Softaculous: install and manage applications from cPanel

Reviewed on September 8, 2026 5 min read softaculous aplicaciones

Softaculous lets you install and manage applications from cPanel > Softaculous Apps Installer. You can search for an application, such as WordPress, and set up its installation without uploading all the files by hand.

Install a new application

Before you start, add the domain to the hosting and check its certificate if you are going to use HTTPS. Also check the destination folder: a new installation needs its own space and must not overwrite an existing website.

Open Softaculous Apps Installer from cPanel.
Search for the application and open Install.
Review the protocol, domain and directory.
Set the admin details, a valid contact email address and the language, if the application allows it.
Review the update and backup options. Do not accept values without knowing how they will affect the application.
Confirm the installation and keep the public and admin addresses shown in the result.

Where you want to install	Domain	Directory field
On the domain's home page	Your domain	Empty
Inside a `/blog` folder	Your domain	`blog`
On a subdomain you have already created	The subdomain	Empty

Do not type the full domain in the directory field. If a warning about existing files appears, check their content and your backups before continuing; do not force it by default.

Open the website and its admin area after installing. Check an internal page and the application's basic functions. If the domain does not appear in the selector, check its configuration in cPanel.

Manage an existing installation

Open the Softaculous installations list and find the exact URL. The available actions depend on the application and its compatibility. Identify them by their name or description, not just by what the icon looks like.

Clone or create a test environment

Cloning duplicates files and database to another destination. See how to clone an application or how to use staging.

A copy can keep payment gateway keys, external connections and sending jobs. Review those integrations and protect access to the test environment before using it. Having another database does not automatically isolate every external service.

Import an application that already exists

If you installed the application manually on this hosting, find its page and the Import option. Select the existing domain and directory and check that it appears in the list. This import registers an existing installation; it is not the same as copying it from another server.

To bring it over from another provider, see importing from a remote server and check the scope of the migration first.

Create or restore a backup

In the relevant installation, open the backup action and check whether it includes files, database or both. Wait for it to finish and check that the backup appears in the backups list and can be downloaded.

A backup stored inside the account uses space and shares the risk of losing that hosting. If you set up a compatible remote destination, also check that the upload finishes and that you can retrieve the file. The available locations appear in the Softaculous backup settings.

Before restoring, confirm the date, installation and components: restoring can overwrite current changes. Keep a backup of the state you are about to replace.

Remove an application

Open Remove only after identifying the URL and keeping a restorable backup. Review the directory, database and database user checkboxes separately. Do not delete resources shared with another website.

If you only want to take the installation off the Softaculous list, use the action intended to remove its record and check that no resources will be deleted. Removing a website and removing it from the installer's inventory are different operations.

WordPress Manager

To manage WordPress installations, see Softaculous WordPress Manager. You still need to check every change and keep restorable backups of the website.