How to Install Joomla 5: Step-by-Step for Beginners
Getting Started · Joomla 5 · Updated June 1, 2026
✅ Requirements verified against a live Joomla 5.4.6 install (it runs on PHP 8.2). Confirm exact minimums for the latest release before a production build.
This guide installs a fresh Joomla 5 site on typical Apache/PHP hosting.
Step 1 — Check requirements
Joomla 5 needs PHP 8.1+ (8.2 recommended) and MySQL 8.0.13+ / MariaDB 10.4.x+ / PostgreSQL 12+. Check yours with the version & PHP compatibility tool. Most hosts let you pick the PHP version in the control panel.
Step 2 — Create a database
In your hosting control panel (e.g. cPanel → MySQL Databases), create:
- A database.
- A database user, and add it to the database with all privileges.
Note the database name, username and password — you’ll need them in the installer. Tip: use our DB prefix & password generator for a secure prefix and password.
Step 3 — Upload Joomla
Download the latest Joomla 5 package from joomla.org, then upload and extract it
into your web root (e.g. public_html) via your host’s file manager or FTP.
Step 4 — Run the web installer
Visit your domain in a browser. The Joomla setup wizard walks you through:
- Site name and your Super User account (name, username, a strong password, email).
- Database configuration — paste the database details from Step 2.
- Click Install. Joomla creates the tables and finishes.
For security, Joomla automatically removes the installation files at the end.
Step 5 — First things after install
- Log in at
/administrator. - Turn on SEF URLs for clean links.
- Force HTTPS.
- Run through the security checklist.