Install WordPress on Your Site with Softaculous

21 April 1, 2021

WordPress is the most popular content management system on the web. It makes it easy to customize the look and functionality of a website with plugins and themes. This article explains how to use the Softaculous auto-installer to install WordPress on your site from the DirectAdmin control panel.

Installing WordPress

Note: If you have not done so already, we recommend setting up SSL on your domain before installing WordPress. See our support guide for more information.

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin.
  2. Navigate to user account that hosts the domain where you want to install WordPress.
  3. Under the Addons and Plugins menu select Softaculous Auto Installer.
  4. Find and select WordPress.
  5. Click “Install”.
  6. Fill out the Software Setup section with your desired WordPress version, protocol, domain, and directory.
  7. If the domain you want to use has SSL enabled, be sure to select “https://”” as your protocol. Otherwise select “http://””.
  8. Choose your domain from the drop down list. You can choose from any domains and subdomains you have created under the user account.
  9. The directory should be left blank if you wish to install WordPress at the root domain (e.g. ‘http://domain.com’;). If you choose to use a directory, the chosen directory must not already exist (the installer will create it for you).
  10. In the Site Settings section, choose a name and description for your WordPress site. These can be changed later.
  11. In the next section, set the login information you will use for your admin account. Be sure to save this username and password somewhere secure (we recommend using LastPass).
  12. The “Admin Email” should be an existing email address where you would like to receive important WordPress emails (such as update notifications or password reset links).
  13. Click the “+” to expand the Advanced Options section. Make sure the three boxes for auto-upgrades are all checked. This lets Softaculous update WordPress and its plugins and themes for you.
  14. Scroll to the very bottom and click “Install” to finish installing your WordPress site.
  15. Softaculous will begin installing WordPress on your site and give you a confirmation when it is done.
Logging in to WordPress Admin
  1. Once WordPress is installed on your site, you can log in to your Admin dashboard by going to: http://domain.com/wp-admin/ (replace domain.com with the address where you installed WordPress, including the directory if you used one).
  2. Log in with the admin username and password that you set during installation.
  3. From your dashboard you can design your WordPress site by installing plugins, adding and customizing a theme, and creating posts and pages.