How to Install phpMyAdmin on Google Cloud Server
phpMyAdmin is a free, web-based tool written in PHP for managing MySQL and MariaDB databases. In this tutorial you install it on a Google Cloud server running Ubuntu Linux, so you can work with your databases from a web browser instead of the command line.
You install phpMyAdmin on your Google Cloud server by running sudo apt install phpmyadmin on Ubuntu, then opening it in a browser at your server’s address followed by /phpmyadmin. It lets you manage MySQL or MariaDB databases through a visual web interface, with no command line needed for everyday tasks.
With phpMyAdmin you can create and edit databases, tables and users, browse and change data, and run SQL commands, all through a visual interface. That is handy when you manage several databases or when a colleague prefers clicking to typing queries.
Version 5.2.3 was a 2025 release. Check phpmyadmin.net for the current stable version before you start, and use that number wherever this series mentions a version. Newer releases often include security fixes, so it is worth taking the latest one.
This is the seventh step in a series. It builds on the earlier guides, which covered registering a domain and setting up your Google Cloud server. Before you continue, make sure you have:
- A Google Cloud server running Ubuntu Linux that you can reach over SSH.
- A domain name pointing at that server, as set up in the earlier steps.
- A web server with PHP, and a MySQL or MariaDB database server, running on the machine. phpMyAdmin is only the web front end. It needs a database server to talk to.
- An account on the server that can run administrative commands.
One warning before you begin. phpMyAdmin gives anyone who logs in direct access to your databases, and its login page is a common target for automated attacks on public servers. Plan to serve it over HTTPS, use strong database passwords, and consider limiting who can reach it, for example by restricting access to your own IP address in your Google Cloud firewall rules. If you later decide you no longer need it, removing it from the server closes that door completely.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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