How to Install Joomla with Softaculous

This guide shows you how to install Joomla, a popular free content management system (CMS), on your hosting plan using Softaculous. Softaculous is an app installer, sometimes called a one-click or auto installer, that is built into your hosting control panel. It creates the database, copies the Joomla files, and configures the site for you, so no manual uploading or database work is needed. This guide is written for anyone setting up a new Joomla website on a Noiz hosting plan, and no technical experience is required.

Last reviewed: 27 July 2026, against Joomla 6.1.2 (latest stable), which is the version currently offered by the Softaculous app installer. This article reproduces the official Softaculous procedure for installing a script, applied to Joomla. Softaculous and Joomla both release frequently, so always cross-reference the current version of the official documentation before starting - direct links to every section used in this guide are provided below.

Official Documentation Reference

• Softaculous end-user docs: Install a Script - the official install procedure this guide follows
• Softaculous end-user documentation index - upgrades, backups, cloning, and password resets
• Joomla on Softaculous - the Joomla versions Softaculous currently offers
• Joomla official downloads - confirms the latest stable Joomla release
• Joomla Manual: Technical Requirements - PHP and database versions Joomla supports

Prerequisites

• A Noiz hosting plan that includes the Softaculous app installer.
• Login details for your hosting control panel. If your plan uses Plesk, see How to log in to Plesk.
• A domain name that already points to your hosting plan.
• An active SSL certificate on the domain, so the site can be installed over https://.
• PHP 8.3 or newer enabled for the domain. Joomla 6 requires PHP 8.3.0 as a minimum, and the Joomla project recommends PHP 8.4.

Step 1: Open Softaculous

1. Log in to your hosting control panel.
2. Find the Softaculous Apps Installer icon or link. It is usually listed under an Applications or Software section of the panel.
3. Click it to open the Softaculous interface. You will see script categories in the left sidebar and the most popular scripts in the centre of the page.

Step 2: Find Joomla and Start the Installer

1. In the left sidebar, click the Portal/CMS category, then click Joomla. You can also type Joomla into the search box at the top of the sidebar.
2. The Joomla overview page opens, showing ratings, screenshots, and a demo.
3. Click the Install button (or the Install tab) to open the installation form.

Step 3: Complete the Installation Form

The form is divided into sections. Most fields have sensible defaults, and the ones that matter are covered below.

Software Setup

1. Under Choose Installation URL, select the protocol. Choose https:// if your domain has an SSL certificate, which is strongly recommended.
2. Select the domain you want to install Joomla on, for example yourdomain.com (replace this with your own domain throughout).
3. In the In Directory field, leave the box blank to install Joomla at the root of the domain, so the site loads at https://yourdomain.com. Only enter a directory name, for example joomla, if you want the site at https://yourdomain.com/joomla.
4. Under Choose the version you want to install, keep the latest version selected (currently 6.1.2) unless you have a specific reason to install an older supported branch.

Site Settings

• Site Name: the name of your website, for example My First Website. You can change this later in Joomla.
• Site Description: a short description or slogan for the site. This can also be changed later.

Admin Account

• Admin Username: choose something unique. Avoid admin or administrator, as automated attacks try those names first.
• Admin Password: use a long, strong password. The key icon next to the field generates one for you, and the meter shows the password strength.
• Real Name: your name as it should appear in Joomla.
• Admin Email: a working email address. Joomla uses it for password recovery, so make sure you can receive mail there.

Record the admin username and password in a password manager before you continue. You will need them to log in to your Joomla administrator area.

Choose Language

• Select the language for your Joomla site. The default is English, and additional languages can be added inside Joomla later.

Advanced Options

Click Advanced Options to expand this section. The defaults are fine for most installations, but it is worth knowing what is here:

• Database Name and Table Prefix: Softaculous generates safe values automatically. Only change them if you have a naming convention to follow.
• Automated backups: you can have Softaculous back the installation up on a schedule, with a rotation limit. Backups count towards your disk space, so keep the rotation small.
• Auto Upgrade: optionally let Softaculous apply Joomla updates automatically.

Email Installation Details

• At the bottom of the form, enter your email address in the Email installation details to field to receive a summary of the installation, including the URLs.

Step 4: Run the Installation

1. Click the Install button at the bottom of the form.
2. A progress bar appears. Installation normally takes under a minute, though the time varies. Do not close the browser window until it finishes.
3. When the installation completes, Softaculous shows a success message with two links: the address of your new site and the address of its administrator area.

Step 5: Log in to Your New Joomla Site

1. Open the administrator link from the success screen. For a root installation it looks like https://yourdomain.com/administrator (using your own domain).
2. Log in with the Admin Username and Admin Password you set in Step 3.
3. You are now in the Joomla administrator dashboard, where you can choose a template, create articles, and build menus. Your public site is live at https://yourdomain.com.

Troubleshooting

• The installer reports that files already exist in the target directory: another site or an earlier installation attempt is occupying that location. Either choose a different In Directory value, or back up and remove the existing files first, then run the installer again.
• The installation fails with a database error: your plan may have reached its database limit, or a database with the generated name already exists. Remove an unused database, or expand Advanced Options and set a different Database Name.
• Joomla reports an unsupported PHP version: Joomla 6 needs PHP 8.3.0 or newer. Raise the PHP version for the domain in your hosting control panel, or select a supported older Joomla branch from the version dropdown before installing.
• The site loads over http instead of https: confirm the domain has a valid SSL certificate, then use Edit Installation (the pencil icon next to the installation in Softaculous) to change the installation URL to https://.
• You have lost the admin password: in Softaculous, open All Installations, find the Joomla installation, and use the admin password reset option to set a new one.

Softaculous is included on Noiz hosting plans that ship with the app installer, and everything above happens inside your own control panel. If you get stuck at any step, open a support ticket with the Noiz support team, including your domain name and the point where the installation failed, and they will help you get your Joomla site running.