Fix: "You Are Using Your Maximum Allotment (1) of MariaDB/MySQL Databases"

Understanding the Database Limit

Most shared hosting plans restrict the number of databases to manage server resources. This guide will help you work within or overcome this limitation.

Check Your Current Databases

If you already have a database, check its status before creating a new one.

Using cPanel

Using SSH (For VPS/SSH Users)

Run:

mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"

Example Output:

+--------------------+
| Database          |
+--------------------+
| information_schema |
| existing_db        |
+--------------------+

If there's only one database, and you need another, move to Solution 2.

Reuse the Existing Database

If your plan only allows one database, you can reuse it by creating new tables instead of a new database.

Create a New Table in the Existing Database

CREATE TABLE my_new_table (
    id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
    name VARCHAR(255),
    email VARCHAR(255)
);

This allows you to store new data without creating a new database.

CREATE TABLE wp_users (...);
CREATE TABLE joomla_users (...);
CREATE TABLE custom_app_data (...);

Backup and Delete an Unused Database

If you no longer need your current database, you can delete it and create a new one.

Backup Your Database Before Deleting

mysqldump -u root -p existing_db > backup.sql

or use phpMyAdmin:

Delete the Current Database

cPanel Method

Manual SQL Command

DROP DATABASE existing_db;

Now you can create a new database.

Upgrade Your Hosting Plan

If you need more than one database, contact your hosting provider and upgrade to a higher plan.

Hosting Plans That Support Multiple Databases

Contact support to increase your database limit.

Summary of Fixes