How to Install WordPress on cPanel Hosting in 5 Minutes

If you have a hosting account with cPanel, installing WordPress takes just a few minutes.

Before you begin

• Your domain should point to your hosting.
• Log in to cPanel. See what is cPanel.

Method 1: Auto-installer

If your account includes an installer such as Softaculous:

1. Open the installer in cPanel and choose WordPress.
2. Select your domain and leave the directory blank for the main site.
3. Set an admin username that is not "admin" and a strong password.
4. Choose your language and click Install.

Method 2: Manual installation

1. Download WordPress from wordpress.org and upload the ZIP using File Manager. Extract it in public_html.
2. Create a MySQL database and user in cPanel and assign the user to the database.
3. Open your domain in a browser and enter the database details.
4. Fill in the site title and admin account.

After installation

• Set permalinks to Post name.
• Delete unused themes and plugins.
• Enable HTTPS.
• Take your first backup.

Continue with the full WordPress website guide.

Troubleshooting the installation

• "Error establishing a database connection": the database name, username, password or host is wrong. Check them in cPanel and in wp-config.php.
• The installer says the directory is not empty: delete the default index.html or placeholder files in public_html, or install in a subfolder.
• The domain shows the hosting default page: the domain may not point to the server yet, or the installation went to a different folder.
• Login page redirects in loops: check that the site address starts with https:// and clear your cookies.
• Installer cannot send emails: create an email account on the domain and test sending again.

Security checklist after installing

1. Change the default admin username and use a long password.
2. Remove sample posts, pages and unused themes.
3. Enable automatic minor updates.
4. Install a login-protection and backup plugin.
5. Check that file permissions are not too open.

More in 10 security tips.

Which method should you use?

The installer is faster and sets up the database for you, so use it unless you have a reason not to. The manual method is useful if your plan has no installer, if you need a specific WordPress version or if you are restoring a site from a backup.

Installing on a subdomain or a new domain

To run a second site, add the domain or subdomain in cPanel first, wait for it to point correctly, then run the installer and select that domain. Each WordPress site needs its own database. For more help see our knowledge base.

FAQ

Can I install WordPress in a subfolder?

Yes. Enter a directory name (for example, blog) during installation.

Ready to launch? Compare SyllHost hosting plans, or search for your domain on our domain search page. Questions? Talk to our team.