What is Softaculous?

Softaculous is a commercial auto‑installer that appears in cPanel as “Softaculous Apps Installer”. It installs and manages web apps like WordPress by automating database creation, file copy and configuration, and currently advertises 380+ scripts.

Before you start

• Log in to cPanel for the hosting account you want to work on.
• If you will change a live site, take a backup first so you can roll back.
• If the site must use HTTPS, make sure the domain has a valid SSL certificate so you can choose https:// during install.

Step 1: Open Softaculous in cPanel

1. In cPanel, find Softaculous Apps Installer under the Software section, or type “Softaculous” in the cPanel search bar.
2. Click it to open the Softaculous home. You will see popular scripts such as WordPress and a left menu of categories.

Step 2: Install or manage an app

These are the actions you are most likely here for. Read the notes on where it installs and how to undo.

• Install WordPress to your main domain: Click WordPress. In “Choose Installation URL”, select your domain and choose https:// if SSL is active. Leave In Directory blank to install at example.com. Enter the admin details and click Install. If Softaculous warns the target is not empty, stop and back up. Do not overwrite an existing site unless you are certain.
• Back up now or set scheduled backups: Open the installation’s details in Softaculous and use Backup for an on‑demand backup. To schedule, enable Automated Backups on the installation, pick the frequency and retention. When the limit is reached, the oldest backup is deleted first. You can add remote destinations such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, WebDAV, FTP/FTPS/SFTP. Availability depends on host settings.
• Stage changes safely: Use Staging to clone your site to a test URL. After testing, use Push to Live for supported apps to send files and, if selected, the database to production. This can overwrite the live site. Take a backup before pushing.
• Keep WordPress updated: In WordPress Manager, enable auto‑upgrade for core (major and/or minor), plugins and themes. Updates run via the server CRON after Softaculous receives a new release.
• Undo or remove an install: In the installation’s details, click Remove. Tick only what you want deleted: Directory, Data Directory, Database, Database User. This is destructive. If you only need to roll back, use Backups and Restore instead of Remove.

If it does not work

• Installed to the wrong place or over an existing site: If you see the site at example.com/wp when you wanted example.com, you filled In Directory. Remove the install in Softaculous, untick Database if you plan to reuse it, then reinstall with In Directory blank. If you overwrote files or the folder was not empty, restore your backup first.
• Picked http:// but the site should be https://: Install SSL, then reinstall selecting https:// in “Choose Protocol”, or correct the app’s URL settings and fix mixed content as per the app’s documentation. If you took a backup before installing, restore it and install again with https selected.
• Cannot see Softaculous or automations are not running: In cPanel, search for “Softaculous” and check under Software. If it is not there, or if scheduled backups or auto‑updates never run, open a ticket so we can check availability and CRON on the server: open a support ticket.

What next

For a broader look at installation options, backups and staging best practice, read our guides. If you outgrow shared hosting and want to deploy apps on your own server, see our VPS guides and the specifications for a Linux VPS in our London data centre. If you are stuck at any point, open a support ticket and we will help you get it sorted.