How to Fix the “Can’t Use Undefined Value as Array Reference” Error in cPanel/WHM

When browsing the “List Accounts” → “All” section in WHM, you may sometimes see this error:

Can’t use an undefined value as an ARRAY reference  
at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/.../YAML/Syck.pm line 72

This issue typically arises because a user’s configuration file has a malformed or missing CONTACTEMAIL entry. WHM relies on that field when building its internal arrays, and if it’s empty or invalid, Perl will throw the above error. Follow these steps on your SurferCloud‑hosted cPanel/WHM server to resolve it:

1. Log in via SSH as root
   Use your terminal or an SSH client to connect to your server’s IP or hostname with administrative credentials.
2. Locate the user’s config file /var/cpanel/users/<username> Replace <username> with the actual cPanel account name.
3. Edit the CONTACTEMAIL line
   • Open the file with your favorite editor (e.g., vi, nano).
   • Find the line starting with CONTACTEMAIL.
   • Ensure the value is a valid email address, for example: CONTACTEMAIL="admin@example.com"
   • If it’s blank or malformed, correct it.
4. Verify other key settings
   While you’re there, check that required fields like DOMAINS, QUOTA, and FEATURELIST are present and correctly formatted.
5. Save and test
   • Save the file—no service restart is usually needed.
   • Return to WHM and reload “List Accounts” → “All” to confirm the error is gone.

After these changes, WHM should display your account list normally, without array‑reference errors.

FAQ

Q: Why does an empty CONTACTEMAIL cause this error?
A: WHM reads CONTACTEMAIL into an array structure. If the field is undefined or improperly formatted, Perl can’t treat it as an array reference, triggering the error.

Q: Do I need to restart cPanel/WHM after editing the file?
A: No—saving the file is enough. If you suspect caching issues, you can run:

service cpanel restart

or

systemctl restart cpanel

Q: How can I audit all accounts for missing emails?
A: From /var/cpanel/users/, run:

for u in *; do
  grep -H CONTACTEMAIL "/var/cpanel/users/$u"
done

This lists each user’s configured email.

Q: What can I do to prevent this in the future?
A: Integrate a validation step into your account‑creation or migration scripts to ensure CONTACTEMAIL is always populated with a valid address. You can also schedule a cron job that scans and alerts on any missing or malformed entries.

Feel free to reach out to SurferCloud support if you need further assistance!

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