll Need Before Getting Started

To successfully host your Flutter web application on a cPanel shared hosting account, there are a few important things you need to have ready. Before diving into the deployment steps, make sure you have the following tools and resources in place:

• A shared hosting account with cPanel access
  This is where your web files will be uploaded and managed. Most popular hosting providers offer cPanel access, so ensure your account includes it.
• A completed Flutter web project
  You should already have a Flutter project that’s been built for the web. If you haven’t done that yet, you’ll need to run flutter build web in your project directory to generate the necessary files.
• FTP or SFTP credentials for your hosting account
  These are used to transfer your web app files from your computer to your hosting server. You can typically find or create these credentials inside your cPanel dashboard under the FTP Accounts section.

Once you have all these ready, you’ll be in a good position to move forward with deploying your Flutter web app on a shared hosting environment.

How to Build Your Flutter Web App Before Deployment

Before you can make your Flutter web app live on the internet, the first and most important step is to build it. What this means is that you need to convert all your project files (like your Dart code, HTML, assets, etc.) into something the browser can understand and run efficiently.

To do this, simply open your terminal or command line interface, make sure you’re inside your Flutter project folder, and then type the following command:

flutter build web

Once you run that command, Flutter will take a few moments to process everything. When it’s done, it will create a new folder called build inside your project directory. Inside this folder, there will be another folder named web, and that’s where your fully compiled web app will be.

This compiled version includes all the necessary files—like HTML, JavaScript, and other assets—that are needed to actually host your app online. Whether you plan to upload your project to Firebase Hosting, GitHub Pages, Netlify, or any other platform, this is the folder you’ll be working with.

So just remember: building your app is a key step you need to take before any kind of deployment. Skipping this step means your app won’t be ready for the web.

How to Upload Your Flutter Web App to cPanel

Once you’ve finished building your Flutter web app and it’s ready to go live, the next step is uploading it to your web server. If your hosting provider uses cPanel, you can upload your app using FTP or SFTP, depending on which one your host supports.

One of the easiest tools for this is FileZilla, a free and beginner-friendly FTP client. After installing it, enter your FTP or SFTP login details (which are usually provided by your hosting provider), and connect to your cPanel account.

Once you’re connected, locate the folder called public_html—this is the main directory where your website files live. Now go into the build/web folder that was created when you ran flutter build web, and upload all of its contents into the public_html folder. Don’t upload the entire build folder—just the files inside the web subfolder.

Configuring Your Web App on cPanel

After uploading, you may need to double-check that your website is set up to serve the app properly. In most cases, your Flutter app will already include an index.html file, which acts as the homepage of the app. Make sure that this file is present in the public_html directory—this tells the server to load your Flutter app by default when someone visits your domain.

If for some reason it’s missing or you need to manually replace it, you can create a simple index.html file and upload it. But normally, the one generated by Flutter during the build process is good to go.

Handling MIME Types in cPanel

Sometimes, cPanel doesn’t automatically recognize all the file types used in Flutter web apps, especially .dart files or certain JavaScript assets. To make sure everything loads correctly, you’ll need to manually add a few MIME types.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into your cPanel dashboard.
2. Scroll down and click on the “MIME Types” option (you can search for it if needed).
3. Add the following MIME types:

Extension: .dart   |  MIME Type: application/dart  
Extension: .js     |  MIME Type: application/javascript

This step ensures that your server correctly handles these file formats, which helps avoid strange behavior or loading issues in the browser.

Troubleshooting Deployment Issues on cPanel

If something doesn’t work as expected after uploading your Flutter web app to cPanel—such as a blank page, missing assets, or server errors—don’t worry. These kinds of issues are common, especially during first-time deployments.

One of the best places to start is by checking the error logs in your cPanel dashboard. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Log into your cPanel account.
2. Scroll down to the “Metrics” section.
3. Click on “Errors” or “Error Log” (the name may vary depending on your hosting provider).
4. Review the recent entries to see if there are any file path issues, permission errors, or MIME type problems.

These logs can give you detailed information about what went wrong, making it easier to troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Also, double-check that:

• All files from the build/web folder were uploaded to the correct directory (public_html).
• The index.html file exists and is named correctly.
• MIME types for .dart and .js files are set properly.
• File and folder permissions are set to allow public access (usually 644 for files and 755 for folders).

If everything seems correct and you’re still running into problems, try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito/private window to test the site.

Conclusion

Hosting a Flutter web app on a cPanel server—especially in Nigeria—might seem challenging at first, but with the right approach and clear steps, it becomes a task you can confidently handle. From building your app using flutter build web to uploading your files via FTP and fine-tuning settings like MIME types, every part of the process plays a key role in getting your app live and working properly.

Whether you’re a freelance developer, a student, or a tech entrepreneur in Nigeria looking to deploy your first Flutter project, this guide was created to walk you through the process in a way that’s practical and beginner-friendly. Once you’ve done it once, you’ll find that hosting future Flutter web apps on cPanel becomes much easier.

If you followed along with this tutorial, you should now have your Flutter web app successfully running on your hosting server. Don’t forget to test your site in different browsers, monitor performance, and make updates as needed.

Got any questions, issues, or tips of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments section or reach out—we’re building a tech community that grows by helping one another. Happy coding, and welcome to the world of Flutter web hosting in Nigeria!

Common Questions or FAQs

1. Can I host a Flutter web app on cPanel shared hosting in Nigeria?

Yes, you can. Flutter web apps are built as static files (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), which makes them compatible with most cPanel-based shared hosting plans—even those offered by Nigerian hosting providers like WhoGoHost, SmartWeb, or DomainKing. As long as you can upload files to the public_html directory, your Flutter web app will run without issues.

2. What folder should I upload from my Flutter project to cPanel?

After running the command flutter build web, Flutter will generate a build/web folder in your project. You should only upload the contents inside the build/web folder—not the whole build folder. Upload these files directly into the public_html directory on your cPanel account so that your app loads correctly when someone visits your domain.

3. Why is my Flutter web app not displaying correctly after uploading to cPanel?

This could be due to several reasons:

• You might have uploaded the wrong folder (e.g., build instead of build/web).
• The index.html file might be missing or not placed in the root public_html folder.
• MIME types for .dart or .js files may not be configured on your server.
• Your browser cache may still be loading the old version of your app.

Check your file structure and cPanel error logs to quickly identify and fix the issue.

4. Do I need to configure MIME types in cPanel for a Flutter web app?

In many cases, yes. By default, some cPanel hosting setups may not recognize certain file types used by Flutter, especially .dart files. To ensure your app loads correctly, it’s recommended to manually add MIME types for .dart (application/dart) and .js (application/javascript) in the MIME Types section of your cPanel dashboard.

5. Is this method beginner-friendly for Nigerian Flutter developers?

Absolutely. This step-by-step approach is designed with beginners in mind—especially those using shared hosting plans in Nigeria. You don’t need advanced backend knowledge or VPS access. As long as you can build your Flutter project and access cPanel, you can deploy your web app in just a few steps using tools like FileZilla and the cPanel file manager.