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:
Then 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 will need to 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
Get your website online
You have several different options for getting your site online, depending on what your experience is and whether or not 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.
Transfer an existing site
If you've built a website before, you may wish to transfer it to your new hosting package. If you'd like us to do this for you, we offer one free transfer with your new hosting package. This one free transfer may be either a manual transfer of a single site or a full cPanel transfer.
For more detailed information, read our complete primer on website transfers here:
If you have an existing WordPress site and want to move it to HostGator, you can check out this guide that dives into the process of getting your WordPress site migrated.
Our web transfer form is available here. You will want to be logged into your Customer Portal to access this form:
For specialized instructions on how to use the website transfer form, check out our help article below:
Intermediate Users: Softaculous Script Installer
If you have spent time building websites before, you're probably familiar with the benefits of using CMS software such as WordPress for developing your site. You may even be migrating from wordpress.com to have more control over your hosting environment.
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:
- What Software and Program Versions Does HostGator Offer?
- How Do I Get and Use SSH Access?
- FTP Settings and Connection
- How Do I Create a MySQL Database, a User, and Then Delete if Needed?
- How to Whitelist Your IP in cPanel for Remote MySQL Access
- How to Connect to the MySQL Database Remotely
- Commonly Used Port Numbers
Shared Hosting Startup Guide