Updated: 22 October 2026 · Applies to: shared Linux hosting with cPanel, temporary/preview URLs
If your welcome email's temporary URL shows an "open_basedir restriction in effect" error, this is normal. It is a security measure used on shared servers, not a bug in your account.
The open_basedir restriction stops PHP scripts from reading or executing files outside your own account, which prevents both unauthorized script access and other accounts stealing your bandwidth. A temporary URL points at a shared IP used by other accounts too, so PHP restricts it more tightly than your real domain once it is pointed at the server.
This restriction affects only .php scripts; plain .html and .htm files work normally on the temporary URL.
How to work around it
Log in to cPanel using the temporary control panel URL from your welcome email, then park another already-working domain onto your account until your real domain's DNS is pointed here or you are finished testing. A parked domain is not restricted by open_basedir the way the shared temporary URL is, so PHP scripts run normally through it.
If you are not sure how to use your temporary URL, or still see this error after parking a domain, contact support or hire an expert. Once your real domain's DNS is pointed at this server and propagated, the error goes away on its own, since you are then accessing your account through its own domain rather than the shared temporary address.
