Liquid Web’s Managed WordPress product is a complete WordPress hosting solution, optimized for maximum performance and blazing speed, backed by our Heroic Support®. Liquid Web WordPress Optimized Template servers are designed from the ground up to provide:

Exceptional performance

• 100% SSD storage to maximize disk I/O
• HipHop Virtual Machine (HHVM) for unparalleled php execution speeds
• Memcached to fully leverage caching
• mod_pagespeed to automatically apply web performance best practices to your Apache installation

Optimal Security

• Isolated server environments
• Automated daily backups
• Automatic WordPress core & plugin updates (configurable)
• Free domain SSL certificates for each site

Total Control

• WP-CLI for full control of your sites without the need to log into WordPress itself
• SSH and SFTP access, plus cPanel for each WordPress site you create
• Multisite WordPress available on any site
• Convenient dashboard for deploying new WordPress sites in seconds

Heroic Support®

• Our Heroic Support® technicians are here 24/7/365 to answer any questions and offer help whenever you need it.
• Around-the-clock, proactive service monitoring means we start working on any potential issues the moment they are spotted.
• Most migrations to WordPress Optimized Template are free of charge (some limitations may apply).

This series is designed to serve as a starting point for ordering, deploying, configuring, connecting to and managing your WordPress Optimized Template server. If you need assistance or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Step #1: Create the Server

1. If you’re not already a Liquid Web customer, you’ll want to start from our Managed WordPress product page, and select a plan that meets your needs. If you have an existing Liquid Web account, log into Manage and click the Create button in the top left, then click on Managed WordPress.
2. The Create a Managed WordPress Server page allows you to select your server options, with a sidebar reflecting the monthly and estimated prorated costs. The totals will update as you make your selections.
   • Choose Server Type allows you to select your zone, server size and image.
   • Bandwidth allows you to configure your outgoing bandwidth options. 5 TB of monthly transfer is included at no extra charge, and incoming bandwidth is free.
   • Daily Backups allows you to configure automated Storm® backup options, from $0.12 per GB per month. The Pay per Gig option allows you to specify how many daily backups to retain at that price, and the Quota Pricing option allows you to purchase a set amount of space for backups, retaining as many backups as can fit in that space and rotating them out as needed. Note that backups are not retained more than 90 days, regardless of the amount of space purchased.

   

   • Hostname and Password allows you to choose the server name and a root password for the server.
     • The server’s hostname should be a subdomain of a domain name you control. Once the server is created, you will need to add a DNS “A” record pointing to the hostname; that will need to be done at the domain’s registrar and created in the main domain’s DNS zone file. In this case, we would need to add an A record for wphost.example.com to example.com’s authoritative DNS zone file once the server is created and an IP is assigned to it.
     • Please select only a strong password. It can contain upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. If you choose, you also can set up access with an SSH key previously stored in your Manage dashboard.
   • IP Addresses lets you choose any additional IP addresses for the server. One is included, and additional IP addresses (up to the number shown next to Available Slots Remaining) can be added now at a cost of $1 per month per additional IP address. If you have an IP pool associated with your account in the zone you chose, you also can add addresses from the pool. If you need more IP addresses than the IP Addresses section will allow, they will need to be requested via support ticket after the server has been created.
   • Once you have reviewed your choices, verified the estimated monthly and pro-rated costs, and read the billing terms at the bottom of the page, click the Create Server button.
   • You will be presented with a popup window to confirm your selection.

   

   • Clicking the Create Server button here will create the server and charge the card on file.

   

   • You will be returned to your Manage dashboard, where you can monitor the server’s creation.

   

   • Once complete, you will see the server’s status listed as Running in your Manage dashboard. You’ll also receive an email following activation which contains the server name, IP address, and login credentials for the server. While you will add WordPress sites directly from your Manage Dashboard, each WordPress site also has access to its own cPanel for the configuration and management of email, databases, cron jobs, statistics, and more.The Create a Managed WordPress Server page allows you to select your server options, with a sidebar reflecting the monthly and estimated prorated costs. The totals will update as you make your selections.

Step #2: Configure DNS Records

Once the server is deployed, you will want to ensure that DNS has been properly configured for the hostname you selected.
If you have not already done so, you may wish to follow our guides to add a DNS record for the hostname and set up Reverse DNS.

Pre-Flight Check

• This article applies specifically to Liquid Web’s Managed WordPress servers.
  We will be adding a WordPress site directly through the Manage interface, the preferred method for WordPress Optimized Template servers.

Step #1: Open the Server Dashboard

1. Log into your Manage dashboard and click the [+] button to the left of your WordPress Optimized Template server’s name to expand the dashboard.
2. Click on the Sites button in your dashboard to launch the WordPress Sites view.

Step #2: Add A Site

1. To add a site, click the Install a WordPress Site button, fill out the requested information, and then click Add Site to add the new site.
   • Domain Name is the domain name you want to add to the server. If the domain name is using Liquid Web nameservers, a free SSL certificate will be ordered and installed on the domain, and WordPress will be configured to use the https protocol on the site. If the domain name is pointed elsewhere, an SSL can be added later.
   • Username is the WordPress admin user. The username specified here will be used to log into both WordPress and the site’s cPanel account. It must be 16 characters or fewer.
   • Email is the contact information for the site.
   • Password is the credential which will be used to log into both WordPress and cPanel. It should be a strong password, and can contain upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and basic special characters such as underscores.
   • Verify Password requires you to enter the password again, and will alert you if it does not match what was entered on the Password field.
   • Automatic Updates allows you to choose between automatically updating WordPress itself (Core), WordPress and its plugins (Core and Plugins), or disabling automatic updates altogether (None). It is recommended to at least enable automatic updates for WordPress itself.
2. The site now will be listed in your Sites dashboard, where you can change update preferences or install a free standard SSL on the domain.

Step #3: Review Settings

Once you return to the Sites dashboard in Manage, you’ll now see your new WordPress site listed in the WordPress Sites section. Click on the [+] next to the domain name to expand the view and configure options for the site.

• Automatic Updates: You can choose to have the WordPress core or the WordPress core and all plugins updated automatically, or you can disable update Automatic Updates altogether. Simply click the Update button after making any changes to the selected option.
• Automatic Backups: The WordPress installation automatically will be backed up on a daily basis, and 10 of the daily backups will be retained. Beginning on the 11th day, the oldest backup automatically will be deleted when a new one is created. You will see a list of each backup listed under Automatic Backups once the first backup has been taken.
• Install Free Signed SSL: Automatic SSL installation is possible only when the site’s domain name is registered and pointed to Liquid Web’s nameservers. If the domain is new or using other nameservers, you can click Install Free Signed SSL to get an SSL certificate for the domain ordered and installed at no charge.

• Delete WordPress Site: The Delete WordPress Site button will completely remove the site and its associated cPanel account, and all data associated with the site immediately will be removed from the server. That data will not be recoverable, so it’s imperative that you confirm that you have a local backup of the site files before deleting any site.

Step #4: Access Your New Site

Once you’ve added the site, an email will automatically be sent to the address on file for your account. The “Welcome to your new WordPress site” email contains:

• the WordPress site’s login URL
• the site’s IP address (for adding or updating the domain’s DNS record)
• instructions for obtaining your free SSL certificate (if it was not able to be installed automatically)
• SFTP connection information

Once you have made any necessary DNS changes and they have had time to propagate, you should see a standard WordPress installation at the site’s URL. You then can log in and start working with your WordPress Optimized Template site.