Get Your Website Running
Whether you are starting fresh with a new site or have an existing website and are transferring it over, we have guides specific to your needs. First, you'll need to know how to access your account before your domain is configured:
You will want specific steps for how to get your website onto your server based on the type of website you want and the experience you have:
Accessing your Account
To access certain parts of your account before configuring your domain and during the propagation of domain configuration changes, you must use a different URL that does not utilize the domain name. The URLs listed below use the server's IP.
Website URL: http://server-hostname.temp.domains/~user/
cPanel URL: http://site-ip/cpanel
Webmail URL: http://site-ip/webmail
- The server hostname, site-ip, and user portions of the URLs above must be replaced with the proper values.
- The server hostname (without the:2083 at the end of it), site IP (Server IP), and user (Username) can be located in your Customer Portal or cPanel. For more information, please see What is a Temporary URL & How to Use One?
Get your Website Online
You have several different options for getting your site online, depending on your experience and whether you have a website you want to transfer over to our services.
HostGator Web Design Services
Having a good website that meets the needs of your visitors takes time, effort, and knowledge. Your time is valuable; if you want to get online with a professional site without all the guides and effort, HostGator offers design services to do all of this for you.
Migrate an Existing Site
If you've built a website before, you may wish to migrate it to your new hosting package. HostGator offers professional migration services – Site Migration and Email Migration. Please visit the following articles for more information.
If you have an existing WordPress site and want to move it to HostGator yourself, you can check out this guide that dives into the process of getting your WordPress site migrated.
Intermediate Users: Softaculous Script Installer
Installing WordPress or other CMS software is easy and fast using our Softaculous tool. With 190 various script applications available for installation on your hosting account, you can find a solution geared to fit your website needs.
Use the link below to get started with Softaculous:
Advanced Users: Server Specifications
If all you need to get started is the specifications for what software is installed and how to access your files and databases, here's where you can find exactly what you're looking for:
- Commonly Used Port Numbers
- FTP Settings and Connection
- HostGator Software and Program Versions
- How Do I Create a MySQL Database, a User, and Then Delete if Needed?
- How Do I Get and Use SSH Access?
- How to Connect to the MySQL Database Remotely
- How to Whitelist Your IP in cPanel for Remote MySQL Access