How to Use Softaculous

Softaculous is a one-click application installer built into your cPanel control panel at Ultra Web Hosting. It lets you install, manage, update, backup, and remove over 450 web applications including WordPress, Joomla, PrestaShop, phpBB, and many more. This guide covers everything you need to know to get the most out of Softaculous on your hosting account.

01. Accessing Softaculous

There are two ways to open Softaculous:

1. Log into cPanel - Go to Services > My Services in the client area and click your hosting plan, then click the cPanel login button
2. Find the Softaculous section - Scroll down to the Software section and click Softaculous Apps Installer

You can also access Softaculous directly from the cPanel homepage by clicking any of the quick-install icons at the bottom of the page (WordPress, Joomla, etc.).

The Softaculous Interface

Once open, you will see:

• Left sidebar - Application categories (Blogs, CMS, E-Commerce, Forums, Image Galleries, Wikis, and many more)
• Top navigation - All Installations, Backups, Email Settings, and Import
• Main area - Featured and popular applications with search

Use the search bar at the top to quickly find any application by name.

02. Installing an Application

The installation process is similar for all 450+ applications. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Choose your application - Browse categories or search, then click the application name to see its overview page with description, ratings, reviews, and demo link
2. Click Install Now - This opens the installation form
3. Choose your domain - Select which domain or subdomain to install on from the dropdown. If you want the app at the root (example.com), leave the "In Directory" field empty. To install in a subfolder (example.com/blog), type the folder name
4. Set admin credentials - Choose a username (not "admin" for security), a strong password, and enter your email address
5. Configure Advanced Options - Click "Advanced Options" to set the database name, table prefix, auto-backup schedule, and auto-upgrade preferences
6. Click Install - Softaculous creates the database, copies the files, runs the setup, and gives you a confirmation with your login URL

Installation Best Practices

• Never use "admin" as your username - Bots target this. Use something unique
• Use a strong password - Let Softaculous generate one for you using the key icon
• Enable auto-backups during install - Set to weekly with a rotation of 4. This gives you a month of rollback points at no extra effort
• Install SSL first - If your domain has an SSL certificate (most do, we include free AutoSSL), make sure to select https:// in the protocol dropdown during installation

03. Managing Your Installations

To see everything Softaculous has installed on your account, click the All Installations icon at the top of the Softaculous interface (it looks like a list icon).

For each installation, you will see:

• Application name and version - What is installed and which version
• Domain and path - Where it is installed
• Action icons - Edit, Upgrade, Clone, Staging, Backup, and Remove

Editing an Installation

Click the pencil (Edit) icon next to any installation to change:

• Admin username, password, or email - Useful if you forgot your login
• Auto-update settings - Enable or disable auto-upgrades
• Backup frequency - Change from daily, weekly, or monthly
• Backup rotation - How many backups to keep (up to 10)

Removing an Installation

Click the red X icon to uninstall. Softaculous gives you the option to remove files, database, or both. Be careful because this is permanent. We recommend creating a backup first.

04. Auto-Updates and Security

Keeping your applications updated is the single most important thing you can do to prevent your site from being hacked. Softaculous makes this easy with auto-upgrade support.

How Auto-Updates Work

When Softaculous detects a new version of an installed application, it can automatically upgrade it for you. Before upgrading, it creates a backup so you can roll back if something breaks.

To enable or change auto-update settings:

1. Go to All Installations - Click the list icon at the top of Softaculous
2. Click the pencil icon next to the installation you want to configure
3. Scroll to Auto Upgrade - Check the box and choose whether to update minor versions only or all versions
4. Click Save Installation Details

Manual Upgrades

When a manual upgrade is available, you will see an "Upgrade" arrow icon next to the installation in the All Installations list. Click it, review the changelog, and click Upgrade to proceed. Softaculous handles the file replacement and database migration.

05. Backups and Restore

Softaculous provides its own backup system that is separate from cPanel backups and any other backup tools you may use. Softaculous backups include the complete application: all files, the database, and configuration.

Creating a Manual Backup

1. Go to All Installations in Softaculous
2. Click the Backup icon (cloud with arrow) next to the installation
3. Add a note (optional) - Useful for labeling backups like "Before plugin update" or "Working version March 2026"
4. Click Backup Installation - Softaculous compresses everything into a single archive

Setting Up Automated Backups

Automated backups run on a schedule you choose:

• Frequency - Once a day, once a week, or once a month
• Rotation - How many backups to keep (1-10). When the limit is reached, the oldest backup is deleted automatically

To configure, edit the installation (pencil icon) and scroll to the backup section. We recommend weekly backups with a rotation of 4 for most sites. High-traffic or frequently updated sites should use daily backups.

