November 25, 2019
4min Read
Domantas G.
Joomla is one of the best CMS platforms that you can use to make a website. As a content management system, it offers everything you need to manage your publications and create new pages with ease. As of today, it’s regarded as one of the top WordPress alternatives out there.
In this guide, we’ll show two ways of how to install Joomla on your web host:
So, let’s see what it takes to get this script up and running!
First, we’ll cover the manual Joomla installation. To complete it, you’ll need to get your hands dirty and do a little extra work. Overall, there are 5 simple steps that you’ll need to follow:
To begin, navigate to your hosting control panel and open the Databases › MySQL Databases section. Specify your database name, user, and password as shown in the example below:
Make sure to write down the details somewhere, as you’ll need to use them later on.
Next, grab the official Joomla installation package free of charge from their website. To get the latest version, press Download Joomla! and your request will be completed shortly.
At this point, you’ll need to upload the compressed file to your domains’ root and extract it.
Most hosts offer web-based file managers for everyday tasks. Since Joomla doesn’t take up a lot of disk space, it’s the perfect tool for the job. To start, go to Files › File Manager section.
By default, you should appear in the public_html directory, which is your domains’ root folder. Then, follow these instructions to upload the Joomla installation archive to your account:
Now, you should retrieve the contents of the zipped file by right-clicking and choosing the Extract function. You can type in a dot in the prompted box to extract directly to public_html.
Since the script has many files, this operation can take a few extra minutes to complete.
Alternatively, you may do it with an FTP client. To use it, you’ll need your Host IP, FTP username, password, and port. You can find them via Files › FTP Accounts in your control panel.
Configure your FileZilla FTP client and click the Quickconnect button. Ideally, you should extract the contents on your computer first, as FileZilla does not have a feature to do it. Then, drag and drop the files from your local storage to the public_html directory as shown below:
Since there are many separate files, this may take from 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
In order for Joomla to work via YourDomain.com, all the files must be placed in public_html. In case you did not type in the dot while extracting or uploaded the whole directory, an extra folder will be present. You’ll need to access it and move everything to public_html instead.
If you used our File Manager, you’ll need to:
If you used a FileZilla FTP client, you should:
At this point, you can begin the Joomla installation. Start by visiting your domain through any browser and make sure to have your MySQL host, user, database, and password values nearby.
Firstly, you’ll need to enter your Joomla site name, description, and set up an admin user.
Next, you’ll need to fill in the MySQL database details which we retrieved in step 1. In most cases, the hostname is localhost, but this can vary depending on your provider.
In the last step, you’ll need to review your details and choose additional modules (if needed).
That’s it! You’ve successfully installed Joomla CMS on your web hosting account. To start building your site, go to the administrative area located at YourDomain.com/administrator.
Alternatively, many hosts include auto-installers, which you can use to set up Joomla in less than a few minutes. You’ll only need to specify a few details and the software will do the rest!
Open up your hosting control panel and look for Auto Installer under the Website section.
You should see a list of the most popular scripts first. Select Joomla from the list to proceed.
Fill in the basic configuration, such as the installation URL and language. Also, make sure to write down the admin email, username, and password. Then, click the green Install button.
That’s all it takes to install Joomla on Hostinger! To start building, go to your Joomla dashboard at YourDomain.com/administrator and use the newly created admin credentials to log in.
Sometimes, you can run into errors if some details were entered incorrectly. Here is a short list of the most frequent cases and short explanations on how to fix them:
This issue can occur if you entered the wrong details multiple times. To fix it, navigate to the installation folder (public_html) and remove the automatically generated file.
The message signals that your MySQL database, user, or password are incorrect. Double check if they match the values that you created in step 1 or try to reset your password.
This can happen if you put an accidental space at the beginning or the end of your database configuration. Double check it and make sure to remove any additional spaces that you find.
By finishing this guide, you’ve learned two different ways of setting up Joomla on your web hosting account. You are also able to identify and troubleshoot the most common Joomla installation errors. For a more in-depth approach, considering checking our complete Joomla tutorial.
April 19 2019
Can I install and configure joomla on my local env, setup my local webpage and then ftp it to hostinger, I mean, when my local site is fine?
Domantas G.
Replied on September 26 2019
Hey Milap, Yes, you can surely do that. Just don't forget to upload your MySQL database as well as update Joomla configuration file with new MySQL credentials.