Creating a MySQL Database and Accessing phpMyAdmin

Databases on your hosting

Most websites and apps — WordPress included — keep their content in a MySQL database. If you install WordPress through the control panel, the database is created for you. This guide is for when you need one yourself.

Step 1: open the right website

Log in to your control panel and open the website the database is for. Databases belong to a website, so make sure you are in the right one.

Step 2: create the database

1. Go to the Databases section.
2. Choose to create a new database and give it a name you will recognise later.

Step 3: create or assign a database user

1. Create a database user with a strong password, or pick an existing one.
2. Give that user access to the new database.
3. Note the database name, username and password — your website's settings need all three.

Step 4: work with it in phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin lets you browse tables, run queries, and import or export data. Open it from the Databases section of the control panel. Take an export before making big changes, so you have something to go back to.

Keep the credentials safe

• Use a long, unique password for every database user.
• Only put the credentials in your website's configuration file — never in public pages, screenshots or emails.
• Give each website its own database user, so one compromised site cannot reach another's data.

Remote MySQL

Normally only your website connects to its database, from the same server. If you genuinely need to connect from somewhere else — a desktop database tool, or another server — Remote MySQL allows access from addresses you approve.

Talk to us before you open a database to outside connections. Open a ticket explaining what needs to connect and from where, and we will help you do it safely.