How to Install WordPress on Hostking Using Softaculous (DirectAdmin)
WordPress is the world's most popular website platform, powering over 43% of all websites. Installing it on your Hostking hosting account takes less than 5 minutes using Softaculous — a built-in tool that sets everything up automatically, with no technical skills required.
This guide covers installation on DirectAdmin (the default Hostking control panel).
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following ready:
- Your Hostking hosting account is active
- Your domain name is pointed to Hostking (nameservers updated)
- You know your login URL — this is in your welcome email from Hostking. If you can't find it, log into my.hostking.host, go to your service, and click Login to DirectAdmin
Here's how to install WordPress using Softaculous.
Step 1 — Log into DirectAdmin
Open the DirectAdmin login URL from your welcome email. It usually looks like:https://yourdomain.com:2222 or https://your-server-ip:2222
Enter your username and password and click Login.
Step 2 — Open Softaculous
Once inside DirectAdmin, look for the Extra Features section and click Softaculous Apps Installer.
Alternatively, use the search bar at the top of DirectAdmin and type "Softaculous" to find it quickly.
Step 3 — Find WordPress
Softaculous will open showing a list of available applications. WordPress is usually displayed prominently on the home screen. If not, click WordPress in the left sidebar under the CMS category, or use the search bar to find it.
Click Install Now under the WordPress option.
Step 4 — Fill in the Installation Details
You'll see an installation form. Fill it in as follows:
Choose Protocol
Select https:// if your domain has an SSL certificate installed (recommended). If you're not sure, select http:// for now — you can switch to HTTPS later.
Choose Domain
Select the domain you want to install WordPress on from the dropdown. If you only have one domain on your hosting account, it will already be selected.
In Directory
Leave this blank if you want WordPress to run at your main domain (e.g. www.yourdomain.co.za).
Only enter a folder name if you want WordPress in a subdirectory — for example, entering blog would install it at www.yourdomain.co.za/blog.
Site Name
Enter your website name, e.g. "Smith Plumbing Services" or "My Online Store". You can change this later inside WordPress.
Site Description
Enter a short tagline for your site. This also can be changed later. Example: "Professional plumbing services in Cape Town."
Admin Username
Choose a username for your WordPress admin account. Do not use "admin" — this is a common target for hackers. Use something unique like your name or business initials.
Admin Password
Choose a strong password, or click the key icon to auto-generate one. Copy it somewhere safe.
Admin Email
Enter the email address where you want to receive WordPress notifications and password reset emails. Use your business email (e.g. you@yourdomain.co.za) rather than Gmail if possible.
Select Language
Leave as English unless you need another language.
Select Plugins (optional)
Softaculous may suggest plugins to install alongside WordPress. You can skip these for now — you can install any plugins you need directly from inside WordPress later.
Step 5 — Click Install
Scroll to the bottom and click the Install button. Softaculous will now create a database, download WordPress and configure everything automatically.
This takes between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
Step 6 — Access Your New WordPress Site
Once complete, Softaculous will show you two links:
- Your website URL — the front-end of your site (what visitors see)
- Admin URL — your WordPress dashboard login, which will be at
www.yourdomain.co.za/wp-admin
Click the admin URL, enter the username and password you set in Step 4, and you're in. WordPress is installed and ready to use.
After Installation — What to Do Next
Once WordPress is installed, here are the first things to set up:
1. Install LiteSpeed Cache
Hostking's servers run LiteSpeed, which gives your site a significant speed boost when paired with the LiteSpeed Cache plugin. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New, search for "LiteSpeed Cache", install it and activate it. This is free and immediately improves your site's loading speed.
2. Set up your SSL (if not already done)
If your site shows "Not Secure" in the browser, you need to install a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate via DirectAdmin or cPanel. See our article: How to Install a Free SSL Certificate in DirectAdmin.
3. Force HTTPS
Once your SSL is active, add the following to your .htaccess file to redirect all traffic to the secure version of your site:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]You can edit your .htaccess file via the File Manager in DirectAdmin or cPanel.
4. Set your Permalinks
Go to Settings → Permalinks in WordPress and select Post name. This gives your pages clean URLs like yourdomain.co.za/about instead of yourdomain.co.za/?p=123. Click Save Changes — you may need to click it twice.
5. Delete the default content
WordPress installs with a sample post, page and comment. Delete these from your WordPress dashboard before publishing your site.
6. Install a theme
Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New to choose a free theme, or upload a premium theme you've purchased. Popular free options include Astra, Hello Elementor, and Kadence.
Common Problems After Installation
"This site can't be reached" after installing
Your domain's DNS may still be propagating. This can take up to 24 hours if you recently pointed your domain to Hostking. Check propagation progress at whatsmydns.net.
WP-Admin showing a 404 error
This usually means your WordPress permalinks need to be reset. Log into DirectAdmin, go to File Manager, find your .htaccess file and delete it. Then log into WordPress and go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes — WordPress will recreate the .htaccess file automatically. See our full article: WordPress Login Issues: WP-Admin Showing 404 Error Page.
"Error Establishing a Database Connection"
This means WordPress cannot connect to its database. The most common cause during a fresh install is that the installation didn't complete. Try uninstalling via Softaculous and reinstalling. If the error continues, open a support ticket and our team will check the database configuration for you.
Forgot your WordPress admin password
Go to www.yourdomain.com/wp-login.php and click Lost your password? to reset via email. If you've also lost access to the email, you can reset the password via phpMyAdmin — see our article: How to Reset Your WordPress Admin Password via phpMyAdmin.
Need Help?
If you run into any issues during installation, our support team is available every day from 7am to 10pm (GMT+2) via live chat at hostking.host or by opening a ticket at my.hostking.host.
