---
title: "Web Cloud Databases - Connecting to a database"
description: "Find out how to connect to a database on your Web Cloud Databases solution"
url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/web-cloud/databases/db-connecting-database-server
lang: en
lastUpdated: 2026-06-08
---
# Web Cloud Databases - Connecting to a database

## Objective

You can view the content of your database via an interface. There are several ways to connect to it.

**Find out how to connect to your database on your database server.**

## Requirements

- A [Web Cloud Databases instance](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/web-cloud/databases/) (included in a [Web Hosting](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/web-hosting/) Performance, Agency, Agency Plus or Agency Max plan).


***

### OVHcloud Control Panel Access

- **Direct link:** <ManagerLink to="/#/web/web/private_database">Web Cloud Databases</ManagerLink>
- **Navigation path:** <code className="action">Web Cloud</code> > <code className="action">Web Cloud Databases</code> > Select your database service

***


## Instructions

:::info
[Web Cloud Databases](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/web-cloud/databases/) solutions do not provide access to the database management system itself, but to the databases hosted on it.

- There is no super user "root" access.
- Generic SQL commands work normally, and software such as HeidiSQL, SQuirreL SQL or Adminer is fully compatible.

:::

### Connect to a MySQL or MariaDB database

:::info
Since MariaDB is a fork of MySQL, the commands are exactly the same for both types of databases.

:::

#### Connection via OVHcloud phpMyAdmin

Click on the tabs below to view each of the **4** steps.


**Step 1**

Go to the <ManagerLink to="/#/web/web/private_database">Web Cloud Databases</ManagerLink> page, then select the solution concerned.
![Web Cloud Databases](/images/assets/screens/control-panel/product-selection/web-cloud/web-cloud-databases.png)

**Step 2**

Retrieve the following connection information:
- **Server (hostname) and port:** visible in the <code className="action">General information</code> tab, `Login information` section.
- **Username:** visible in the <code className="action">Users and rights</code> tab.
- **Password:** the password associated with the user. If you have forgotten it, go to the <code className="action">Users and rights</code> tab, click <code className="action">...</code> to the right of the user concerned, then <code className="action">Change password</code>.
:::warning
If you change the password for a database user, all applications/websites that access this database must be updated accordingly.
:::


**Step 3**

In the <code className="action">General information</code> tab, locate the **Database administration** section and click the phpMyAdmin link under **User interface**.
![web-cloud-databases](/images/assets/screens/control-panel/product-selection/web-cloud/web-cloud-databases/general-information/database-administration.png)

**Step 4**

On the phpMyAdmin login page, enter the information retrieved in step 2:
![web-cloud-databases](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/phpmyadmin/pma-login-web-cloud-db.png)- **Server:** enter the _hostname_ followed by the _port number_, separated by "**:**" or a "**space**". For example: **aaXXXXX-XXX.eu.clouddb.ovh.net:12345**.
- **Username:** enter the _username_.
- **Password:** enter the _password_.


If the connection is successful, the following page will appear.

![web-cloud-databases](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/phpmyadmin/pma-main-page-web-cloud-db.png)
:::warning
**In case of error:**

- Error #1045 means the credentials are incorrect. Check your username and/or password.
- Error #2005 means the server name should be checked, and whether it is functioning correctly.

:::

#### Connection to the database outside the Control Panel

:::warning
If you are using a "Web Cloud Databases"/"Private SQL" solution, remember to authorise your IP using the guide on [configuring your database server](/en/guides/web-cloud/databases/db-configure-optimise-database-server.md#gerer-vos-acces).

:::

Click on the tabs below to view each of the **2** steps.


