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MySQL Databases & phpMyAdmin in Enhance

MySQL databases in Enhance

Most modern websites (WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel, etc.) store data in a MySQL-compatible database (often MariaDB under the hood). In Enhance, databases are managed per-website, with clean separation between sites.

This guide walks you through:

  • Creating a database
  • Creating a database user and setting permissions
  • Opening phpMyAdmin via single sign-on (SSO)
  • Common safe workflows (import/export) and security best practices

Before you start

You should know:

  • Which website you’re working on (if you host multiple sites).
  • Whether your application expects a new database or you’re migrating an existing one.
  • That database passwords are sensitive. Store them in a password manager.

Avoid reusing database users across websites

One database user per app/site is the fastest way to limit blast radius if credentials ever leak.

Create a new database and user in Enhance

1) Add the database

  1. In Enhance, open Websites in the left sidebar.
  2. Select the website you want to add the database to.
  3. On the Website dashboard, click Databases (top navigation).
  4. Click Add database and enter a database name.

When adding the database, you’ll be prompted to either:

  • Create a new database user, or
  • Select an existing user

By default, all permissions are selected.

Best practice: - Uncheck All database privileges - Grant only what the app needs (for most CMS apps, full privileges on that one database is acceptable, but never across multiple databases)

  1. Click Add to finish.

You can create a database without a user

If you want to plan access later, you can create the database first and attach a user later.

Access phpMyAdmin (SSO)

phpMyAdmin is a browser-based database tool. It’s powerful, but it’s also easy to damage data if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Open phpMyAdmin from Enhance

  1. Open your website’s Databases tab.
  2. For the database you want, open the menu and select Manage.
  3. Click the phpMyAdmin button.

If phpMyAdmin won’t open

Enhance requires a phpMyAdmin domain to be configured on the platform. On GOZEN HOST, we handle this platform-wide. If you see an SSO error, open a ticket and we’ll fix access quickly.

Common tasks in phpMyAdmin (safe workflows)

Import a database (migration)

Use this when you’re moving a site to GOZEN HOST or restoring from a backup.

  1. Open phpMyAdmin for the correct database.
  2. Click Import.
  3. Upload your .sql file (or .sql.gz if supported).
  4. Start the import and wait for completion.

Large imports can time out

If your import is large, it may fail in a browser. In that case, GOZEN HOST Support can import via server-side tools safely.

Export a database (backup)

  1. Open phpMyAdmin.
  2. Click Export.
  3. Choose Quick (or Custom if you need specific tables).
  4. Download the .sql backup file and store it securely.

Quick “health” actions

For performance or corruption checks, experienced users may:

  • Optimize tables (maintenance)
  • Repair tables (only if you know what you’re repairing)

If you’re unsure, stop and ask support. Database “repairs” can be destructive if done incorrectly.

Security best practices

  • Use unique database users per application.
  • Use long, unique passwords (16+ characters, random).
  • Remove old users after migrations.
  • Don’t use database credentials in public repos.
  • Avoid giving database access to third-party plugins or “support” services without vetting.

Troubleshooting

WordPress shows “Error establishing a database connection”

This usually means one of these:

  • Wrong database name/user/password in wp-config.php
  • User lacks permissions on the database
  • The database service is unreachable

Fast path: 1. Confirm you’re editing the correct website and database. 2. Confirm the database user has permissions for that database. 3. If it started after a migration, confirm the imported database name matches what your app expects.

If you want GOZEN HOST to handle it end-to-end, open a ticket and include: - The domain name - When the problem started - Whether you recently changed credentials or imported a backup

Summary

  • Databases in Enhance are managed per website.
  • Create a database + user, then grant the minimum permissions required.
  • Use phpMyAdmin for targeted tasks (import/export, quick checks), and keep it safe.