What is Softaculous?

Softaculous is an auto-installer application included with all 0724 Hosting accounts. It provides one-click installation of over 450 applications including:

  • WordPress (blogs, websites, e-commerce)
  • Joomla, Drupal, and other CMS platforms
  • PrestaShop, OpenCart, WooCommerce (e-commerce)
  • phpBB, MyBB (forums)
  • Nextcloud, ownCloud (file storage)

Softaculous automatically creates databases, sets file permissions, and configures applications correctly, saving hours of manual installation work.

Why use Softaculous for WordPress?

Installing WordPress manually requires multiple steps: creating a database, uploading files via FTP, editing configuration files, and running the installation wizard. Softaculous automates all of this:

  • Fast deployment: WordPress installed in under 2 minutes
  • Automatic database creation: No need to create MySQL databases manually
  • Latest version: Always installs the current WordPress release
  • Security hardening: Automatic salts and secure passwords
  • One-click updates: Update WordPress from Softaculous dashboard
  • Backup integration: Create and restore backups with one click

Step 1: Access Softaculous in DirectAdmin

  1. Log in to DirectAdmin
  2. Scroll down to Advanced Features or Software & Services
  3. Click Softaculous Apps Installer
  4. You will see the Softaculous dashboard with featured applications

Step 2: Find and select WordPress

There are several ways to find WordPress in Softaculous:

Method 1: Featured apps

WordPress is usually displayed prominently on the Softaculous home page. Click the WordPress icon.

Method 2: Search

  1. Use the search bar at the top of Softaculous
  2. Type WordPress
  3. Click the WordPress result

Method 3: Category browse

  1. Click Blogs in the left sidebar
  2. Select WordPress from the list

Step 3: Configure WordPress installation

Once you select WordPress, click the Install button. You will see the WordPress installation form with several sections.

Software Setup section

  • Choose Protocol: Select https:// if your domain has SSL (recommended)
  • Choose Domain: Select your domain from the dropdown
  • In Directory: Leave blank to install at the root (yourdomain.co.za), or enter a folder name (e.g., blog for yourdomain.co.za/blog)

Recommendation: Install WordPress at the root of your domain (leave "In Directory" blank) for the best SEO and URL structure.

Site Settings section

  • Site Name: Your website title (e.g., "My Business Blog")
  • Site Description: A brief tagline (e.g., "Quality web design services in South Africa")
  • Enable Multisite: Leave unchecked unless you need WordPress Multisite (advanced)

Admin Account section

  • Admin Username: Choose a secure username (avoid "admin" for security)
  • Admin Password: Use a strong password (Softaculous can generate one)
  • Admin Email: Your email address for WordPress notifications

Security tip: Never use "admin" as your username. Choose something unique and difficult to guess. Use the password generator for a strong password.

Choose Language

Select English or your preferred language. You can change this later in WordPress settings.

Select Plugin(s) (optional)

Softaculous can install popular plugins automatically. Recommended plugins:

  • Classic Editor: If you prefer the old WordPress editor over Gutenberg
  • Limit Login Attempts: Security plugin to block brute-force attacks

You can skip this and install plugins later through the WordPress admin panel.

Advanced Options (optional)

Expand the Advanced Options section if you want to:

  • Choose a custom database name (not usually necessary)
  • Set a custom database table prefix (default wp_ is fine)
  • Disable update notifications
  • Auto-upgrade WordPress (recommended)

For most users, the default advanced options are perfect. Leave them unchanged.

Select Theme (optional)

You can select a pre-installed theme. However, the default WordPress theme (currently Twenty Twenty-Four) is excellent. You can change themes later from the WordPress dashboard.

Step 4: Install WordPress

  1. Review all settings carefully
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page
  3. Click Install
  4. Softaculous will display a progress bar
  5. Installation usually completes in 30–90 seconds

Once installation finishes, Softaculous displays your WordPress details:

  • Website URL
  • Admin URL (yourdomain.co.za/wp-admin)
  • Admin username
  • Admin password (if you used the generator)

Important: Copy and save your admin username and password in a secure location (password manager recommended).

Step 5: Access your new WordPress site

Viewing your website

Click the website URL shown by Softaculous or visit https://yourdomain.co.za in your browser. You will see the default WordPress theme with a sample post and page.

Logging in to WordPress admin

  1. Go to https://yourdomain.co.za/wp-admin
  2. Enter your admin username and password
  3. Click Log In
  4. You are now in the WordPress dashboard

First steps after installing WordPress

1. Set up permalinks

  1. In WordPress admin, go to Settings → Permalinks
  2. Select Post name (most SEO-friendly option)
  3. Click Save Changes

This changes URLs from yourdomain.co.za/?p=123 to yourdomain.co.za/post-title/ which is better for search engines.

