Install WordPress on your hosting

WordPress powers a large share of the web: business sites, blogs and online stores. At Upkyo, you install it straight from your client area. There is no need to download WordPress, create a database or upload files over FTP: it is all done for you. This guide is for people building their first site as well as those adding a site to an existing hosting plan.

Before you start

• You have an active hosting plan and a domain name linked to it.
• The domain points to your hosting. If it was just registered or changed, DNS propagation can take a little while, see Why is my DNS change not visible yet?.
• If an old site already occupies the httpdocs folder, back it up before installing WordPress at the root.

Install WordPress step by step

1. Open your hosting from My services.
2. In the WordPress section, click Install WordPress.
3. Choose the domain to install the site on.
4. Leave the installation path empty to install the site at the root.
5. Enter the site title and language.
6. Confirm the installation.
7. After about a minute, the site appears in Your WordPress sites.

Open the admin area

Click WordPress login: you land on the WordPress dashboard without typing your password again. From there you write your pages, choose a theme and add plugins.

You can also log in the usual way at yourdomain.com/wp-admin, with the WordPress administrator username and password.

Root or subfolder: which should you choose?

• Empty path (root): the site shows at yourdomain.com. This is the usual choice for a main website.
• Filled-in path, for example blog: the site shows at yourdomain.com/blog. Useful for adding a blog next to an existing site.

For a site on an address like shop.yourdomain.com, first create the subdomain with the Subdomains tool, then pick it as the domain during installation.

What should you do right after installing?

1. Activate SSL and check that the padlock appears.
2. In WordPress, go to Settings then General and make sure the site address starts with https://.
3. Pick a lightweight theme and install only the plugins you need.
4. In Settings then Permalinks, choose a readable structure such as "Post name".
5. Create your essential pages: home, contact, legal notice and privacy policy.
6. Plan regular updates, see Update WordPress, plugins and themes.

Common installation problems

The site still shows the old page

Your browser sometimes keeps the old version in memory. Force a reload or test in a private window. If an index.html file is still in httpdocs, it can take priority over WordPress: delete it with the Files tool.

The domain shows nothing

The domain may not point to your hosting yet. Check its DNS records, see Edit your DNS records.

A message mentions the database

Read Error establishing a database connection in WordPress, which explains how to check WordPress's connection details.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to install WordPress?

About a minute. The site then appears in Your WordPress sites and you can open its admin area with WordPress login.

Do I need to create a database before installing WordPress?

No. Installing from the client area creates the database automatically. There is nothing to prepare beforehand.

How do I log in to the WordPress admin?

Click WordPress login in your client area to get in without a password. You can also go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and enter the administrator username and password.

Can I install WordPress in a subfolder?

Yes. Enter the folder name in the installation path, for example blog. The site will show at yourdomain.com/blog.

Why doesn't my site have the HTTPS padlock?

The SSL certificate is not installed for this domain yet. Open the SSL tool of your hosting and install the free certificate, then reload your site.