How to Install WordPress on Hostking Using Softaculous (cPanel)
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 cPanel (available on cPanel hosting plans).
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 cPanel 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 cPanel
If you're on a Hostking cPanel hosting plan, the process is very similar.
Step 1 — Log into cPanel
Log into cPanel using the URL in your Hostking welcome email. It typically looks like:https://yourdomain.com:2083 or https://yourdomain.com/cpanel
Step 2 — Open Softaculous
Inside cPanel, scroll down to the Software section and click Softaculous Apps Installer. You can also use the cPanel search bar at the top and type "Softaculous".
Step 3 — Find and Install WordPress
WordPress is shown on the Softaculous home screen. Click Install Now under the WordPress tile.
Step 4 — Fill in the Installation Details
The form is identical to the DirectAdmin version described above. Fill in:
- Protocol (
https://recommended) - Domain (select from dropdown)
- Directory (leave blank for main domain)
- Site Name and Description
- Admin Username (not "admin")
- Admin Password (strong)
- Admin Email
Step 5 — Click Install
Scroll down and click Install. Softaculous will handle everything automatically.
Step 6 — Log into WordPress
Once done, go to www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin and log in with the credentials you set.
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.
