How to Connect to Your MySQL Database (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Webuzo)

Almost every dynamic website, from WordPress to a Laravel app, stores its data in a MySQL database. To connect, your website needs four details: the database host, the database name, a database user and that user's password. This guide shows how to create them in cPanel, DirectAdmin and Webuzo on Domain India shared hosting, how to use them in PHP, WordPress and Laravel, and how to fix the errors people meet most often.

1. The four details every connection needs

Whatever software you use, a MySQL connection needs the same four values. Collect them first.

The port is the MySQL default, 3306. With localhost you usually do not need to enter it at all. Port 3306 answers only code running on the server itself; it is closed to connections from outside.

Your database may run on MySQL or on MariaDB, a drop-in replacement for MySQL, so the same code and settings work with both. phpMyAdmin shows the exact database version on your server.

2. Create a database and user in cPanel

cPanel's Database Wizard does the three jobs (database, user, privileges) in one flow.

The Manage My Databases page does the same steps separately and lists every database and user. Use it later to change a password or add a user to another database.

Why your names have a prefix

cPanel puts your account username and an underscore in front of every database and database user name. If your cPanel username is acme and you type shop, the real database name is acme_shop. Your website must use the full name. Forgetting the prefix is the most common cause of "Access denied" and "Unknown database" errors. There is also a length limit on names, so keep the part you type short.

3. Create a database and user in DirectAdmin

In DirectAdmin, databases live under Account Manager › Databases.

Like cPanel, DirectAdmin adds your account username as a prefix, so a database called shop becomes username_shop.

4. Create a database and user in Webuzo

In Webuzo, go to Database › Manage Databases. Create the database, create a database user with a strong password, then add the user to the database and choose its privileges. The names may be prefixed with your Webuzo username, so copy the full names that Webuzo shows after creation. The host is localhost.

5. Connect from PHP: PDO and mysqli

Use PDO or mysqli. The old mysql_* functions such as mysql_connect() were removed from PHP years ago; a script that still uses them must be updated.

PDO (recommended)

<?php
$host    = 'localhost';
$db      = 'cpaneluser_shop';
$user    = 'cpaneluser_shopuser';
$pass    = 'your-database-password';
$charset = 'utf8mb4';

$dsn = "mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db;charset=$charset";
$options = [
    PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE            => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
    PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC,
    PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES   => false,
];

try {
    $pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $pass, $options);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    error_log('Database connection failed: ' . $e->getMessage());
    http_response_code(500);
    exit('Sorry, the site is having a problem. Please try again later.');
}

// Always use prepared statements for values that come from users
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT id, name FROM products WHERE category = ?');
$stmt->execute([$_GET['category'] ?? '']);
$products = $stmt->fetchAll();

mysqli

If your code already uses mysqli, turn on exceptions so a failed connection is never silently ignored.

<?php
mysqli_report(MYSQLI_REPORT_ERROR | MYSQLI_REPORT_STRICT);

try {
    $mysqli = new mysqli('localhost', 'cpaneluser_shopuser', 'your-database-password', 'cpaneluser_shop');
    $mysqli->set_charset('utf8mb4');
} catch (mysqli_sql_exception $e) {
    error_log('Database connection failed: ' . $e->getMessage());
    http_response_code(500);
    exit('Sorry, the site is having a problem. Please try again later.');
}

$stmt = $mysqli->prepare('SELECT id, name FROM products WHERE category = ?');
$category = $_GET['category'] ?? '';
$stmt->bind_param('s', $category);
$stmt->execute();
$products = $stmt->get_result()->fetch_all(MYSQLI_ASSOC);

Both examples log the real error and show visitors a plain message. Never print database errors on a live page: they can reveal user names, tables or file paths.

6. Where the settings go in WordPress and Laravel

WordPress: wp-config.php

WordPress reads its database settings from wp-config.php in the site's main folder. Edit it with the File Manager or over FTP (see what settings you need to upload your website).

define( 'DB_NAME', 'cpaneluser_wp' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'cpaneluser_wpuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your-database-password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );
define( 'DB_CHARSET', 'utf8mb4' );
define( 'DB_COLLATE', '' );

$table_prefix = 'wp_';

After moving a site, the four DB_ values almost always need changing, because the prefix changes with the account username. $table_prefix must match the table names already in the database.

Laravel: .env

Laravel reads its settings from the .env file in the project root.

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=cpaneluser_app
DB_USERNAME=cpaneluser_appuser
DB_PASSWORD="your-database-password"

Put the password in double quotes if it contains spaces or a #. If you have cached the configuration, Laravel keeps using the old values until you clear the cache: run php artisan config:clear if SSH is enabled on your account, or delete bootstrap/cache/config.php with the File Manager. Make sure your domain points to Laravel's public folder so .env can never be downloaded from the web.

7. Manage your database with phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is included in the control panel on our cPanel, DirectAdmin and Webuzo plans. Use it to browse tables, run SQL queries, and import or export .sql files.

• cPanel: under Databases, click phpMyAdmin. It opens already logged in and shows every database on the account.
• DirectAdmin: open Account Manager › Databases, click phpMyAdmin, and sign in with a database user if asked.
• Webuzo: go to Database and open phpMyAdmin.

Export a copy before any big change. For step-by-step help, read how to access and manage your MySQL database with phpMyAdmin.

8. Connecting from your own computer

Desktop tools such as MySQL Workbench, DBeaver or HeidiSQL cannot connect to your database directly. Port 3306 is closed to outside connections on our shared servers (measured September 2026), so a direct connection times out.

Use phpMyAdmin first

phpMyAdmin (section 7) works on every plan with no setup. It covers browsing tables, running queries, and importing or exporting .sql files, which is what most people need a desktop tool for.

An SSH tunnel, once jailed SSH is enabled

Jailed SSH access is available on every shared hosting plan (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Webuzo). It is off by default; ask support to enable it for your account. You log in with an SSH key, not a password, so add your public key first: see enabling and accessing jailed SSH. Once you have an SSH login, a tunnel carries the database connection inside the encrypted SSH session, so MySQL never has to be open to the internet.

# Forward port 3307 on your computer to MySQL on the hosting server
ssh -N -L 3307:localhost:3306 [email protected]

Leave that window open and point your tool at host 127.0.0.1, port 3307, with your normal database name, user and password. MySQL Workbench and DBeaver can also create the tunnel themselves. For more, read securing MySQL access with SSH tunnels. The ports that are open on our servers are listed in our port numbers guide.

9. Common connection errors and how to fix them

A quick test: if you can log in to phpMyAdmin with the same database user and password, the credentials are right and the problem is in your configuration file. For WordPress, follow troubleshooting "Error establishing a database connection". If you see "connection refused", read resolving MySQL connection refused errors on shared hosting. For crashed tables, import errors, max_user_connections and character-set problems, see database troubleshooting.

10. Keep your database secure

11. Where Domain India fits

Every Domain India cPanel, DirectAdmin and Webuzo plan includes MySQL-compatible databases and phpMyAdmin. Starter plans include 5 databases, the middle plans (Growth, or Developer on Webuzo) include 10, and the higher plans include 50 or more, which is enough for most small businesses running several sites. Prices on the cards below are live and exclude 18% GST.

If you are building an application and prefer PostgreSQL managed for you, the App Platform includes a PostgreSQL database with every plan. If you need your own MySQL server with full control, including remote access, look at a VPS.

New to WordPress? The complete WordPress guide takes you from install to a secure, fast site.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to get started? Compare cPanel hosting, DirectAdmin hosting and Webuzo hosting, or open a support ticket if your database still will not connect.