How to Host a PHP Website – A Step-by-Step Guide

Hosting a PHP website requires setting up a server, uploading your files, and configuring the database. Here’s a brief overview of each step:

1. Choose a Web Hosting Provider

Pick a hosting provider that supports PHP and MySQL, such as:

• Shared Hosting: Bluehost, SiteGround, Hostinger (affordable, easy setup)

• VPS Hosting: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr (for more control)

• Cloud Hosting: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure (scalable, enterprise-level)

If you're starting, shared hosting is the best choice.

2. Register a Domain Name

A domain name (e.g., yourwebsite.com) can be purchased from domain registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains.

If your hosting provider offers free domain registration, you can get both together.

3. Upload Your PHP Files

To make your PHP site live, you must upload the files to your hosting server. There are two ways to do this:

1. Using cPanel (File Manager)

• Log in to your hosting cPanel.

• Open File Manager → public_html directory.

• Upload your PHP files here.

2. Using FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

• Install FileZilla or any FTP client.

• Enter your hosting credentials (FTP hostname, username, password).

• Connect and upload your PHP files to the public_html directory.

4. Set Up a MySQL Database (If Needed)

If your PHP site requires a database:

• Go to cPanel > MySQL Databases.

• Create a new database and database user.

• Link the user to the database and grant all privileges.

• Update your PHP configuration (config.php) with database details:

$host = "localhost"; $user = "your_db_user"; $password = "your_db_password"; $database = "your_db_name"; $conn = new mysqli($host, $user, $password, $database); if ($conn->connect_error) { die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error); } 

5. Configure Your Domain Name

If your domain is purchased separately, update the DNS settings:

• Go to your domain registrar’s dashboard.

• Update the nameservers to point to your hosting provider.

• It may take a few hours for the changes to take effect.

6. Test Your Website

After uploading your PHP files, visit your domain (www.yourdomain.com).
If the site doesn’t load properly:

• Ensure index.php is inside the public_html folder.

• Check database connection settings.

• Enable PHP error reporting to debug issues:

error_reporting(E_ALL); ini_set('display_errors', 1);
 

7. Enable SSL (HTTPS for Security)

To secure your website with HTTPS:

• Install a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt (available in cPanel).

• Redirect all traffic to HTTPS by adding this to .htaccess:

RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

8. Maintain and Update Your Website

• Regularly back up your files and database.

• Keep your PHP version updated (via cPanel → Select PHP Version).

Alternative: Hosting Locally (For Testing)

If you want to test your PHP website before going live:

• Install XAMPP (Windows, Mac) or LAMP (Linux).

• Place your PHP files inside htdocs (for XAMPP) or /var/www/html (for LAMP).

• Start Apache and MySQL, then open http://localhost/yourproject.