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This guide takes you from the first error message through database, PHP, permissions, 403, partial-install and manual-install problems. It also shows what to give your host when the failing setting is outside your control.
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Before changing files or deleting a database, save the complete error text and note:
- The domain or subdomain you entered.
- The directory or path selected in the installer (for example, the account root or a subdirectory).
- The exact URL you opened after installation, including whether it uses
httporhttps. - The time the failure occurred and whether the installer reported success, partial completion or a timeout.
Then verify that the domain’s DNS and hosting-account mapping point to the account where you installed WordPress. A successful file upload is not useful if the domain opens a different document root. Likewise, opening the domain root when WordPress was installed in /blog can look like a failed installation even though the files are present at the selected path.
Do not remove an existing database or directory until you know whether it belongs to another site. A one-click retry can overwrite configuration or create a second set of tables, making recovery harder.
Check the platform requirements first
WordPress Developer Resources states: “Before installing WordPress, you need to check that your web hosting provider fulfills the necessary software and conditions.” The current requirements page lists these baseline conditions:
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| Component | Published baseline | What to verify with the host |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 7.4 or greater | The PHP version assigned to the specific domain, not merely the account’s default. |
| Database | MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.3 or greater | That the database service is running and available to the account. |
| Transport security | HTTPS support | That a certificate can be issued or is already active for the exact domain and any required subdomain. |
These version requirements can change. Check the current WordPress requirements page before treating the numbers as a permanent checklist. A control panel may show one PHP version globally while the site’s virtual host uses another, so confirm the setting for the affected domain.
Match the symptom to the failing layer
Use the first observable symptom to choose a low-risk check. The table is a triage map, not a reason to change every setting at once.
| Failure layer | Typical symptom | First check | Safest next action | Access usually needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domain or path | Blank site, old site, installer page or 404 at the expected URL | Domain-to-account mapping, document root and selected installer directory | Open the exact installation path and correct the host mapping | Control panel or host support |
| PHP runtime | Browser displays literal PHP tags or a generic 500 response | Domain PHP version, handler and server logs | Assign a supported PHP runtime; ask the host to inspect logs when unavailable | Control panel; logs may require host access |
| Database | “Error establishing a database connection,” connection refusal or denied access | Database name, user, password, host, service state, quota and privileges | Correct wp-config.php values and grant the user access |
Control panel or host support |
| Filesystem permissions | WordPress cannot write, update or create required directories | Site Health’s Filesystem Permissions section | Have the host correct ownership and permissions for the account model | WordPress admin, control panel or host support |
| Web-server authorization | 403 Forbidden or a directory listing instead of WordPress | Directory permissions, security rules and default index configuration | Correct mapping or authorization; configure index.php as the default document |
Control panel or host support |
| Interrupted upload | Partial files, missing administrator page or a stalled installer | Existing directory, database and wp-config.php |
Back up what exists, then remove only the confirmed partial installation or restart manually | SFTP/FTP, control panel or host support |
Fix database errors without destroying an existing site
Read the message literally
“Error establishing a database connection” normally means WordPress cannot authenticate to, reach or use the configured database. The installation guide recommends checking the database name, user, password and host in wp-config.php, confirming that the user can access the database, and verifying that the database server is running.
Common-errors guidance adds database quotas, a host outage and inadequate CREATE privileges. A newly created account can therefore fail even when the credentials look correct: the database may be full, the server may be unavailable, or the installer user may lack permission to create tables.
Verify the four connection values
- Open the site’s
wp-config.phpthrough the host’s file manager or SFTP. Do not paste the password into a support ticket. - Compare
DB_NAMEwith the database name shown in the control panel. Shared hosting often adds an account prefix, so a short name entered in the installer may not be the complete name. - Compare
DB_USERwith the database user actually assigned to that database. - Confirm
DB_PASSWORDandDB_HOST. The host value is not alwayslocalhost; use the value supplied by the host.
If you change a value, preserve the quotes and punctuation in the PHP file. A syntax mistake can turn a database problem into a PHP error.
Check assignment and privileges in the control panel
In cPanel or Plesk, open the database-management area and confirm that the user is attached to the intended database with the privileges required by the installer. A user that can connect but cannot create tables will produce a permission error such as CREATE command denied to user. Grant the needed privileges to the correct user, then rerun the installation only after confirming the target database is empty or intentionally belongs to this site.
Do not silently overwrite an existing site’s database. If tables already exist, make a backup and identify their owner before changing credentials or dropping anything.
Rule out service and quota failures
Ask the host to verify database-server status, account quota and any connection limits. If the host reports an outage, changing wp-config.php will not help. If the account is over its database quota, free space or request the quota correction before retrying.
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Interpret PHP symptoms correctly
Literal PHP code in the browser
If the page visibly contains tags such as <?php and ?>, the web server is sending PHP source instead of executing it. This is a server-runtime or handler problem, not a WordPress theme choice. Check the PHP configuration assigned to the domain and whether the host’s PHP handler is enabled. Do not leave the site online while source code is exposed; ask the host to correct the handler immediately.
A generic HTTP 500
An HTTP 500 only says that the server could not complete the request. During a brand-new installation, do not assume a plugin or theme is responsible. The useful evidence is the host’s server or PHP error log, which may be available in the control panel. If you cannot access it, give support the URL, timestamp, assigned PHP version and the exact request that produced the 500, and ask them to inspect the log and enabled PHP modules.
