cpanel wordpress install on live site

Assuming your current files are in your public “root” folder (such as /htdocs/ or /public_html/ or whatever) and while also assuming that is where your WordPress will go, here is a look at WordPress folders and files:
https://digwp.com/2012/05/complete-list-wordpress-files/
Then, there is also that matter of an .htaccess file for that same location (if your server uses htaccess) even though .htaccess might not be on that list.

To keep your existing files and WordPress completely separate, I would add a sub-folder in your public “root” and do a manual installation either as mysite.com/wordpress (using any name you like there) or by using .htaccess to send mysite.com directly to WordPress without having anything more in the URL. By doing that, you could, if you wish, actually have both working at the same time until you are completely ready to do away with the first.

Thank you leejosepho. I think I would just move all my current site files to a sub-folder and and then install WordPress. I can afford to do that as it won’t take much time.

Any thoughts on that? Am I doing it right that way?

I think I would just move all my current site files to a sub-folder and then install WordPress [in “root”].

I have several domains at one hosting account on shared servers, and I like the orderliness of having each (including my Primary Domain) in its own sub-folder…

/public_html/.htaccess redirecting primary to /public_html/primary
/public_html/primary/.htaccess + WordPress as primary.com
/public_html/addon1/.htaccess + WordPress as addon1.com
/public_html/addon2/.htaccess + WordPress as addon2.com

Doing as you have mentioned, you would have this:

/public_html/.htaccess selecting WordPress as domain.com or redirecting to /phpsite
/public_html/phpsite/.htaccess? + custom php site as domain.com/phpsite

Either way could work, but I would find it simpler to not have to burden my .htaccess for WordPress with having to also handle access to the php site. So in turning that around, you could have this:

/public_html/.htaccess selecting unaltered php site or redirecting to WordPress
/public_html/ (custom php site)
/public_html/wordpress/.htaccess + WordPress as domain.com

Thanks for the help dfhfhUUAA–, I really appreciate. I think I prefer to have:

/public_html/.htaccess selecting WordPress as domain.com
/public_html/phpsite/.htaccess? + custom php site as domain.com/phpsite

One last thing. What do you think about installing WordPress automatically with Softaculous apps in Cpanel? Will Softaculous wordpress get my site on mydomain.com considering this situation?

No server script is going to move ‘custom php site’ to /public_html/phpsite/ prior to installing WordPress, so I would first do that and then do the WordPress installation manually. Or, first move the php site and get it working again — you might have much trouble there — and then save a copy of .htaccess and then delete everything other than the /phpsite/ folder (edit: and possibly php.ini or whatever) and then tell the installation script to go to work.

Thanks for the assistance leejosepho. God bless you.