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Set up two separate credentials for a self-hosted WordPress installation: an FTP or, preferably, SFTP account that can reach only the site’s files, and a database user assigned to the site’s database. Then place the database name, username, password and host exactly as supplied by your hosting panel in wp-config.php. Correct directory scope, database privileges, file ownership and write permissions determine whether updates work without errors or repeated FTP prompts.

Understand what each account controls

FTP/SFTP and MySQL or MariaDB accounts are not interchangeable. The file-transfer account authenticates to the server’s filesystem; the database account authenticates to the database server. A WordPress site normally needs both, but they should remain separate so a file credential cannot automatically read the database and a database credential cannot browse site files.

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Credential Controls Used for What it must not be
FTP or SFTP account Files and directories inside its permitted path Uploading WordPress files, editing themes or plugins, and recovering from file-level problems A shared hosting-panel login or an account scoped to the entire server when the site needs only one directory
Database user Rows, tables and other data in an assigned MySQL or MariaDB database Posts, settings, users, comments, plugin data and other normal WordPress operations A server-wide administrator when the site only needs data access to its own database
Hosting-panel login Account-wide hosting settings, databases, domains, backups and sometimes billing Creating or changing the FTP and database accounts A credential that you hand to an FTP client or put in wp-config.php

The document root is the directory that contains the WordPress installation, including wp-admin, wp-includes and wp-content. It may be named public_html, httpdocs, www or something custom. A subdomain or an add-on domain can have a different root, so confirm the path in the hosting panel before creating an account.

Check prerequisites before creating anything

  • The site is self-hosted and you can sign in to its hosting control panel, use its File Manager, or obtain shell access.
  • The host provides a supported MySQL or MariaDB release for your WordPress version.
  • You know the exact document-root path and the domain or subdomain that uses it.
  • You have a secure way to store passwords and can change them later without losing track of which service uses each one.
  • You know whether the provider permits plain FTP, FTP over SSL/TLS, SFTP, or only a browser-based File Manager.

FTP over SSL/TLS and SFTP are different protocols. SFTP runs through SSH; FTP over SSL/TLS adds encryption to the FTP protocol. WordPress documentation describes SFTP as FTP with the password and other transferred data encrypted in transit. Use the protocol and port your host explicitly documents rather than guessing from the word “secure.”

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Create a dedicated FTP or SFTP account

Using cPanel

  1. Sign in to cPanel and open Files → FTP Accounts.
  2. Select Add FTP Account (the label can vary slightly by cPanel theme).
  3. Enter a distinct login name. cPanel may append your hosting account name to it; record the complete username exactly as displayed.
  4. Generate a long, unique password and save it in a password manager. Do not reuse the hosting-panel password.
  5. Set the Directory field to the WordPress document root, or to the narrowest directory that still permits the task. If cPanel interprets a relative path from your home directory, verify the resulting absolute path before saving.
  6. Choose a quota only if the host requires one. A file-transfer account normally needs enough room for WordPress updates and backups but does not need unlimited storage by default.
  7. Save the account and note the server hostname, port and encryption mode shown by the host.

cPanel’s FTP Accounts interface is designed to create and manage website FTP accounts. A provider can disable FTP entirely; in that case the interface may be absent or may show no usable service. Do not enable an unencrypted service merely to make a client connect.

Using Plesk or another panel

  1. Open the subscription or website that owns the WordPress installation.
  2. Find Websites & Domains (or the equivalent site-management area), then open FTP Access or FTP Accounts.
  3. Create a new account, assign it to the site’s document root, and set a unique password.
  4. Save the account and copy the host, port and protocol values supplied by the provider.

Panel names differ, but the security rule is the same: scope the account to one site rather than the whole hosting account. If the panel offers only a general FTP account, ask the provider whether SFTP or a per-site account is available.

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Connect with the correct protocol

In your FTP/SFTP client, enter the hostname, username, password and port exactly as supplied. Select SFTP when the host supports it. If the host instead documents FTP over SSL/TLS, select that mode and enable certificate validation. A connection that succeeds but opens your home directory instead of the WordPress root usually indicates an incorrect directory scope, not a WordPress problem.

