How to create a MySQL database in cPanel

Most websites, including WordPress, store their content in a MySQL or MariaDB database. In cPanel?cPanel The most popular hosting control panel: a website where you manage your email, files, databases and domains with point-and-click tools instead of commands. More about cPanel →, a working database needs three things: the database, a user, and permission for that user on that database. The Database Wizard does all three in order.

Step 1: Create the database

1. Type a short name, such as crm or blog. cPanel adds your username and an underscore in front, so the real name becomes exampleco_crm.
2. Click Next Step.

Use lowercase letters and numbers. The full name has a length limit, shown under the field.

Step 2: Create the database user

1. Username: again, cPanel adds your prefix, giving exampleco_crmuser.
2. Click Password Generator, tick I have copied this password in a safe place, then Use Password. A generated password is safest, and you only need it once, for your site’s configuration file.
3. Click Create User.

Create a separate user for each website or application. If one site is compromised, its password then opens only its own database.

Step 3: Give the user access

1. Tick ALL PRIVILEGES. Web applications such as WordPress need to create and change tables, especially during updates.
2. Click Next Step.

Step 4: Done

The values your site needs

Your website’s configuration asks for four values. In WordPress they are in wp-config.php:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'exampleco_crm' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'exampleco_crmuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'the-generated-password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Use the full names including the prefix. DB_HOST is localhost on almost every cPanel server, because the database runs on the same machine. If your host gives a different value, use theirs.

Managing databases later

Databases » Manage My Databases lists every database and user:

1. Current Databases shows size and privileged users, with Rename and Delete.
2. Current Users lists users; change a password or delete a user here.

Further down, Add User To Database links an existing user to another database. Check Database and Repair Database fix damaged tables, which is the first thing to try when a site reports a crashed table. Take a backup first.

phpMyAdmin

Databases » phpMyAdmin opens a browser-based tool for looking inside databases: browse tables, run SQL queries, and import or export. It logs you in automatically. Use Export for a quick SQL copy of one database, and Import to load a .sql file into an empty database. For large imports, which time out in a browser, ask your host or use SSH?SSH A secure way to type commands on a server from your own computer, as if you were sitting at it. More about SSH →.

Common errors

Message	Cause
Error establishing a database connection	Wrong name, user or password in the site’s configuration, or the user was never added to the database
Access denied for user	The password is wrong, or the user lacks privileges on that database
Unknown database	The name is missing its exampleco_ prefix
You are using X of X available databases	Your plan’s database limit is reached; delete unused ones or upgrade

Official documentation

• Database Wizard, cPanel documentation.

Related

• How to install WordPress in cPanel.
• How to back up and restore in cPanel.