To install WordPress on your hosting account you only need cPanel access and about 10 minutes. The fastest route is the built-in automatic installer; the manual FTP method takes a few extra steps but works with any provider.
This guide covers both approaches so you can pick the one that fits your situation.
What you need before you start
Make sure you have the following in place before touching any installer:
- An active hosting plan with access to cPanel or an equivalent control panel.
- A domain pointing to your hosting nameservers (DNS changes can take up to 24 hours).
- A MySQL/MariaDB database — most auto-installers create one for you; with manual installs you create it yourself.
- FTP credentials if you plan to go the manual route.
Once those are in order, choose your method:
Method 1: automatic installer in cPanel (recommended)
Most hosting providers include Softaculous or Installatron in cPanel. Both work equally well.
Step 1 — Log in to cPanel and open the installer
Sign in to cPanel (usually at yourdomain.com/cpanel or port :2083). Under the Software section you'll see the Softaculous Apps Installer or WordPress Manager icon. Click it.
Step 2 — Select WordPress and start the installation
Inside Softaculous, find WordPress and click Install Now. You'll see a form with the key options:
- Installation URL: choose your domain and the destination directory. To install WordPress at the root (e.g.
yourdomain.com), leave the directory field empty. - Site name and description: you can change these later from the WordPress dashboard.
- Admin username and password: use a strong password — not the same one as cPanel.
- Admin email: site notifications will go here.
- Language: pick your preferred language from the dropdown.
Step 3 — Finish and access your site
Click Install. Softaculous creates the database, copies all files, and configures WordPress in under two minutes. When it's done you'll see direct links to both the front end and the admin panel (/wp-admin).
Method 2: manual installation via FTP
If your provider doesn't offer an auto-installer, or you prefer full control over your files, follow these steps.
Step 1 — Download WordPress
Go to wordpress.org/download and grab the latest .zip file. Unzip it on your computer — you'll get a folder called wordpress.
Step 2 — Create the database in cPanel
In cPanel, open MySQL Databases:
- Create a new database (e.g.
user_wp). - Create a database user with a strong password.
- Assign that user All Privileges on the database.
- Write down the database name, username, and password — you'll need them in the next step.
Step 3 — Upload files via FTP
Open your FTP client (FileZilla is the most popular). Connect with your FTP credentials and navigate to the public_html folder (or your domain's root folder). Upload the contents of the wordpress folder — not the folder itself, but everything inside it.
Step 4 — Run the WordPress web installer
Open your browser and go to yourdomain.com. WordPress will detect that the configuration file is missing and launch the setup wizard. Enter the database details you wrote down, choose a language, set your admin credentials, and you're done.
First steps after installation
With WordPress running, don't skip these immediate settings:
- Enable an SSL certificate — most providers include free Let's Encrypt in cPanel. Without HTTPS, Google will penalize your rankings.
- Set pretty permalinks — go to Settings → Permalinks and choose Post name for clean URLs like
/my-article/. - Install a security plugin — Wordfence or iThemes Security are the most widely used options.
- Install a caching plugin — WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache will noticeably speed up your site.
- Choose a theme — WordPress ships with default themes; the official directory has hundreds of free options.
If you're still deciding where to host your WordPress site, elenlace.com has up-to-date comparisons with pricing and honest reviews to help you pick the right plan.
You can also browse more hands-on guides in our hosting comparisons section.
Key takeaways
- The cPanel auto-installer (Softaculous/Installatron) is the fastest route: under 2 minutes with no FTP needed.
- The manual FTP installation works on any provider and gives you full control over your files.
- Before starting, confirm your domain points to the hosting nameservers and that you have cPanel or FTP access.
- After installing, enable SSL, set clean URLs, and add security and caching plugins.
- Your WordPress admin credentials should be unique — never reuse your cPanel or FTP password.
Ready to launch your site? If you don't have hosting yet, visit elenlace.com to compare the best plans available and find the one that fits your project.
FAQ
Can I install WordPress on a subdomain?
Yes. In the auto-installer, simply select the subdomain as the install target (e.g. blog.yourdomain.com). With a manual install, upload the files to the subdomain's root folder instead of public_html.
How much disk space does WordPress need?
A base WordPress installation takes around 60 MB. With themes, plugins, and images, a typical site grows to 200–500 MB. A shared hosting plan with 5 GB of storage is more than enough to get started.
Is WordPress free on a paid hosting plan?
WordPress.org (the self-hosted software) is completely free. What you pay for is the hosting and, optionally, the domain name. Don't confuse it with WordPress.com, which is a SaaS service with its own paid plans.
What if I make a mistake during installation?
With Softaculous you can uninstall WordPress with one click and start over. With a manual install, simply delete the uploaded files via FTP and drop the database from cPanel to restore a clean slate.
Useful resources
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