How to Install Joomla on a New Website

A clean Joomla installation is straightforward when the server, database, files, and administrator account are prepared before you start. This guide walks through a manual web installation from an empty web location to a verified Joomla site, with the checks that prevent the most common setup failures.

Before you start

Use a new or intentionally empty web location. If the domain or directory already contains a website, make a verified backup before replacing or removing anything.

Have these items ready:

  • A hosting account or server that meets the requirements for the Joomla major version you plan to install.
  • The current Joomla installation package downloaded from the official Joomla project.
  • A database created for Joomla, plus its database host, database name, username, and password.
  • Access to upload and extract files in the site's document root or chosen subdirectory.
  • The site name, Super User name, username, password, and email address you want to use.

1. Confirm the server is ready

Do not begin by uploading files to an unknown hosting environment. Confirm the PHP version, database server/version, web server, required PHP modules, and available PHP memory against the requirements for your Joomla version. Joomla 6 and Joomla 5 do not have identical requirements.

If your host offers multiple PHP versions, make sure the version assigned to the website is the one you checked. Command-line PHP and web-server PHP can be different.

2. Create the Joomla database

Create an empty database and a dedicated database user. Give that user the privileges required to create and alter tables in that database. Record the exact values supplied by your host:

  • Database host — often localhost, but some hosts provide a separate database hostname.
  • Database name.
  • Database username.
  • Database password.

The database account is separate from the Joomla Super User account you will create later.

3. Upload and extract Joomla

  1. Download the current Joomla package from the official Joomla download site.
  2. Upload the package to the directory that should serve the new website.
  3. Extract the package so Joomla's files are directly in that target directory, not inside an extra nested folder created by your archive tool.
  4. Confirm the web server can read the extracted files and can write where Joomla needs to create configuration and temporary data during installation.

For a root-domain installation, the target is normally the domain's document root. For a subdirectory installation, use a directory such as /public_html/joomla/ and browse to that subdirectory.

4. Start the Joomla web installer

Open the new site's URL in a browser. If Joomla's files are in the correct location and the server can execute PHP, the Joomla installer should open automatically.

On the first screen, select the installation language and enter the Site Name. The site name is not the domain name; it is the human-readable name Joomla uses for the website and can be changed later in Global Configuration.

5. Create the Super User

Enter the requested login data for the first Super User:

  • Real Name.
  • Super User account username.
  • Admin Password.
  • Super User Email Address.

Use a unique administrator username rather than a predictable name such as admin, and use a long, unique password. The Super User has full control of both Joomla configuration and user permissions, so protect this account accordingly.

6. Enter the database connection

Enter the database values you recorded earlier. For MySQL or MariaDB, MySQLi is a common database type. The hostname is commonly localhost but must match your hosting provider's value.

Joomla generates a random table prefix. In most installations, accepting that generated value is the safest choice. If you change it, keep it unique for this Joomla installation and include the trailing underscore.

Leave database connection encryption at the host-recommended setting. Do not enable an encryption mode unless the database server is configured for it.

7. Run the installation

Start the installation and let Joomla create its tables and configuration. Do not close the browser or interrupt the PHP process while the installer is writing the database.

When Joomla reports success, follow any cleanup prompt it presents. If the installer reports that an installation directory or temporary installation artifact still needs attention, resolve that before exposing the site publicly.

8. Verify the new website

Do not treat the success message as the only test. Verify both sides of Joomla:

  1. Open the frontend and confirm it loads without a PHP error, redirect loop, or blank page.
  2. Open /administrator and sign in with the Super User account you just created.
  3. Open System Information and confirm Joomla sees the expected PHP and database environment.
  4. Check that Joomla can write to its cache, log, temporary, and media-related locations as appropriate for your hosting setup.
  5. Confirm the site is using HTTPS if HTTPS is available for the domain.
  6. Check for Joomla and extension updates before you begin building the site.

If the installer does not open

  • You see a directory listing or downloaded PHP file: PHP is not being handled correctly by the web server.
  • You see a 403 error: check the document root, file ownership, permissions, and web-server rules.
  • You see a 404 error: confirm the Joomla files are in the directory served by that URL.
  • You see a PHP/version error: switch the site's web PHP version or enable the missing PHP module.
  • The database connection fails: recheck the host, database name, user, password, and permissions. Do not assume the database host is the same as the website domain.
  • The installation stalls or times out: check PHP error logs, memory limits, execution limits, database responsiveness, and server resource limits before retrying.

After installation

Once the site is verified, make a baseline backup before installing third-party extensions or making major configuration changes. That clean recovery point is much easier to use than trying to reconstruct a fresh site after a failed extension install or configuration change.

Need More Help with Joomla?

Still having trouble? Open a support ticket with QuantaCade Support and we'll be happy to help where we can.

Support priority is given to QuantaCade products, services, and customers. However, we're also happy to assist fellow Joomla users with general Joomla questions and troubleshooting when possible.

QuantaCade is an independent Joomla extension developer and is not official Joomla support. Some issues involving third-party extensions, hosting environments, server configurations, or other systems outside our development control may be beyond what we're able to resolve.

Open a Support Ticket