**Step 1**

Go to the <ManagerLink to="/#/web/web/private_database">Web Cloud Databases</ManagerLink> page, then select the solution concerned.
![Web Cloud Databases](/images/assets/screens/control-panel/product-selection/web-cloud/web-cloud-databases.png)

**Step 2**

Retrieve the following connection information:
- **Server (hostname):** visible in the <code className="action">General information</code> tab, **"Database administration"** section, "Hostname" in the **SQL** part.
- **Port:** visible in the same location, "Port" in the **SQL** part.
- **Username:** visible in the <code className="action">Users and rights</code> tab.
- **Password:** the password associated with the user concerned.
- **Database name:** visible in the <code className="action">Databases</code> tab.


**Click on the connection method of your choice to view the content.**


Command line connection

```bash
mysql --host=server --user=user --port=port --password=password database_name
```


PHP script connection

```php
1. <?php
2. $db = new PDO('mysql:host=host;port=port;dbname=dbname', 'username', 'password');
3. ?>
```


Software connection (SQuirreL SQL)

:::info
In our example, we use the open-source software SQuirreL, but other interfaces such as HeidiSQL or Adminer are fully compatible.
:::
- Launch SQuirreL SQL and click on <code className="action">Aliases</code>, then on <code className="action">+</code>
![launch SQuirreL SQL](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/aliases.png)- Fill in the fields below and confirm with the <code className="action">OK</code> button:
  - **Name**: Choose a name
  - **Driver**: Choose "MySQL Driver"
  - **URL**: Enter the server address and port in the form jdbc:mysql://server:port
  - **User Name**: Enter the username
  - **Password**: Enter the password
![config connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/add-alias.png)- Confirm again with the <code className="action">Connect</code> button
![valid connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/connect-to-mysql.png)You are now connected to your database:
![config connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/general-dashboard.png)


phpMyAdmin connection

You can use your own phpMyAdmin interface to explore the content of your database. To do this, install phpMyAdmin on your own server or web hosting plan. During installation, make sure you correctly configure the information for your database server and desired database so that phpMyAdmin can connect to it.

### Connect to a PostgreSQL database

Click on the tabs below to view each of the **2** steps.


**Step 1**

Go to the <ManagerLink to="/#/web/web/private_database">Web Cloud Databases</ManagerLink> page, then select the solution concerned.
![Web Cloud Databases](/images/assets/screens/control-panel/product-selection/web-cloud/web-cloud-databases.png)

**Step 2**

Retrieve the following connection information:
- **Server (hostname):** visible in the <code className="action">General information</code> tab, **"Database administration"** section, "Hostname" in the **SQL** part.
- **Port:** visible in the same location, "Port" in the **SQL** part.
- **Username:** visible in the <code className="action">Users and rights</code> tab.
- **Password:** the password associated with the user concerned.
- **Database name:** visible in the <code className="action">Databases</code> tab.


**Click on the connection method of your choice to view the content.**


Command line connection

```bash
psql --host=server --port=port --user=user --password=password database_name
```


PHP script connection

```php
1. <?php
2. $myPDO = new PDO('pgsql:host=host;port=port;dbname=dbname', 'username', 'password');
3. ?>
```


Software connection (SQuirreL SQL)

:::info
In our example, we use the open-source software SQuirreL, but other interfaces such as HeidiSQL or Adminer are fully compatible.
:::
- Launch SQuirreL SQL and click on <code className="action">Aliases</code>, then on <code className="action">+</code>
![launch SQuirreL SQL](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/aliases.png)- Fill in the fields below and confirm with the <code className="action">OK</code> button:
  - **Name**: Choose a name
  - **Driver**: Choose "PostgreSQL"
  - **URL**: Enter the server address and port in the form jdbc:postgresql://server:port/database
  - **User Name**: Enter the username
  - **Password**: Enter the password
![config connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/add-alias.png)- Confirm again with the <code className="action">Connect</code> button
![valid connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/connect-to-mysql.png)You are now connected to your database:
![config connection](/images/assets/screens/other/web-tools/squirrel/general-dashboard.png)

## Go further

[Web Hosting - My database is full, what should I do?](/en/guides/web-cloud/web-hosting/sql-overquota-database.md)

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