How to Change Your Password in DirectAdmin

Your password is the first line of defence for your hosting account — and a single account usually has several separate passwords: one for the control panel, ones for email, and ones for FTP. Changing passwords periodically, especially when you suspect a leak, significantly reduces the risk of a breach. This guide covers how to change all three password types in DirectAdmin, along with strong-password guidance and how to recover a forgotten one.

Change Your DirectAdmin Panel Password

1. Log in to DirectAdmin using your current password
2. Click your username in the top right corner → Change Password
3. Enter your Current Password, then your new password twice
4. Click Save

Change an Email Account Password

1. In DirectAdmin, go to E-mail Manager → Email Accounts
2. Find the email address you want to update
3. Click the Edit icon
4. Enter the new password and confirm it
5. Click Save

After changing an email password, update it in your email client too (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail) if you use SMTP/IMAP.

Change an FTP Account Password

1. Go to Files → FTP Management
2. Find the FTP account you want to change
3. Click Change Password
4. Enter and confirm the new password
5. Click Save

Password Security Guidelines

• At least 12 characters long
• Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• Avoid words from the dictionary or predictable patterns
• Use a different password for each account
• Consider using a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password)

Forgot Your DirectAdmin Password?

If you can't log in, reset your password through AsiaGB Billing:

1. Log in to billing.in.th
2. Go to Services → select your hosting plan
3. Find the password reset option in the management panel
4. A new password will be emailed to your registered address

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I change my password?

There is no fixed rule, but change it immediately if you suspect a leak, entered it on a public computer, or a team member who knew it has left. If you already use a strong password not reused elsewhere, there is no need to change it too frequently.

If I change the panel password, must I change email and FTP too?

No. Panel, email, and FTP passwords are separate sets. Changing one does not affect the others.

How do I recover a forgotten @yourdomain email password?

As the hosting account owner, you can set a new email password directly in DirectAdmin without knowing the old one, then update it in your mail client.

When Should You Change Your DirectAdmin Password?

Even with a strong password, there are specific situations where you should change it immediately to eliminate risk before damage occurs.

Signs That Your Account May Have Been Compromised

• Files appear on the server that you did not upload
• Emails are sent from your account without your knowledge
• You log in to DirectAdmin and find settings that you did not change
• Google Search Console reports that your site contains malware
• Your website is redirecting visitors to an unknown URL
• Your hosting provider warns you about abnormal CPU or bandwidth usage

Routine Situations That Warrant a Password Change

• After giving access to a developer or contractor — once the work is finished, change the password immediately
• A team member who knew the password leaves the project or organisation
• You logged in from a public computer or an untrusted Wi-Fi network
• Another service where you used the same password was involved in a data breach
• The same password has been in use for over a year without any change

If your password is already long, random, and unique to each account, you do not need to change it on a fixed calendar schedule. Evidence-based security guidance now focuses on changing passwords when there is a real reason rather than forcing arbitrary rotation.

How to Choose a Strong Password

A strong password is not simply a long one — it also needs sufficient complexity and unpredictability to resist both brute-force attacks and dictionary-based cracking.

Length and Entropy

• Use at least 16 characters for critical accounts such as DirectAdmin
• Mix uppercase letters (A–Z), lowercase letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and symbols (e.g., !@#$%^&*())
• Combining all four character types multiplies the number of possible combinations dramatically
• Avoid repeated characters (e.g., aaaa) and keyboard walks (e.g., qwerty or 123456)

Passphrases — Easier to Remember, Still Secure

Instead of a meaningless string of characters, consider a passphrase: a sequence of unrelated words combined with numbers and symbols. For example, Purple!Mountain8Runs@Fast is 24 characters long, passes any complexity test, and is far easier to remember than pM8rF!. The length alone provides excellent protection.

Password Managers

No human can reliably memorise dozens of strong, unique passwords. A password manager solves this problem by generating and storing secure passwords for every account:

• Bitwarden — open-source, free tier available, works across all devices and browsers
• 1Password — has a Business plan for teams, allowing secure password sharing with colleagues
• KeePassXC — stores your vault locally (no cloud sync), ideal if you need full control over your data

With a password manager you can use a completely random, unique password for every account — DirectAdmin, each email address, FTP accounts, and every other service — without needing to remember any of them.

Changing Email Account Passwords vs. the DirectAdmin Password

A common misconception is that the DirectAdmin panel password and the email account passwords are the same. They are completely separate, and understanding the difference helps you manage security more effectively.

Why They Are Separate

• The DirectAdmin account controls the entire hosting environment — it should only be held by system administrators
• Each email account has its own password — staff members can have their own email credentials without knowing the panel password
• If an email password is compromised, it does not give access to DirectAdmin or other email accounts
• You can change an email password at any time from within DirectAdmin without affecting the panel password

Step-by-Step: Change an Email Account Password

1. Log in to DirectAdmin with the hosting account owner credentials
2. Go to E-mail Manager → Email Accounts
3. Find the email address you want to update
4. Click the pencil (Edit) icon next to it
5. Enter the new password in the Password field
6. Click Update Email to save

Update Your Mail Client After Changing the Password

If the email account is configured in a desktop or mobile mail client (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or a phone email app using IMAP/SMTP), you must update the saved password there as well. Without this step the client will return authentication errors and be unable to send or receive mail. Most clients will prompt you automatically when they detect the password has changed.

How to Reset a Forgotten Password

If you have been locked out of DirectAdmin because you cannot remember the password, the recovery process depends on which type of account you need to reset.

Reset Your Main DirectAdmin Password via Billing

1. Visit billing.in.th and log in with the email address you used to sign up with AsiaGB
2. Go to Services and select your hosting plan
3. Look for the Change Password or Login to DirectAdmin option on the service detail page
4. Enter a new password or let the system generate one for you
5. Confirm the change — the new password takes effect in DirectAdmin within seconds

Reset a Sub-User Password (as Admin)

If you are a reseller or have created sub-accounts and a sub-user has forgotten their password, you can reset it for them directly from within DirectAdmin:

1. Log in with a higher-level admin account
2. Navigate to Admin Level → Show All Users
3. Click on the sub-user whose password needs resetting
4. Select Modify Account and locate the Password field
5. Enter and save the new password, then share it securely with the sub-user

Reset a Forgotten Email Account Password

As the hosting account owner, you have full authority to change the password of any email account in your domain directly within DirectAdmin — without knowing the old password. Simply edit the email account and enter a new password. This is by design so that administrators can always regain access or help staff who are locked out of their mailboxes.