2. Delete sample content

  1. Go to Posts → All Posts and delete the "Hello World" post
  2. Go to Pages → All Pages and delete the "Sample Page"
  3. Go to Comments and delete the sample comment

3. Configure general settings

  1. Go to Settings → General
  2. Verify Site Title and Tagline are correct
  3. Set Timezone to Africa/Johannesburg (SAST)
  4. Set Date Format and Time Format to your preference
  5. Click Save Changes

4. Install essential plugins

Go to Plugins → Add New and search for:

  • Wordfence Security: Firewall and malware scanner
  • UpdraftPlus: Backup plugin
  • Yoast SEO or Rank Math: SEO optimisation
  • WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache: Speed optimisation (use LiteSpeed Cache on 0724 Hosting)
  • Contact Form 7 or WPForms: Contact forms

5. Choose and customise a theme

  1. Go to Appearance → Themes
  2. Click Add New to browse free themes
  3. Popular themes: Astra, GeneratePress, OceanWP, Kadence
  4. Install and activate your chosen theme
  5. Customise it under Appearance → Customise

Managing WordPress installations in Softaculous

Viewing installed applications

  1. In DirectAdmin, open Softaculous
  2. Click Installations in the top menu
  3. You will see all Softaculous-installed applications

Updating WordPress

To update WordPress through Softaculous:

  1. Go to Softaculous → Installations
  2. Find your WordPress installation
  3. If an update is available, click the update icon
  4. Click Upgrade Installation
  5. Softaculous will update WordPress automatically

Note: You can also update WordPress from the WordPress dashboard (Dashboard → Updates), which is often more convenient.

Creating backups

  1. Go to Softaculous → Installations
  2. Click the backup icon next to your WordPress installation
  3. Click Backup Installation
  4. Softaculous creates a full backup (files + database)
  5. Backups are stored in your hosting account

You can also download backups to your computer for safekeeping.

Restoring from backup

  1. Go to Softaculous → Installations
  2. Click the installation you want to restore
  3. Click the Backups tab
  4. Select the backup you want to restore
  5. Click Restore

Warning: Restoring a backup overwrites your current website with the backup version. Any changes made after the backup was created will be lost.

Cloning a WordPress installation

To create a copy of your WordPress site (e.g., for staging):

  1. Go to Softaculous → Installations
  2. Click the clone icon next to your installation
  3. Choose the destination domain or subdomain
  4. Click Clone

This creates an exact duplicate of your WordPress site in a different location.

Uninstalling WordPress

To remove a WordPress installation:

  1. Go to Softaculous → Installations
  2. Find the WordPress installation you want to remove
  3. Click the delete/trash icon
  4. Confirm deletion

Warning: This permanently deletes all WordPress files, databases, and content. Back up first if you may need the data later.

Softaculous vs manual WordPress installation

Aspect Softaculous Manual Install
Time required 2 minutes 15–30 minutes
Technical skill Beginner-friendly Intermediate
Database creation Automatic Manual
File permissions Automatic Manual
Updates One-click via Softaculous or WordPress Through WordPress dashboard
Backups Integrated in Softaculous Requires plugin or manual backup
Customization Standard configuration Full control over all settings

Recommendation: Use Softaculous for 95% of WordPress installations. It is faster, easier, and less error-prone than manual installation.

Troubleshooting Softaculous WordPress installations

Installation fails or times out

  • Check your hosting account has sufficient disk space
  • Verify the domain points to your hosting server (DNS propagation may take up to 24 hours)
  • Try installing to a subdomain or subdirectory instead
  • Contact support if the issue persists

Website shows "Database connection error"

  • This usually means the automatic database creation failed
  • Go to DirectAdmin → MySQL Management and verify the database exists
  • Try reinstalling WordPress (delete the failed installation first)
  • Contact support to investigate database permissions

Cannot access wp-admin after installation

  • Clear your browser cache and try again
  • Verify you are using the correct URL (yourdomain.co.za/wp-admin)
  • Check the username and password are correct (case-sensitive)
  • If using HTTPS, ensure your SSL certificate is active

Website loads but looks broken

  • This is often caused by permalink issues after installation
  • Log in to WordPress admin → Settings → Permalinks → click Save (no changes needed)
  • Clear your browser cache
  • The site should now load correctly

Installing other applications with Softaculous

Besides WordPress, Softaculous can install:

Other CMS platforms

  • Joomla: Component-based CMS
  • Drupal: Advanced CMS for complex sites
  • PrestaShop: E-commerce platform
  • Magento: Enterprise e-commerce

Forums and community

  • phpBB: Popular forum software
  • MyBB: Lightweight forum platform
  • Discourse: Modern forum (requires VPS/dedicated server)

Other applications

  • Nextcloud: Self-hosted file storage and collaboration
  • Moodle: Learning management system
  • MediaWiki: Wiki platform (like Wikipedia)

Best practices for Softaculous WordPress

  • Use HTTPS: Always select https:// protocol when installing
  • Secure admin credentials: Never use "admin" as username, use strong passwords
  • Regular backups: Create Softaculous backups before major updates or changes
  • Keep WordPress updated: Update WordPress, plugins, and themes regularly
  • Install security plugins: Use Wordfence or similar for protection
  • Optimise performance: Install caching plugins (LiteSpeed Cache recommended on 0724 Hosting)
  • Monitor installations: Check Softaculous dashboard for available updates

Getting help with WordPress installation

If you need assistance installing WordPress, troubleshooting installation errors, or setting up your WordPress website, contact 0724 Hosting support. We can help with Softaculous installations, manual WordPress setups, migrations, and WordPress configuration.