Install WordPress using the DreamHost WordPress installer

This article explains how to install a new WordPress site in your panel using the DreamHost WordPress installer.

The DreamHost WordPress installer allows you to quickly set up new WordPress installations in the DreamHost panel with minimal input. The DreamHost panel provides several features (such as the website renamer, automatic WordPress version updates, and easy DreamPress upgrades) to WordPress websites created by the DreamHost WordPress installer.

To use the DreamHost WordPress installer, your domain must first be Fully Hosted.

This means it cannot be Redirected, Mirrored, Parked, or set as DNS Only.

Before installing WordPress, check what files are already in your website's directory. The following three configurations could exist:

• WordPress was already installed using the DreamHost WordPress installer
• WordPress was already installed manually
• Non-WordPress files currently exist in the directory 

If WordPress was already installed using the DreamHost WordPress installer

If you previously installed WordPress using the DreamHost WordPress installer, the installation will stop with the following message:

You must either:

• Delete the DreamHost WordPress install in your panel, or
• Install WordPress into a subdirectory of this website

If you previously installed WordPress manually

If you manually uploaded a WordPress site to your server, it will not display in the panel. However, since WordPress files exist in your website directory, the DreamHost WordPress installer will add a timestamp to the old files. For example:

• index.php.1555975213
• wp-login.php.1555975213
• wp-settings.php.1555975213

The new DreamHost WordPress installer files will then be used instead of your old files. You can then delete the old files using the instructions in the following article:

• Removing duplicated DreamHost WordPress installer files

If there are non-WordPress files in your directory

If there are any non-WordPress files or directories, these will not be touched by the installation. The new WordPress files will be installed alongside your existing files.

1. Navigate to the Install WordPress page.

   

2. Select your domain from the dropdown.

   Install into a subdirectory

   

   If you need to install WordPress into a subdirectory like example.com/blog.

   1. Click Advanced.
   2. Under Specify Path, enter the subdirectory you wish to install into.
3. It's recommended you leave the Select Database dropdown set to Automatically Create Database.

   If you do not want to have a new database created, you can use an existing database you have already created in your panel. Click Advanced and select your database from the Select Database dropdown.

   If you choose an existing database from the dropdown that contains a previous WordPress install, the current database tables will remain and the new WordPress tables will be installed alongside the existing tables.

4. Click Install Wordpress.
5. The next page allows you to select a site purpose for a guided WordPress install. Choosing an option will suggest specific plugins for the installation. Select an option (or None) and click Next.
6. The next page lists the suggested plugins specific to the site purpose you chose. If you do not want a plugin installed, uncheck the box for it.
7. Click Install. 

Within 15 minutes, an email is sent to you at the primary email listed on your DreamHost account. This email details further steps to take to complete the installation.

After you've installed WordPress, you'll receive an email to the primary email address on your DreamHost account. This email lists further steps to take to complete the installation.

When WordPress is finally running on your site, you can log into it at:

• example.com/wp-login.php

If the installation completes but you do not receive the email with the instructions on how to access your new WordPress install, you can always check your "Recent Messages" on the Contact Support page for an archived copy of that email.

If the DreamHost WordPress installation does not complete within 20 minutes or fails with an error, please contact support.

Install link does not work

A 404 or "Site Not Found" error can appear on new WordPress setups when you attempt to view the site after changing it over from another hosting option (such as mirroring or redirection). In these cases, the site is still resolving to the old Mirror or Redirection A records, rather than the new Fully Hosted A records. Fortunately, this will resolve once DNS propagation completes, assuming that the site is using DreamHost’s nameservers. See the following article for further information on DNS propagation:

• DNS propagation overview

If you want to change the domain of an existing WordPress site, please view the following article on DreamHost's website renamer:

• Changing the domain of a WordPress site in the panel