Creating and Managing MySQL Databases

4 min read

Most web applications - WordPress, Laravel, Drupal, custom PHP apps - need a MySQL database. All GoZen shared hosting and WordPress hosting plans include MySQL databases. cPanel lets you create and manage them without touching the command line.

Creating a Database link

1. Log into cPanel
2. Go to Databases → MySQL Databases
3. Under Create New Database, enter a name
4. Click Create Database

Creating a Database User link

Applications connect to a database through a database user, so create one next.

1. On the same MySQL Databases page, scroll to MySQL Users
2. Enter a username and generate a strong password
3. Click Create User

The username is also prefixed. gozen + admin = gozen_admin.

Assigning a User to a Database link

1. Scroll to Add User To Database
2. Select the user and the database from the dropdowns
3. Click Add
4. On the privileges screen, check ALL PRIVILEGES (or select specific ones if you want tighter control)
5. Click Make Changes

Your application config needs four values:

  Database name: gozen_wp
Database user: gozen_admin
Database host: localhost
Database password: (the password you set)
  

Using phpMyAdmin link

phpMyAdmin gives you a visual interface for running queries, browsing tables, importing/exporting data, and managing structure.

1. Go to Databases → phpMyAdmin
2. Select your database from the left sidebar
3. You’re in - browse tables, run SQL, import/export

Importing a Database link

1. Select the target database in phpMyAdmin
2. Click the Import tab
3. Click Choose File and select your .sql file
4. Leave the defaults (SQL format, UTF-8 encoding)
5. Click Go

Size limit: phpMyAdmin imports are limited by the PHP upload size (usually 50–256 MB on GoZen Host shared plans). Shared and WordPress plans have no SSH, so for larger imports compress the file first (phpMyAdmin accepts .sql.gz and .zip), split it into smaller files, or open a support ticket and we’ll import it for you.

On a VPS or dedicated server you can import from the command line:

  mysql -u gozen_admin -p gozen_wp < database.sql
  

Exporting a Database link

1. Select your database
2. Click Export
3. Choose Quick for a simple dump or Custom for more control
4. Format: SQL
5. Click Go - the .sql file downloads to your computer

Do this before making major site changes. Together with a backup of your files, the export lets you restore the whole site.

Remote Database Access link

By default, MySQL only accepts connections from localhost. If you need to connect from an external tool (like MySQL Workbench or TablePlus on your local machine):

1. Go to Databases → Remote MySQL
2. Add your IP address (or % for any IP - not recommended for production)
3. Click Add Host

Then connect using:

Database Size and Limits link

Shared hosting plans have overall disk quotas that include your databases. There’s no separate database size limit - it all counts against your plan’s storage.

To check current database sizes:

1. Go to Databases → MySQL Databases
2. Scroll to Current Databases - the size is listed next to each one

If a database is growing fast, check for bloated log tables (common in WordPress with plugins like WooCommerce or activity logs).

Troubleshooting link

What to Do Next link

• Managing Files with cPanel File Manager - upload your application files
• Backups and Restores - make sure your database is included in backups