Use Site Health before changing permissions
WordPress Site Health exposes technical information about the server, database and filesystem. In the WordPress dashboard, open Tools → Site Health → Info and review Filesystem Permissions. The section indicates whether WordPress can write to the directories it needs for updates, uploads and temporary files.
If a path is not writable
- Record the path reported by Site Health and the account or domain it belongs to.
- Check whether the files were created under the same hosting account that runs PHP. A file uploaded by a different system user can have ownership that the web process cannot modify.
- Use the host’s ownership and permission tools, or ask support to correct them for the account’s model.
Avoid applying an arbitrary recursive chmod command. Numeric permissions that are safe on one host can expose files or still fail on another because ownership, PHP-FPM pools and security policies differ. Correct ownership first, then use the host’s documented permission defaults.
Resolve 403 errors, missing pages and directory listings
403 Forbidden
The installation FAQ explains that a 403 can mean the requester is not authorized to view the directory or page with the supplied credentials. Recheck three things in order:
- Mapping: The domain must point to the document root containing this WordPress installation.
- Permissions: The web server must be allowed to traverse the directories and read the files.
- Security rules: A host firewall, web-application rule or directory restriction may be blocking the request.
Give the host the exact URL and timestamp if you cannot see the security logs. A host-side rule can generate the same 403 as a filesystem problem.
A directory listing appears
A directory listing generally means the web server is not configured to serve index.php as a default document, or the request is landing in a directory without the WordPress files. The installation guide identifies default-index configuration as a web-server issue. Confirm that index.php exists in the selected document root and ask the host to configure the default index rather than exposing directory contents.
The site opens at the wrong URL
If WordPress was installed in a subdirectory, use that subdirectory in the URL. If the installer was set to the domain root, do not add an extra folder. Also check whether the control panel created a staging or temporary domain; that address may not be the public domain you intended.
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Retry a failed installer safely
An interrupted process may have created some combination of a directory, database, tables and wp-config.php. Treat each item as potentially valuable until identified.
- Capture a backup of any files and export any database that could belong to an existing site.
- List the partial directory contents and note whether core files,
wp-config.phpor an uploads folder exist. - In the database manager, check whether tables were created and whether their prefix matches this installation.
- Read the installer log, if the control panel provides one, and fix the reported layer before retrying.
- Delete only confirmed partial files or databases. Never remove a directory merely because its name resembles the new site.
For an incomplete upload, Learn WordPress advises deleting the incomplete uploaded files and starting again, while explicitly warning not to delete the actual public_html folder. Preserve the account’s document-root directory and remove only the files that you have identified as incomplete.
Use the manual installation route when automation cannot complete
Manual installation is a controlled fallback, not a different set of requirements. It is useful when the panel installer times out, cannot grant database privileges or places files in the wrong path.
- Obtain the current WordPress package from the official WordPress project.
- Create a database and a dedicated database user in the host’s database manager. Record the exact database name, username, password and host value.
- Grant that user the privileges needed to create and update the site’s tables.
- Upload the WordPress files to the intended document root with SFTP/FTP or the host’s file manager. Keep the files inside the correct domain directory.
- Open the installation URL at that path. WordPress will create or complete
wp-config.phpwhen the connection details are accepted. - Complete the site title, administrator account and email settings, then sign in and open Site Health to verify server and filesystem status.
If the upload is incomplete, remove the incomplete WordPress files and restart the upload. Do not delete public_html itself. If the directory already contains another site, stop and use a separate subdirectory or obtain a backup before replacing anything.
Choose the least risky fix for your access level
| What you can access | Best first actions | When to escalate |
|---|---|---|
| Only the hosting control panel | Confirm domain document root, PHP version, database assignment, quota and installer log | When logs, ownership or server status are hidden |
| Control panel plus SFTP/FTP | Inspect the selected directory, preserve backups and review wp-config.php values |
When PHP execution, database service or security rules remain unclear |
| Shell access | Inspect server logs, file ownership, PHP handler and database connectivity using host-approved commands | When the account’s service configuration or database server is unavailable |
| Host-managed access only | Supply a precise ticket with domain, path, error and timestamp | Immediately for outages, quota errors, exposed PHP source or repeated 500/403 responses |
Prefer diagnostic checks over destructive actions. A new, empty installation is easier to reset than an established site, but even a new attempt can share a database or document root with another application.
Write a support ticket that can be acted on
Include all of the following in one message:
- The exact error text or a screenshot with passwords and tokens removed.
- The domain or subdomain and the installer directory.
- The URL that fails and whether HTTPS works.
- The PHP version assigned to the domain.
- The database host, name and user; never include the database password.
- The failure time and your UTC offset.
- Whether the installation is new or may contain an existing site.
- Site Health’s Filesystem Permissions result, if the dashboard is available.
Ask the host to check database quota and server status, PHP modules and handler, filesystem ownership, domain routing, security rules and the control-panel installer log. This gives support concrete checks instead of a request to “reinstall WordPress.”
Prevent the next one-click failure
- Point the domain to the intended hosting account before starting the installer.
- Confirm the document root and write down the selected path.
- Verify the current WordPress PHP, database and HTTPS requirements with the official requirements page.
- Create or identify the correct database and user before accepting an installer-generated configuration.
- Keep a backup before deleting any partial directory or database.
- After installation, open the exact path, sign in, run Site Health and test both HTTP-to-HTTPS behavior and a writable upload directory.
The durable lesson is that one-click is an automation layer, not a bypass around hosting prerequisites. Once the domain, PHP runtime, database, permissions and web-server rules are checked in that order, the error usually points to one fixable component—or to a host-side setting that support can correct without risking your files.
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