What is the MySQL hostname and how do I find it?

 

Your MySQL hostname defines where your MySQL database is hosted. If you want to connect to your database, you need to specify the MySQL hostname so your application knows where to connect.

In most cases, including hosting a WordPress site at Kinsta, your MySQL hostname will be localhost .

This essentially means that your MySQL database is running on the same server as the application you are working with ( like your WordPress site ). We have a detailed article that explains the concept of localhost and how it applies to WordPress.

If you are hosting your WordPress site at Kinsta, you normally just need to know that your database hostname is localhost . But if you want to learn more about the topic, or if you need to connect to a database remotely, read on for a more in-depth explanation.

Contents

1. What is the MySQL hostname?
2. How do I find the MySQL hostname?
3. How to find the MySQL hostname when it is not localhost

What is the MySQL hostname?

The MySQL hostname defines the location of your MySQL server and database. If you want to connect to the information of a MySQL database, you need to know the hostname. Again, the hostname is usually localhost , indicating that the database is running on the same server as your application (eg WordPress).

On a WordPress site, your MySQL hostname is defined in your site’s wp-config.php file .

If you were to connect to your WordPress site’s server via FTP and open your wp-config.php file , you will see your MySQL hostname set on the following line:

/** MySQL hostname */
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

How to find the MySQL hostname in WordPress

On most WordPress installations, the value will be set as localhost .

How do I find the MySQL hostname?

Let’s see how to find your database hostname in common situations.

How do I find the MySQL hostname at Kinsta?

At Kinsta, your database hostname is localhost for all of your WordPress sites.

If you need to remotely connect to your WordPress site’s database at Kinsta, you can follow our tutorial on Remote Database Access .

In case you need to find the MySQL port number , follow this guide.

How do I find the MySQL hostname in cPanel?

By default, cPanel also uses localhost for its MySQL hostname.

However, it is possible for hosting providers to specify a remote database server instead. Unfortunately, there is no default way to learn this from inside cPanel ( unless your host has added their own tool ).

If  localhost is n’t working for you, your best bet is to reach out to support.

You can also try using the domain name associated with your cPanel account or use intoDNS to find the IP address associated with the domain’s A record and use that IP address as the host name:

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How to find the domain IP address

You can also use phpMyAdmin, which is the next option.

How do I find the phpMyAdmin hostname?

phpMyAdmin allows you to view and modify your database. It also provides you with information about your MySQL hostname.

When you open phpMyAdmin, find the server information in the server area of the database. You can see how, at Kinsta, phpMyAdmin indicates that the MySQL server is localhost :

MySQL server in phpMyAdmin

If you need to connect remotely using the IP address / domain of your MySQL database, you can open the Variables menu on your phpMyAdmin home page and search for “hostname” to find the domain or address. Database server IP:

How to find the hostname variable in phpMyAdmin

You can access the phpMyAdmin home page by clicking on the logo in the upper left corner.Having trouble with downtime and WordPress? Kinsta is the hosting solution designed to save you time! Discover our features

Again, if you’re looking specifically to connect to your database remotely at Kinsta, we’ve got a dedicated article that shows you how to set it up .

How to find the MySQL hostname when it is not localhost

In almost all situations your MySQL will be localhost, especially with WordPress. However, if you try to connect to a MySQL database remotely, the hostname will not be localhost.

If your hostname isn’t localhost, here are some tactics to find it.

1. Ask for help

It might sound obvious, but often the easiest tactic is to just contact the support team behind the database you’re trying to connect to. They should be able to provide you with the MySQL hostname.

2. Use phpMyAdmin

If you have access to phpMyAdmin, you can follow the method in the previous section to use phpMyAdmin to find your MySQL hostname by looking for the hostname variable.

3. Use the domain associated with the database server

If you know the domain name associated with your database server (for example, the domain name associated with cPanel), you can search for the A record of the domain name using intoDNS to find the IP address of your MySQL server.

Abstract

Your hostname defines the location of your MySQL database server. In most cases, especially when working with WordPress sites, you can use localhost as the hostname.

However, if you need to connect to a database remotely, you will need to find the IP address of your MySQL host to connect remotely.

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