Creating and Managing MySQL Databases

WordPress, Joomla, and most server-side applications need a MySQL (or MariaDB) database to run. cPanel gives you everything you need to create, back up, and inspect databases without touching the command line.

Create a database

1. Open Databases → MySQL® Databases in cPanel.
2. Under Create New Database, enter a name (cPanel adds your account prefix automatically).
3. Click Create Database.

Create a database user

1. On the same page, scroll to MySQL Users and click Add New User.
2. Set a username and a strong password.
3. Under Add User to Database, attach the user to the database you created and grant All Privileges.

Save the database name, username, and password somewhere secure — you will paste them into your application's configuration.

Connect from your application

Most apps ask for four values:

• Host: localhost (the database is on the same server as your site).
• Database name: e.g. account_wp
• Username and Password as you set them above.

Manage with phpMyAdmin

Open Databases → phpMyAdmin. From there you can browse tables, run SQL, import or export .sql dumps, and repair tables. Always export a backup before making structural changes.

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting the prefix. If your account is acct, the database is acct_wp, not just wp.
• Wrong host. Use localhost, not your domain name.
• Importing a too-large dump. phpMyAdmin caps imports around 50 MB. For larger files, use the cPanel Backup tool or ask support.

For automated nightly backups across all your databases, set up a cron job (see our cron jobs article).