Install Joomla in cPanel with Softaculous: step-by-step guide
PrintYou can have Joomla running in about five minutes without downloading anything: in cPanel open Softaculous Apps Installer, choose Joomla, enter the domain and the administrator account, and click Install. Softaculous copies the files and creates the MySQL database on its own.
Check these points first
- Your plan. Softaculous Apps Installer comes with the Web Hosting SSD plans. WordPress Hosting and Business Hosting are built for WordPress; if you need Joomla on one of them and Softaculous is missing from your cPanel, ask us in a ticket.
- The domain is on the account. The main domain is there from the start; any other domain has to be added first (see How to add a domain to cPanel).
- The target folder is empty. If an older site still lives in the same folder, back it up and move it away before installing.
- HTTPS is ready. Pick the https protocol only after the free certificate has been issued for the domain (see Automatic issuance of SSL).
Installation steps
- Sign in to cPanel. From the client area: Services, click your hosting service, then the cPanel login button.
- Find the Software section and click Softaculous Apps Installer. Typing "Softaculous" in the cPanel search box works too.
- In the left menu of Softaculous open Portals/CMS and choose Joomla.
- On the Joomla page click Install Now.
- Fill in the form as described in the table below.
- Click Install at the bottom of the page and leave the tab open until the progress bar reaches the end. The final screen shows the link to your site and the link to the administrator panel.
The fields of the form
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Choose Protocol | https:// once SSL is active, otherwise http:// (you can switch to https later) |
| Choose Domain | The domain the site will open on |
| In Directory | Leave it empty to put Joomla straight on the domain. The field may come pre-filled with a folder name; delete it unless you really want an address like example.md/portal |
| Site Name, Site Description | The name of the site and a short description; both can be changed later in Joomla |
| Admin Username, Admin Password | Avoid names such as "admin"; use a long, unique password |
| Admin Email | An address you read: password resets and system messages go there |
| Select Language | The language of the installation; other languages can be added from Joomla |
| Advanced Options | Database name and table prefix (the defaults are fine), automatic backups and update settings |
The labels may differ slightly between Softaculous versions, but the order of the form stays the same.
After the installation
- Open the site. Visit your domain: the Joomla home page with your site name should appear.
- Administrator panel. It is at
https://example.md/administrator(put your domain in place of example.md). Save this address in your bookmarks. - Readable addresses. In Joomla go to System, then Global Configuration, and turn on Search Engine Friendly URLs and Use URL Rewriting. URL rewriting needs a
.htaccessfile: Joomla ships it ashtaccess.txtin the site folder, and you rename it to.htaccessin File Manager if it is not there yet. More in The default .htaccess file for popular CMS. - Extensions. Install templates and extensions from the Joomla Extensions Directory (extensions.joomla.org) or from developers you trust. Pirated "free" copies of paid extensions often carry malicious code.
- Updates. Joomla reports new versions in the administrator panel. Make a backup before every update; your hosting also keeps daily JetBackup copies (see Restoring a site with JetBackup 5).
When something goes wrong
The domain still shows an old page or an empty folder
Check two things. First, the folder: if In Directory was not cleared, Joomla sits in a subfolder (for example /joomla). Second, a leftover index.html in the same folder: the server opens it before Joomla's index.php. Rename or delete that file in File Manager.
The domain does not open at all
The domain probably does not point to TopHost yet, or the DNS change has not spread (it usually takes a few hours, at most 24 to 48). You can view the site before that as shown in How to access the site while it is being delegated.
Softaculous refuses to install or the site shows an error
The most common cause is a PHP version or extension that the Joomla version does not accept. Change the PHP version as described in PHP version selection and enable missing extensions (see How to manage PHP extensions in cPanel), then try again.
Still stuck? Open a ticket with the domain and the exact error message, and we will look into it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Joomla and WordPress on the same hosting account?
Yes, as long as each one has its own domain, subdomain or folder. Two applications must never share the same folder.
How do I remove a Joomla installation?
In Softaculous open the list of installations and use the remove option for that site. It deletes the files and, if you tick it, the database too, so make a backup first.
