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Last modified: February 8, 2024

Overview

This wizard guides you through the setup of a MySQL® database, user accounts, and user privileges. We recommend that you use this wizard to create your first database and user.

Set up a database

To set up a database, perform the following steps:

1. In the New Database text box, enter a name for the database and click Next Step. The system limits the database name to 64 characters. However, due to the method that cPanel & WHM uses to store MySQL database names, each underscore character requires two characters of that limit. Therefore, if your hosting provider enabled database prefixing, the underscore character in the database prefix will use two characters of the 64-character database name limit. Each other character in the database prefix will only use one character of the limit. You may name a database with any ASCII characters except the following:

   • /
   • "
   • '
   • `

2. In the Username text box, enter a name for the user who you wish to allow to manage the database. You may only enter alphanumeric characters. To limit the database prefix to eight characters, use the Force short prefix for MySQL and MariaDB databases setting in WHM’s Tweak Settings interface (WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Tweak Settings).

   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. For more information about MySQL and MariaDB® prefix settings, read our Tweak Settings documentation.

   To learn more about database username limits, click your database type:

   MySQL 5.6 and earlier

   MySQL 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 later

   MySQL 5.7 limits the database username to 32 characters. The system includes the database prefix (the first 16 characters of the cPanel account’s username plus an underscore for a total of 17 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.

   MariaDB

   MariaDB 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.

3. Enter and confirm the new password in the appropriate text boxes. Some web hosts require a minimum password strength. 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. A green password Strength meter indicates that the password is equal to or greater than the required password strength. You may click Password Generator to generate a strong password. For more information, read our Password & Security documentation.

4. Click Create User.

5. Select the checkboxes that correspond to the privileges that you want to grant the user, or select ALL PRIVILEGES. For more information about user privileges, read the MySQL documentation.

6. Click Next Step.

The system displays a message that states that you successfully set up the database and user account.

Additional options

After you complete the database setup process, select one of the following options:

• Add another database — Click to return to the beginning of the MySQL Database Wizard interface to add more databases.

• Add another MySQL Databases User — Click to open the MySQL® Databases interface (cPanel » Home » Databases » MySQL® Databases) to create additional user accounts and assign them to a database.

• Return to Home — Click to return to the cPanel Home interface.