Troubleshooting the "Error Establishing a Database Connection" in WordPress

"Error establishing a database connection" means WordPress could not log in to its MySQL database, so it has nothing to show. On Domain India shared hosting the cause is almost always one of four lines in wp-config.php, or a database user that was never linked to the database. This page walks through the WordPress fix in the order that finds the problem fastest.

1. Check the four settings in wp-config.php

Open File Manager in your control panel, go to the folder where WordPress is installed (usually public_html), and edit wp-config.php. Near the top you will find:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'acme_wp' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'acme_wpuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'the-database-user-password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Did something change recently? If you or a developer reset the database user's password in the panel, WordPress keeps using the old one until you update wp-config.php. After a migration the account prefix usually changes with the new username, so all the names change too.

2. Test the details in phpMyAdmin

Open phpMyAdmin from your control panel and try the same database user and password. If they work there, the details are right and the mistake is in wp-config.php. If they fail there too, reset the database user's password in the panel and put the new one in wp-config.php.

3. Make sure the user is added to the database

Creating a database and a user does not link them. In cPanel, open Manage My Databases, go to Add User To Database, pick the user and the database, and tick ALL PRIVILEGES. In DirectAdmin, open Account Manager › Databases and check the database's user list. In Webuzo, check the Database User(s) tab under Database › Manage Databases. If an installer reports that it could not find the database, see user is not assigned to database.

4. Repair the database if the login works

If the credentials are right but WordPress still fails, or the admin area says tables need repairing, a table may be damaged. Export a backup first (how to back up a MySQL database using phpMyAdmin), then either:

• in cPanel, open Manage My Databases and use Repair Database; or
• in phpMyAdmin, tick the damaged table and choose Repair table from the With selected menu.

WordPress also has its own repair page. Add define( 'WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true ); to wp-config.php, open yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php, run the repair, then remove the line straight away, because that page works without a login.

5. When it is not your settings

If the details are correct and several sites on your account show the error at the same moment, the database service itself may have a problem. Open a support ticket with the domain, the exact error and the time it started. Never include your database password. If the error comes and goes under traffic together with "Resource Limit Is Reached", see checking your hosting resource usage.

Support is on 24/7 live chat, and tickets get a first response within 15 minutes; how long a fix takes depends on the problem. We do not offer phone support.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to fix it? Work through the full database troubleshooting guide for other errors, check your settings with how to connect to the MySQL database, or open a support ticket if your site still won't connect.