SQLSTATE[28000] [1045] Access denied for user, but credentials are correct (shared hosting)

This is a very frustrating situation, but you’ve done good troubleshooting already! Here are several things to try and some possible causes for persistent SQLSTATE[28000] [1045] errors on shared hosting, even when credentials work in phpMyAdmin.

1. Double-Check the MySQL Username Format

On shared hosting, the MySQL username is often prefixed with your cPanel name. For example, if your cPanel user is webuser, then your database user should be webuser_dbuser, not just dbuser.

Check your user in phpMyAdmin info panel or cPanel > MySQL Databases to confirm the real username.
Make sure your .env uses the full name, e.g.:

DB_DATABASE=webuser_dbname
DB_USERNAME=webuser_dbuser
DB_PASSWORD=thepassword

2. MySQL Permissions for User@Host

Even if the user/password/db are correct, the user must be granted access for connections from localhost:

1. In cPanel > MySQL Databases, ensure your user is added to the database.
2. Make sure they have all privileges.
3. Some panels let you "reset" or reassign the database user to refresh permissions.

3. Password Integrity

If your password contains special characters (quotes, symbols), try setting a simpler password to rule out escaping/character issues between PHP, PDO, or the MySQL driver.

4. Socket vs Host Connection

Some shared hosting setups use a Unix socket instead of TCP for "localhost". But if your PHP script outside Laravel also fails, this is less likely. Still, you can force TCP by using 127.0.0.1 as host instead of localhost (as you have tested). If possible, check the host value in config/database.php for your connection:

'mysql' => [
    'host' => env('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'), // try both 'localhost' and '127.0.0.1'
    // ...
],

And in .env:

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1

5. Test with Pure MySQL CLI

If you have SSH access, try connecting via the CLI:

mysql -u webuser_dbuser -p -h localhost dbname

See if that works, or if you get access denied as well.

6. Hosting-specific Restrictions or Propagation

On some hosts, database/user changes can take several minutes to propagate, or are restricted to connections only from certain scripts (not command line or external scripts). If you just created the user/database, wait 10+ minutes and try again.

Additionally, on A2Hosting/Many shared hosts:

• The PHP process may be running as a different user with limited MySQL access.
• Sometimes old definitions persist. Try "changing" the password in cPanel to force a refresh.

7. File Permissions

Make sure your .env file is readable by the PHP user, so Laravel is able to fetch the credentials.

8. Config Caching Issues

You already cleared cache, but just to confirm, run these for good measure:

php artisan config:clear
php artisan cache:clear
php artisan config:cache

9. Last-Resort: Contact Host Support

Sometimes, the user creation process fails silently or MySQL access tables are not updated for CLI/PHP users. Tell A2Hosting support:

• "I've created a user and database, attached as per docs."
• "User/password match, work in phpMyAdmin, but PHP PDO connection fails with 1045 error."
• "I have other sites/apps on same plan that work."

Ask them to explicitly check the grant tables and privileges for "yourcpaneluser_dbuser"@"localhost".

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TL;DR Checklist

• Confirm the full MySQL username is used (with hosting prefix).
• Verify the user is assigned to the database with all privileges.
• Try a simple password and avoid quotes/odd symbols.
• Test both localhost and 127.0.0.1 as DB_HOST.
• Ensure you wait a few minutes after user/db changes.
• If all fails, contact A2Hosting support to verify the user creation/privilege-granting on their end.

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Example Working .env

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=webuser_dbname
DB_USERNAME=webuser_dbuser
DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword

Replace webuser with your cPanel user.

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If you confirm all of the above and it still fails, the most likely issue is with hosting-side user grants or propagation. Only the host’s support team can resolve that.

Let me know if you need help with any of the steps!