How to Install Joomla, Drupal, or Another CMS Using Softaculous

Softaculous is an app installer built into your hosting control panel. Most customers know it for installing WordPress, but it also lets you install dozens of other content management systems, including Joomla, Drupal, and others, without touching code or uploading files manually.

What You Can Install

Beyond WordPress, Softaculous includes installers for Joomla, Drupal, and many other open-source CMS and web apps. The installation process is almost identical for all of them: you choose the app, fill in a few details, and Softaculous sets up the files and database for you.

Opening Softaculous

In cPanel

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. Scroll to the Softaculous Apps Installer section.
3. Click the icon for the CMS you want (for example Joomla or Drupal), or use the Search box at the top if you don't see it listed.

In DirectAdmin

1. Log in to your DirectAdmin account.
2. Go to Extras and click Softaculous Apps Installer.
3. Click the icon for the CMS you want, or search for it by name.

Once Softaculous is open, the installation steps are the same no matter which control panel you started from.

Installing the CMS

1. Click the Install tab (or the Install Now button) on the app's page.
2. Under Choose Domain, select the domain or subdomain you want to install it on.
3. Leave the In Directory field blank if you want the site to load directly at your domain, or enter a folder name (for example blog) to install it in a subfolder instead.
4. Fill in the Site Name and Site Description.
5. Set an Admin Username and Admin Password for the CMS's own login. This is separate from your hosting control panel login.
6. Enter an Admin Email you have access to, since password resets for the CMS go here.
7. Review any app-specific options further down the page (these vary by CMS) and adjust them if needed, or leave the defaults.
8. Click Install and wait for Softaculous to finish. This usually takes under a minute.

If your domain already has an SSL certificate installed, select the https:// option in the domain dropdown before installing. Installing without it first means you'll need to update the site's base URL settings later to switch to https.

After Installation

Softaculous shows you the admin login URL once installation finishes, and also emails it to the admin address you entered. Keep this information somewhere safe. Log in to the CMS's own admin panel, not your hosting control panel, to start adding content, themes, and extensions.

Each CMS stores its admin login at a different URL. Joomla's is typically yourdomain.com/administrator, and Drupal's is typically yourdomain.com/user/login.

Once your site is set up the way you want, it's worth taking a backup through Softaculous so you have a restore point to fall back on. See How to Back Up and Restore an App Installed with Softaculous.