How to Install WordPress in cPanel

Installing WordPress in cPanel is one of the quickest ways to get your website online. Whether you’re using shared hosting or managed hosting, this guide will walk you through installing WordPress in cPanel step by step.

Step 1: Access Your cPanel Account

1. Open your web browser and enter the URL for your cPanel. Typically, it’s in the format https://yourdomain.com:2083, where “yourdomain.com” is your website’s domain. ( or through our customer portal)
2. Log in using your cPanel username and password. If you don’t have this information, contact Gander Web support.

Step 2: Locate the Softaculous Auto Installer

1. Inside your cPanel, find the “Softaculous” icon or a similar one. Softaculous is a popular auto-installer that simplifies the process of installing web applications like WordPress.

Step 3: Install WordPress

1. Click on the Softaculous icon to open the Softaculous Apps Installer.
2. In the Softaculous dashboard, you’ll see a search bar. Type “WordPress” into the search bar and click on the WordPress icon when it appears.

Step 4: Start the Installation Process

1. In the WordPress overview page, click the “Install Now” button to start the installation.

Step 5: Configure WordPress Installation

1. You will need to fill out the installation details as follows:
   • Choose Protocol: Select whether your site should use “http://” or “https://” from the dropdown. If you have an SSL certificate installed, it’s recommended to use “https.”
   • Choose Domain: Choose the domain where you want to install WordPress. If you have multiple domains, select the one you want to use.
   • In Directory: Leave this field empty if you want WordPress to be installed in the root directory (e.g., http://yourdomain.com/). If you want to install it in a subdirectory (e.g., http://yourdomain.com/blog/), enter the subdirectory name.
   • Site Name: Enter the name of your website.
   • Site Description: Provide a brief description of your website.
   • Admin Username: Choose a username for your WordPress admin account.
   • Admin Password: Create a strong password for your admin account.
   • Admin Email: Enter the email address associated with your admin account.
   • Select Language: Choose the language for your WordPress site.
   • Advanced Options: You can customize database settings and backup options if needed.

Step 6: Complete the Installation

1. Scroll down and click the “Install” button.
2. Softaculous will now install WordPress for you. Once the installation is complete, you’ll see a success message with a link to your new WordPress site and your admin dashboard.

Step 7: Access Your WordPress Admin Dashboard

1. Click on the admin dashboard link provided, or enter “http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin” (replace “yourdomain.com” with your actual domain) in your web browser.
2. Log in with the admin username and password you set during the installation.

You’ve successfully installed WordPress on your cPanel hosting account. You can now start customizing your website, adding themes, plugins, and content to create your desired online presence. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact our customer support for help.

A Few Things to Do Before You Start Building

• Force HTTPS. If you selected https:// during install and have a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate active, install a plugin like Really Simple SSL or add a redirect rule so http:// visitors are sent to the secure version automatically.
• Set your permalink structure. Go to Settings > Permalinks in wp-admin and choose "Post name" rather than leaving the default query-string URLs; this matters for both readability and SEO, and is much easier to set now than after you've published pages.
• Delete the sample content and unused themes/plugins. A fresh install ships with a sample post, a sample page and often more default themes than you need; removing what you're not using reduces the attack surface and keeps the dashboard tidy.
• Turn on automatic backups. Softaculous can back up the install it created, but check your hosting plan's own daily backup coverage too. See how to back up a WordPress site if you want a second, independent backup method.
• Add basic hardening. A firewall plugin, disabled file editing from wp-admin, and unique admin credentials go a long way. See how to secure a WordPress website for the full list.

If the Softaculous Installer Fails or Hangs

Most failed installs come down to one of three things: the target directory already contains files (clear it or choose a different directory), the database quota on your hosting plan has been reached (check under MySQL Databases in cPanel), or a temporary connection timeout during the install (simply retry). If a partial install leaves broken files behind, use Softaculous's own "Remove Installation" option rather than deleting files manually through File Manager, so the database tables get cleaned up too.

Installing Manually Instead of Using Softaculous

Softaculous is the fastest route for almost everyone, but you can also install WordPress by hand: create a MySQL database and user in cPanel, upload the WordPress files from wordpress.org via File Manager or FTP, then run the five-minute install script by visiting your domain in a browser. This is worth knowing if you ever need a specific WordPress version Softaculous doesn't offer, or if you're restoring a site from a backup rather than starting fresh.

Already Have a WordPress Site Elsewhere?

If you're moving an existing site rather than starting a new one, don't reinstall WordPress from scratch: see how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host without downtime, or ask Gander Web to handle the migration for you as part of moving your hosting over.