database host

The database host (hostname) indicates the physical location of your database. It is used to connect to your databases on your hosting package.

You will need your database hostname in order to install software such as WordPress or Joomla for adding such features as blogs, forums and content management systems to your website.

If your web site needs to update large quantities of information via the web, you will need a database to store your information. MySQL database keeps track of software and website data.

There are many different database systems available for web hosting. The most common are MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and MS Access.

In order to use MySQL in your website you will first need to create a MySQL database and a MySQL User from cPanel. Don’t forget to link the User to your Database with all privileges.

The database name is the name displayed when you click on the Manage databases option in your Web Tools menu via your control panel.

The username is the database username that is provided on the screen when you first created the database.

The password is the database password that was provided on the screen when you first created the database unless you have reset it via your control panel.

How do web hosting databases work?

Most modern web hosting databases use what is called SQL or Structured Query Language. This is a standard way of retrieving and modifying data in a database. A “SQL query” is a specific command to retrieve, modify or add data to a database and any database that supports SQL will be able to understand it:

How to find your database host name in cPanel?

If you’re not using a remote mysql server, thus you are running an application on the server that connects to MySQL, your MySQL hostname will be localhost.

In most of cases the DB_HOST value is going to be localhost. However, it varies depending on where your host stores the databases for your particular hosting account.

If you are trying to connect to MySQL from a remote location (for example from your computer), please use these instructions:

1. Use the IP address of your hosting account as your MySQL hostname. Your IP address can by found on the left hand column when you log into cPanel.

2. Please add your computer IP address to the cPanel -> Remote MySQL section. You can check the computer IP address at http://www.tracemyip.org/.

3. Use either the MYSQL username / password that was created in cPanel -> MYSQL section, or your cPanel login details to connect to the database.

Configuration Settings

Database driven scripts, such as WordPress or Joomla, will generally have a default configuration file ready for you to edit with the appropriate information.

Below you will find examples of what this access information will look like:

• Host Name = localhost (literally input localhost)
• Database Name = cpanelUsername_databaseName
• Database Username = cpanelUsername_databaseUsername
• Database Password = whatever you selected

Free hosting accounts do not have remote MySQL access.