How to Install Joomla Step by Step on Your Hosting

Introduction

Joomla is one of the three major content management systems (CMS) in the world, alongside WordPress and Drupal. It’s an intermediate option: more powerful and structured than WordPress for portals, but simpler than Drupal.

In this article you’ll see how to install Joomla on your hosting step by step, in two possible ways: with Softaculous (the easiest) or manually.

What Joomla is and what it’s for

Joomla is a free and open source CMS that lets you create and manage websites without programming. It’s especially popular for:

• News portals or magazines.
• Business websites with many sections.
• Communities and websites with user profiles.
• Educational or institutional websites.
• Multilingual websites (Joomla has very good native support).

Joomla includes by default functions that in WordPress require plugins: multilingual, advanced user management, complex menus.

Server requirements for Joomla

Before installing Joomla, make sure your hosting meets:

• PHP 8.1 or higher.
• MySQL 5.6 or MariaDB 10.4 or higher.
• SSL certificate (recommended).
• PHP extensions: mbstring, xml, gd, curl, zip.

At miHosting, all professional hosting plans more than meet Joomla’s requirements. They include PHP 8.x, MariaDB, free SSL and the necessary extensions.

Method 1: Install Joomla with Softaculous (recommended)

This is the fastest way. If you have cPanel, Softaculous is already available.

Step 1: Open Softaculous

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Find Softaculous Apps Installer.
3. Click Joomla (or search for it with the search).

Step 2: Configure the installation

1. Click Install Now.

2. Fill in the details:

   Field	What to enter
   Protocol	https:// (if you have SSL)
   Domain	The domain where you want Joomla
   In Directory	Empty to install it in the root
   Site Name	Your website’s name
   Admin Username	Your administrator username
   Admin Password	A strong password
   Admin Email	Your email

3. Click Install.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the Joomla installation form in Softaculous]

The installation takes a minute or two. When finished, Softaculous shows you:

• Your website’s URL.
• The admin panel URL (yourdomain.com/administrator).
• Your credentials.

Write down the admin panel URL and your credentials carefully.

Method 2: Install Joomla manually

If you don’t have Softaculous or prefer to do it manually:

Step 1: Download Joomla

1. Go to the official website (joomla.org).
2. Download the latest version in ZIP format.

Step 2: Upload the files

1. Connect via FTP with FileZilla or use cPanel’s File Manager.
2. Go to public_html (or the folder where you want Joomla).
3. Upload the Joomla ZIP.
4. Unzip it.

Step 3: Create the database

1. In cPanel, go to MySQL Databases.
2. Create a new database, for example user_joomla.
3. Create a user with a strong password.
4. Assign the user to the database with all privileges.

Write down: database name, username and password.

Step 4: Run the web installer

1. Open your browser and go to https://yourdomain.com.

2. The Joomla installation wizard opens automatically.

3. Follow the steps:

   • Configuration: choose language and site name.
   • Login Data: create the administrator user.
   • Database Configuration: enter your database details.
   • Install: wait for it to finish.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the Joomla installation wizard]

Step 5: Delete the installation folder

For security, Joomla will ask you to delete the installation folder once finished. Do it from FTP or cPanel.

If you don’t delete it, anyone could reinstall Joomla.

Initial configuration after installation

Once Joomla is installed, it’s worth making these adjustments:

1. Configure SSL. Enable HTTPS for the entire site.
2. Configure the language. Joomla supports several native languages.
3. Review user permissions. Joomla has a powerful user system; configure it according to your needs.
4. Configure friendly URLs. In System → Global Configuration → Site, enable friendly URLs for SEO.
5. Install a template. Choose a design suitable for your project.
6. Configure emails. Verify Joomla can send emails.

Useful tips

• Use Softaculous if you can. It’s faster and avoids errors.
• Always install over HTTPS. Never over HTTP.
• Choose the template well. There are free and paid templates. Research before deciding.
• Configure friendly URLs for SEO. It’s important for Google to rank you well.
• Back up. Before updating and periodically.

Common problems

Installation shows permission error

Folder permissions must allow writing. Via FTP, set folders to 755 and files to 644.

The website shows a blank page after installing

Enable error reporting in configuration.php to see the error. It’s usually a missing PHP extension issue.

I can’t log in to the admin panel

Check that the URL is yourdomain.com/administrator and that you use the correct credentials. If you forgot the password, there are recovery tools.

Joomla is slow

Review resources. Joomla consumes somewhat more than a basic WordPress blog. If your website has a lot of traffic, consider a higher plan.

Emails aren’t sent

Configure the sending method in System → Global Configuration → Server. Try SMTP instead of PHP’s mail function.

Frequently asked questions

Is Joomla free?

Yes, the Joomla software is free and open source. What may have a cost are paid templates and extensions.

Joomla or WordPress?

It depends. WordPress is easier and has more plugins. Joomla is more powerful for portals and multilingual websites. You already have a comparison in our knowledge base.

Can I install Joomla on a subdomain?

Yes. You can install it on blog.yourdomain.com or in a folder like yourdomain.com/blog.

Do I need to know programming to use Joomla?

No, but the learning curve is a bit steeper than WordPress. Joomla has more configuration options.

Can I migrate my Joomla website from hosting?

Yes. With a copy of files + database you can migrate Joomla to any compatible hosting.

Your Joomla, ready to start

Installing Joomla is a quick process, especially if you use Softaculous. Once installed, spend time on the initial configuration: SSL, languages, friendly URLs and template.

If you need suitable hosting for Joomla, at miHosting we have plans with PHP 8.x, free SSL, MariaDB and support from real technicians. Open a ticket from your client panel if you need help with the installation.