Restoring a Backup

1. Click the Backups icon in the top navigation of Softaculous (folder icon)
2. Find the backup you want to restore
3. Click the Restore icon (circular arrow)
4. Choose what to restore - Files only, database only, or both
5. Click Restore Installation - Softaculous replaces the current files and database with the backup version

Restoring a backup completely replaces the current version. If your site is live and you just want to check something in the backup, download it instead of restoring it.

06. Staging, Cloning, and Import

Staging

Staging lets you create a private copy of your site where you can test changes (new plugins, theme updates, major upgrades) without affecting your live site. When you are happy with the changes, you push them live.

1. Go to All Installations and click the Staging icon next to your site
2. Choose a staging URL - Softaculous suggests a subdomain or directory
3. Click Create Staging - Softaculous copies everything to the staging location
4. Make your changes on the staging copy
5. Push to Live - When ready, click the Push to Live button from the staging installation

Cloning

Cloning creates an exact duplicate of an installation on a different domain or directory. This is useful when you want to create a second site based on an existing one, or when moving a site to a new domain.

Click the Clone icon next to any installation, choose the destination domain and directory, and click Clone Installation.

Importing Existing Installations

If you installed an application manually (not through Softaculous), you can import it so Softaculous can manage it going forward. Click Import in the top navigation, select the application type, choose the domain, and Softaculous will scan for it. Once imported, you get all the management features: auto-updates, backups, staging, and more.

07. WordPress Manager

Softaculous includes a dedicated WordPress Manager that gives you extra control over WordPress installations specifically. Access it from the WordPress section in Softaculous or from the WordPress Manager icon in cPanel.

The WordPress Manager lets you:

• See all WordPress sites at a glance - Version, theme, plugin count, and status
• Manage plugins and themes - Activate, deactivate, or update plugins and themes without logging into WordPress
• Enable/disable debug mode - Turn WordPress debug mode on for troubleshooting without editing wp-config.php
• Change the WordPress admin URL - Hide wp-login.php from bots by changing the login path
• Force HTTPS - Enable SSL for the site with one click
• Install themes - Browse and install WordPress themes directly

08. Popular Applications

Softaculous offers over 450 applications organized by category. Here are the most popular ones available on your Ultra Web Hosting account:

For a complete list of all available applications, log into cPanel and open Softaculous. You can browse by category or search by name.

09. Troubleshooting

Installation Fails

The most common causes of failed installations:

• Directory not empty - Softaculous cannot install into a folder that already contains files. Either choose a different directory or delete the existing files first
• Database limit reached - Your hosting plan has a limit on the number of MySQL databases. Delete unused databases in cPanel > MySQL Databases, or contact support
• Disk space full - Check your disk usage in cPanel. See Understanding and Managing Disk Space

Upgrade Fails or Breaks the Site

If an auto-upgrade causes problems:

1. Go to Backups in Softaculous
2. Find the pre-upgrade backup - Softaculous automatically creates one before upgrading
3. Restore it - This rolls your site back to the working version
4. Investigate - Check the application's release notes for known incompatibilities, then try upgrading again after resolving the issue

Cannot Find Softaculous in cPanel

Softaculous is included with all Ultra Web Hosting shared and reseller plans. If you do not see it in cPanel, try clearing your browser cache or searching for "Softaculous" in the cPanel search bar at the top. If it is still missing, open a support ticket and we will check your account.

"Installation Not Found" After Manual File Changes

If you manually moved or renamed files that belong to a Softaculous installation, Softaculous may lose track of it. Use the Import function (top navigation) to re-detect and re-register the installation.

Quick Recap

1. Access Softaculous - cPanel > Software > Softaculous Apps Installer
2. Install apps with one click - Choose the app, fill in your domain and admin credentials, click Install
3. Enable auto-updates - At minimum, turn on minor version auto-upgrades for security
4. Set up automated backups - Weekly with a rotation of 4 is a good starting point
5. Use staging for major changes - Test updates and new plugins on a copy before going live

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Getting Started articles