A web hosting control panel is a set of software tools that you can access via a web browser to control your online content. Since you will have a graphic point-and-click interface, you will be able to use these instruments to do various tasks a lot easier than if you have to input complex commands in a command line. All control panels allow you to do some basic things such as managing your files, e-mail addresses and databases or viewing statistics and logs, but several of them are easier to use than others and contain more features that could save you efforts and time. In this light, the control panel that you will acquire with a new web hosting account can really make a difference, therefore you should check it and see whether it'll meet your requirements before you sign up for the service.