Use this interface to create, manage, and delete MySQL® or MariaDB® databases and database users.
Note
In cPanel & WHM version 118 and earlier, we titled this interface MySQL® Databases.
A database name may contain a maximum of 64 characters.
Due to the method that cPanel & WHM uses to store MySQL database names, each underscore character requires two characters of that limit.
If you enable database prefixing, a database name may contain a maximum of 63 characters, which includes the database prefix and the underscore character. Each additional underscore requires another two characters of that limit.
Note
Use the Force short prefix for MySQL and MariaDB databases setting in WHM’s Tweak Settings interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Tweak Settings) to limit the database prefix to eight characters. For more information about MySQL and MariaDB® prefix settings, read our Tweak Settings documentation.
Warning
Enabling the Force short prefix for MySQL and MariaDB databases setting in WHM’s Tweak Settings interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Tweak Settings) will prevent you from creating new accounts that share the same first eight characters of their usernames.
To add or delete information in existing databases, copy a database, or run database queries and scripts, use cPanel’s phpMyAdmin interface (cPanel » Home » Databases » phpMyAdmin).
Warning
Don’t use phpMyAdmin to create databases or database users. phpMyAdmin doesn’tmap databases, which causes backups and restorations to not function.
Note
We recommend that you use cPanel’s Database Wizard interface (cPanel » Home » Databases » Database Wizard) to create your first database and user.
Create a database
To create a database, perform the following steps:
.1In the New Database text box, enter a name for the database.
NoteIf your hosting provider has enabled database prefixing, a prefix based on your account username and underscore character ( _ ) will precede the New Database text box. The system automatically prepends this prefix to the database name.
.2Click Create Database. A new interface will appear.
.3Click Go Back. The new database appears in the Current Databases table.
To access and manage databases that you create, use the phpMyAdmin interface (cPanel » Home » Databases » phpMyAdmin). For information about how to use phpMyAdmin, visit the phpMyAdmin website.
Remote Database Host
Note
This section only appears if a remote MySQL or MariaDB configuration exists.
This section provides the remote database server’s address configured by your hosting provider. You can use this host to connect to the database server.
Modify Databases
If you experience problems with a database, check your databases for errors.
Check a database
To check a database for errors, perform the following steps:
.1In the Check Database menu, select the database that you wish to check.
.2Click Check Database. A new interface will appear, and the system will check whether the database functions correctly.
If the system detects a problem in the database, it displays the name of the corrupt table.
If the Check Complete message displays, the database functions correctly.
.3Click Go Back to return to the main interface.
Repair a database
If one of your databases becomes corrupt, you can attempt to repair it.
To repair a database, perform the following steps:
.1In the Repair Database menu, select the database that you wish to repair.
.2Click Repair Database. A new interface will appear, and the system will attempt to automatically repair the database.
If the system cannot repair the database, it will attempt to determine the source of the corrupt data.
If the Repair Complete message displays, the system successfully repaired the database.
.3Click Go Back to return to the main interface.
Current Databases
The Current Databases table lists the following information for each database in your account:
Database — The name of the database. This is also the DB_HOST value.
Size — The size of the database.
Privileged Users — The users who can manipulate the database. These names are also DB_USERNAME values.
NoteWhen you modify database users, make certain that you modify the user’s access to the correct database. Users may have access to more than one database.
To remove a user from a database, click the trash can icon () for the desired user, and then click Revoke User Privileges from the Database.
To modify a user’s MySQL or MariaDB privileges for a specific database, click the desired username, select and deselect checkboxes to configure the desired privileges, and then click Make Changes.
Actions — The available actions for this database. Click the appropriate icon in this column to rename or delete a database.
Rename a database
Warning
It is potentially dangerous to rename a MySQL database. We strongly recommend that you perform a backup of the MySQL database in cPanel’s Backup interface (cPanel » Home » Files » Backup) before you attempt to rename it.
When you rename a database, the system terminates all active connections to the database.
You must manually update configuration files and applications to use the new database name.
The system requires more time to rename larger and more complex databases.
To rename a database, perform the following steps:
.1In the Current Databases table, click Rename for the desired database.
.2Enter the new database name in the New name text box.
.3Click Proceed.
MySQL does not allow you to rename a database. When cPanel & WHM “renames” a database, the system performs the following steps:
.1The system creates a new database.
.2The system moves data from the old database to the new database.
.3The system recreates grants and stores code in the new database.
.4The system deletes the old database and its grants.
Warning
If any of the first three steps fail, the system returns an error and attempts to restore the database’s original state. If the restoration process fails, the API function’s error response describes these additional failures.
In rare cases, the system creates the second database successfully but fails to delete the old database or grants. The system treats the rename action as a success; however, the API function returns warnings that describe the failure to delete the old database or grants.
Delete a database
To delete a database, perform the following steps:
.1In the Current Databases table, click Delete for the desired database.
.2To permanently delete the database, click Delete Database.
.3Click Go Back to return to the main interface.
Add a user
After you create a database, add users to the database and configure their privileges.
Note
You must create MySQL user accounts separately from mail and web administrator accounts.
You must create a user before you can add the user to an existing database.
To create a new user account, perform the following steps:
.1Enter a username in the Username text box. To learn more about database username limits, click your database type:
MySQL 5.6 and earlierMySQL 5.6 limits the database username to 16 characters. The system includes the database prefix (the first eight characters of the cPanel account’s username plus an underscore for a total of nine characters) in the character count for the username.For example:
A MySQL database with the db_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to 13 characters.
A MySQL database with the example_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to eight characters.
MySQL 5.7 and laterMySQL 5.7 limits the database username to 32 characters. The system includes the database prefix (the first sixteen characters of the cPanel account’s username plus an underscore for a total of seventeen characters) in the character count for the username.For example:
A MySQL database with the db_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to 29 characters.
A MySQL database with the example_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to 24 characters.
MariaDBMariaDB limits the database username to 47 characters. The system includes the database prefix (all of the cPanel account’s username and an underscore character) in the character count for the username.For example:
A MariaDB database with the db_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to 44 characters.
A MariaDB database with the example_ prefix allows usernames that contain up to 39 characters.
.2Enter and confirm the new password in the appropriate text boxes.
Note
This value corresponds to the user’s DB_PASSWORD value. However, cPanel & WHM does not reveal this value. If you forget the value, you must change the user’s password.
The system evaluates the password that you enter on a scale of 100 points. 0 indicates a weak password, while 100 indicates a very secure password.
Some web hosts require a minimum password strength. A green Strength meter indicates that the password is equal to or greater than the required password strength.
Click Password Generator to generate a strong password. For more information, read our Password & Security documentation.
.3Click Create User.
.4Click Go Back to return to the main interface.
Add a user to a database
To add a user to a database, perform the following steps:
.1In the Add User To Database section of the interface, select the desired user and database from the menus.
.2Click Add. The MySQL Account Maintenance interface will appear.
.3Select the checkboxes that correspond to the privileges that you wish to grant to the user.
NoteTo grant all of the available privileges to the user, select the ALL PRIVILEGES checkbox.
.4Click Make Changes.
.5Click Go Back to return to the main interface.
For more information about user privileges, read the MySQL or MariaDB documentation.
Current Users
The Current Users table lists all of your database users, and allows you to perform the following actions:
Change Password — Click to modify a database user’s password. Enter and confirm the desired password, and then click Change Password.
Rename — Click to rename a database user. Enter the desired username, and then click Change Username.
Delete — Click to permanently delete a database user, and then click Delete User to continue.