Softaculous installs WordPress in about 90 seconds. The trouble is that most one-click installs leave defaults wide open. Here is the full happy-path install, plus the four defaults we change before the site goes live.
1. Open Softaculous. In cPanel scroll to Software → Softaculous Apps Installer, then click WordPress and choose Install Now.
2. Choose protocol and domain. Set protocol to https:// (AutoSSL will provision a certificate within minutes if DNS is already pointed). Pick the domain. Leave the In Directory field empty so the site lives at the root.
3. Set strong admin credentials. Change the default admin username to something less guessable — your name, the site name, anything that is not admin or administrator. Use the dice icon to generate a strong password. Set the admin email to a real inbox you check.
4. Advanced options worth changing. Click Advanced Options. Set the database name and table prefix to something other than the defaults (e.g. wp_aB7_). Enable automatic minor updates. Leave automatic plugin/theme updates off — you want to control those.
5. Pick a starter theme. Skip the Softaculous theme picker; you can install your real theme from Appearance → Themes → Add New right after install.
6. After install, day-one hardening. Log in, then: change the site title and tagline, disable comments under Settings → Discussion if you do not need them, delete the sample page and “Hello world!” post, and install a security plugin (we recommend Wordfence or Solid Security).
7. Set permalinks. Settings → Permalinks → Post name. Do this before you create any content; changing later breaks links.
8. Connect transactional email. Out of the box WordPress sends mail from the server with wordpress@. Install WP Mail SMTP and route through your cPanel mailbox so password resets and form notifications reach the inbox.