PHP Project Setup Guide

Log in to Hostinger hPanel

Hostinger uses its own control panel called hPanel (not cPanel). This is where you manage your website, databases, files, and settings.

• Go to hpanel.hostinger.com in your browser
• Log in with your Hostinger account email and password
• You'll see a list of your websites/domains — click on the domain where you want to install this project
• This will open the dashboard for that specific website

Create a MySQL Database

You need to create a database on Hostinger's server to store all your project data. Follow these steps:

• In the left sidebar of hPanel, go to Databases → MySQL Databases
• Under "Create New MySQL Database and Database User", you'll see three fields:
• Database Name — type a name (e.g. rameez_scripts). Hostinger will automatically add a prefix like u123456789_
• Username — type a username. Hostinger will also add the same prefix
• Password — click Generate for a strong password, or type your own
• Click "Create"

Upload Project Files to Hostinger

The public_html folder on Hostinger is the root directory of your website — any files placed here will be accessible at https://yourdomain.com/. Here's how to upload your project:

• In hPanel, go to Files → File Manager
• Navigate to the public_html folder (click on it to open it)
• If you want the project at your main domain (yourdomain.com), upload files directly into public_html
• If you want it in a subfolder (yourdomain.com/project), first create a new folder inside public_html
• Click the Upload button (top toolbar) and select your project .zip file
• After the upload finishes, right-click on the .zip file and select "Extract"
• Make sure all files are in the correct directory (not nested in an extra subfolder)

Configure the config.php File (Database Credentials)

Unlike localhost where we edit the .env file, on Hostinger you need to update the config.php file with your database credentials. Here's how:

• In File Manager, find and open config.php (click on it, then click Edit in the top toolbar)
• Look for the database configuration section near the top of the file
• Update the four values with your Hostinger database credentials from Step 2:

Here's what each variable connects to:

• $host — The database server. On Hostinger, this is always 'localhost'
• $dbname — The full database name including the Hostinger prefix (e.g. u123456789_rameez_scripts)
• $username — The full database username including the prefix
• $password — The database password you set or generated in Step 2

After editing, click Save (or press Ctrl+S) in the File Manager editor.

Run setup.php — Automatically Create All Database Tables

Just like on localhost, the setup.php script will automatically create all the database tables your project needs. Open your browser and go to:

Wait for the script to finish processing. You should see green success messages confirming each table was created successfully.

Access Your Live Project — You're Done!

Your PHP project is now live on the internet! Visit your domain to see it:

You should see the project's login page or homepage, now accessible to anyone on the internet.

Why Do You Need SMTP?

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard method for sending emails from a web application. Your PHP project uses email for several important features:

• Password Reset — When users forget their password, a reset link is sent via email
• Email Verification — Confirming that a user's email address is real and belongs to them
• Notifications — Sending alerts about new files, purchases, or account activity
• Contact Forms — Receiving messages from visitors who fill out your contact form

Without proper SMTP configuration, PHP's built-in mail() function will fail or emails will go straight to spam. SMTP uses authenticated servers (like Gmail or Hostinger) to send reliable emails that actually reach the inbox.

Generate a Gmail App Password

Gmail requires a special App Password for third-party applications (like your PHP project). You cannot use your regular Gmail password — it will be rejected for security reasons. Follow these steps:

• Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in to your Gmail account
• Click on Security in the left sidebar
• Under "How you sign in to Google", make sure 2-Step Verification is ON. If it's off, you must enable it first (Google requires this before allowing App Passwords)
• After enabling 2-Step Verification, go back to the Security page
• Search for "App Passwords" in the search bar at the top, or find it under 2-Step Verification settings
• Click on App Passwords
• Under "Select app", type a name like "My PHP Project"
• Click Create
• Google will show you a 16-character password (like abcd efgh ijkl mnop). Copy this immediately!

Gmail SMTP Settings

Use these exact settings when configuring Gmail SMTP in your project:

What is TLS? TLS (Transport Layer Security) is an encryption protocol that secures the connection between your server and Gmail's server. Port 587 with TLS is Gmail's recommended method — it encrypts your email data during transmission so nobody can read it in transit.

Hostinger Email SMTP Settings

If you're hosting on Hostinger and have created an email account there (e.g. info@yourdomain.com), you can use Hostinger's own SMTP server instead of Gmail. This is recommended for production websites because emails come from your own domain, which looks more professional and has better deliverability.

Test Your Email Configuration

After configuring SMTP, you should test to make sure emails are being sent and received correctly:

• Try the password reset feature — enter your email on the forgot password page and check if you receive the reset email
• Try the contact form — send a test message and see if it arrives
• Check your inbox AND spam/junk folder — the first few emails might go to spam until your domain builds reputation

Common issues and fixes:

• Emails not sending at all — Double-check your SMTP host, port, username, and password. One wrong character will cause failure
• Emails going to spam — Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS records for your domain. These prove to email providers that you're a legitimate sender
• "Authentication failed" error — For Gmail, make sure you're using the App Password (not your regular password). For Hostinger, verify the email account exists and the password is correct
• Connection timeout — Your hosting might block the SMTP port. Contact your hosting provider to unblock port 587 (Gmail) or 465 (Hostinger)