Create the WordPress database and its user

cPanel MySQL Database Wizard

  1. In cPanel, open Databases → MySQL Database Wizard.
  2. Enter a database name and continue. cPanel may prepend your hosting account name; record the full resulting name, not just the suffix you typed.
  3. Create a database user with a strong, unique password. Again, record the full username if the panel adds a prefix.
  4. When prompted, add the user to the database.
  5. Grant the privileges required for normal WordPress operation, then finish the wizard.

Plesk presents an equivalent flow from the site’s database section: create a database, create or select its database user, assign the user to that database, and save the resulting host, database name and username. Some hosts use a database server hostname different from the website hostname, so copy the value shown by the panel.

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Use the least privilege needed

For normal WordPress work—publishing posts, uploading media, storing comments, creating WordPress users and installing plugins—the database user needs data read and data write privileges: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE. Do not grant server administration, user-management or unrestricted privileges simply because a wizard offers them.

A plugin that performs schema changes may temporarily require additional permissions during installation or an upgrade. Grant such access only when the plugin’s documentation and your host’s policy require it, perform the change, and then remove privileges that are no longer needed. Never substitute the database server’s root or global administrator account in wp-config.php.

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Put the database values in wp-config.php

Locate wp-config.php in the WordPress document root. Make a protected backup before editing. The four connection constants must match the values created in the hosting panel character for character:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'your_full_database_name' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'your_full_database_user' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your_database_password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'the_database_host' );
  1. Open the file through the host’s File Manager, an SFTP connection, or a shell editor. Downloading it to a personal computer is acceptable only if the local copy is protected and deleted after use.
  2. Replace only the values between the quotes unless your host supplied a different configuration block.
  3. Preserve quotation marks, commas and PHP syntax. Do not add spaces or line breaks inside a password unless those characters are genuinely part of the password.
  4. Save the file, upload it to the same document root if you edited it locally, and set its ownership and permissions according to the host’s WordPress guidance.

If the host uses a nonstandard port, socket or a database cluster, its documented DB_HOST value may include that detail. An incorrect host value can produce the same “Error establishing a database connection” message as an incorrect password, so compare all four constants rather than changing only the password.

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Make file ownership and write permissions work with WordPress

WordPress can update itself, install plugins and write uploads directly only when the PHP process has the required access to the relevant directories. The correct ownership and permission scheme depends on how the host runs PHP. A configuration in which PHP runs as the site account may use different ownership from one in which PHP runs under a web-server group.

  • Keep files owned by the hosting account or the documented web-server group; do not recursively change ownership to an unrelated system account.
  • Give directories the minimum write access required for uploads, updates and cache files.
  • Do not make the entire site world-writable to silence an update error.
  • Protect wp-config.php more carefully than ordinary public files because it contains the database connection values.

When PHP cannot write directly, WordPress asks for FTP credentials so it can perform the operation through a file-transfer connection. That prompt is usually a symptom of ownership or write permissions, not proof that the FTP username belongs in wp-config.php. Correct the ownership model first; if the host intentionally requires SFTP or FTP for updates, use the dedicated account and the protocol the host supports.

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Verify both accounts before relying on them

  1. Check the file path: connect with the FTP/SFTP account and confirm that the first directory you can reach contains the WordPress installation or the intended site root. Try listing and creating a harmless temporary file in a permitted test directory, then remove it.
  2. Check the database login: from shell access, use the host’s documented client and syntax, such as mysql -u db_user -p, then enter the database password when prompted. If the account is restricted to a specific host, run the test from the web server or use the panel’s database-test tool.
  3. Check WordPress: load the site, sign in to the dashboard and open Tools → Site Health to review connection or filesystem warnings.
  4. Run a controlled file operation: update one plugin or upload a small media file while watching for permission errors. Keep a backup so you can restore if the operation is interrupted.
  5. Remove test artifacts: delete temporary files and close the client session when testing is complete.

