How To Install WordPress with softacolous in cPanel

Most shared hosting companies offer an automated script installer called Softaculous along with cPanel. Think of Softaculous like the Google Play Store or the App Store. The Softaculous store offers multiple apps (also known as software or scripts) that can be installed with just a few clicks. WordPress is an example of one such CMS software that can be installed in just a few clicks, using Softaculous. Let’s see how:

We begin by logging into cPanel and launching Softaculous.

1. Select WordPress

Next, we select the WordPress CMS to install using Softaculous. In case your Softaculous isn’t similar to mine, you can use the top-left menu to go to Blogs > WordPress.

Starting the WordPress installation process with Softaculous

Click on Install Now to create a new installation of WordPress. Additionally, you can use the My Apps option to view all the existing installations of WordPress done using Softaculous.

2. Configure Settings

WordPress installation location settings in Softaculous

Now we configure the WordPress installation details in this step.

• In most cases, you’re going to leave the Directory field blank. This way, WordPress will be available in your base directory.
• The protocol should be HTTPS.
• In case you have subdomains in your site, you can select it from the Choose Domain option.

Upon entering this information, we scroll down to the next step.

In this section, we enter our WordPress site’s name, description, admin username, password and email. Remember to not use admin as your username, as an added security measure. Scroll over to the next section.

In this section, enter the database name and table prefix. Don’t worry, we do not need to create a database and user. Softaculous will automatically do it for us!

• You can also select the Auto Upgrade WordPress Themes and Plugins options for to enable automatic updates to this installation. I would recommend enabling this feature.
• We’ve also installed the Limit Login Attempts plugin as an additional security measure. The plugin basically blocks login attempts from an IP for 15 minutes after three failed login attempts.

Once done, you can begin the WordPress installation by clicking on Install.

Softaculous then verifies the submitted information and begins the installation process. This usually takes a less than a minute.

Once Softaculous successfully installs WordPress, you’re greeted with the above screen. That’s it, WordPress has been successfully installed using Softaculous.

Why Use Softaculous (or other automated script installers)?

The biggest advantage of using Softaculous to install WordPress is the underlying convenience. Unlike the manual installation process, we only need to enter the relevant site information and Softaculous takes care of the rest. It is very useful for creating quick websites for trying out a new theme or plugin.

However, one thing it lacks is the ability do disable search engine visibility during the configuration process. Therefore, once WordPress is installed, you should login and disable search engine visibility. This ensures that your domain’s existing SEO scores are not hampered.