VGNCloud
Installing WordPress on web hosting does not need the command line or manual file uploads. VGNCloud web hosting comes with the Enhance control panel and a 1-click installer for WordPress. This guide walks the whole path: picking a plan, the domain and DNS, the install, SSL, the first settings and backups.
What you need
- A web hosting plan. Any VGNCloud plan works, see below.
- Your own domain. For example
example.com, with access to its DNS settings. - An email address for the WordPress admin.
- A strong password or a password manager.
If you already have a site somewhere else and want to move it, read Migrate a website to VGNCloud instead.
Pick a plan
Every plan has NVMe storage, free SSL, unlimited bandwidth and the Enhance panel.
| Plan | Space (NVMe) | Databases | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello World | 5 GB | 1 | โฌ2 |
| The Debugger | 20 GB | 25 | โฌ4 |
| The Gigahertz | 60 GB | 50 | โฌ8.50 |
One WordPress install uses one database, so Hello World is enough for one site. If the site will have lots of images or you want several WordPress sites, pick The Debugger. Plans and checkout: WordPress hosting or all web hosting.
Domain and DNS
WordPress is installed on a domain, so the domain has to point at your web hosting. Do this at your registrar or DNS provider using the details you get with your hosting: either point an A record at the server's IP address or change the domain's nameservers.
- Add both
example.comandwww.example.comif you want both to work. - A DNS change can show up at once or take hours. It depends on the record's TTL and on caches.
- Do not touch MX records if your email lives elsewhere.
1-click install in the Enhance panel
Once the plan is active and the domain is added in the panel:
- Log in to the Enhance panel and open the website WordPress will go on.
- Open the WordPress app, the panel's 1-click installer.
- Pick the domain and path. Leave the path empty if WordPress goes at the domain root.
- Enter the admin username, email and a strong password. Do not use the username
admin. - Start the install. The installer creates the database and the WordPress files for you.
When it is done, log in to WordPress at https://example.com/wp-admin/.
Turn on SSL
A free SSL certificate is included in every VGNCloud web hosting plan. A certificate can only be issued once the domain points at your hosting, so do DNS first. Then check in the Enhance panel that the site has a valid SSL certificate, and enable it if it is not on yet.
Finally, in WordPress under Settings โ General, make sure both the WordPress Address and the Site Address start with https://.
5 first settings
- Permalinks. Settings โ Permalinks: choose "Post name" for clean URLs.
- Site title, language and time zone. Settings โ General.
- Remove sample content. The sample post, page and comment, plus plugins and themes you will not use.
- Updates. Update WordPress, the theme and plugins right away. Keeping them updated stays your job.
- Search engine visibility. Settings โ Reading: keep "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" on while the site is unfinished, and turn it off when you launch.
More on a fast WordPress: WordPress-optimised hosting.
Backups
On VGNCloud web hosting you take backups yourself in the Enhance panel. They are not automatic. A good routine:
- take a backup right after the install and basic settings
- take a new one before every big update or new plugin
- now and then, download a copy to your own computer
If you want automatic backups and someone else to run the site, see managed WordPress (from โฌ60/mo).
WordPress hosting from โฌ2/mo โ
Outgrown shared hosting, or need your own software next to the site? A VPS gives you root and reserved resources.