A successful FTP login does not prove that the account points to the correct site, and a successful database login does not prove that wp-config.php contains the same values. Test the path and the application separately.

Protect the credentials after setup

  • Use a separate FTP/SFTP password and database password; neither should match the hosting-panel password.
  • Prefer SFTP or FTP over SSL/TLS. Plain FTP exposes credentials and transferred data in transit.
  • Treat SFTP/SSH access as administrative access. It can add, modify and remove site files and settings, and it generally cannot be limited to individual WordPress actions.
  • Scope each file account to one document root and delete accounts that are no longer needed.
  • Store passwords in a password manager, not in screenshots, support tickets, chat messages or shared documents.
  • Limit who can read wp-config.php; it contains the database password and other connection settings.
  • Rotate credentials after a contractor, developer or support session ends, and update any saved client profiles.
  • Keep a known-good backup of the database and files before changing ownership, permissions or credentials.

Diagnose common failures

Symptom Likely cause What to check and correct
“Error establishing a database connection” A mismatch in one of the connection constants, an incorrect host, or a database user that is not assigned to the database Compare DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD and DB_HOST with the exact values in the hosting panel. Confirm the user is attached to that database and has the required data privileges.
WordPress repeatedly asks for FTP credentials PHP cannot write to the target files because ownership or permissions do not match the host’s PHP arrangement Inspect ownership and directory permissions, ask the host which account or group PHP uses, and correct the mismatch. If direct writes are intentionally disabled, use the supported FTP/SFTP method.
FTP login succeeds but opens the wrong directory The account’s home or directory field is wrong, or the panel resolved a relative path differently than expected Reopen the FTP account settings, set the absolute document-root path where possible, reconnect and verify that wp-admin, wp-content and wp-includes are present.
No FTP option appears in the host panel The provider disabled FTP for the plan or replaced it with SFTP and File Manager access Use SFTP or the host’s File Manager. Ask for the supported protocol, hostname and port instead of enabling an insecure service.
“Access denied” while connecting to MySQL The username or password is wrong, the user lacks access to the selected database, or the connection originates from an unauthorized host Reset the database password if necessary, reassign the user to the database, verify the allowed host and update wp-config.php with the new value.
Uploads fail while the dashboard otherwise works The uploads directory is not writable by PHP, has incorrect ownership, or has reached a storage quota Check the directory owner and write access, confirm available storage in the hosting panel, and test a small upload before changing broader permissions.

What to compare when choosing or changing hosts

If you are selecting a hosting plan, evaluate the operational details rather than looking only for a “WordPress” label:

Capability Why it matters Question to ask the provider
SFTP availability and encryption options Encrypted transport protects credentials and files while they cross the network Is SFTP available, and what hostname and port should be used? If not, is FTP over SSL/TLS supported?
Directory-scoped accounts Limits a contractor or application to one site’s files Can an account be restricted to an individual document root?
Database-user privilege controls Allows least-privilege access instead of a server-wide administrator Can a user be assigned to one database with data privileges only?
Clear document-root paths Prevents an account from landing in the wrong site or parent directory Where is the absolute path for each domain, subdomain and staging site?
File Manager fallback Provides recovery access if FTP is unavailable or blocked Can files be edited or uploaded securely through the panel?
PHP ownership model Determines whether WordPress can update files directly Which account or group owns PHP-created files, and what permission scheme does WordPress use?

Final setup checklist

  • The FTP/SFTP username is dedicated to the site and restricted to its document root.
  • You selected SFTP or encrypted FTP when the host supports it and recorded the correct port.
  • The database exists, its user is assigned to it, and the user has SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE for normal operation.
  • DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD and DB_HOST in wp-config.php exactly match the hosting-panel values.
  • Ownership and permissions allow PHP to perform the operations your host supports without making the site broadly writable.
  • You tested a file listing, a database login and one controlled WordPress operation, then removed temporary test files.
  • Credentials are stored privately, backups exist, and unused accounts are disabled or deleted.

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