WordPress

WordPress is the world's most popular CMS and runs on every Hoststack.pro hosting plan. Install it in minutes with our one-click installer, or migrate an existing site. This guide covers installation, security hardening, and routine maintenance.

Install WordPress via Softaculous (one click)

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Go to Software → Softaculous Apps Installer.
3. Click WordPress and then Install Now.
4. Fill in the installation details:
   • Choose Domain — select your domain from the dropdown
   • In Directory — leave empty to install at the root (yourdomain.com)
   • Site Name & Description — enter your website name
   • Admin Username & Password — use a strong, unique password
   • Admin Email — use a real address you monitor
5. Click Install. Softaculous creates the database, uploads files, and configures WordPress automatically.
6. Once complete, visit yourdomain.com/wp-admin to log in.

Manual installation

1. Download WordPress from wordpress.org.
2. Upload and extract the ZIP to public_html (or a subdirectory) via File Manager or FTP.
3. Create a MySQL database and user in cPanel. See the database guide.
4. Open your domain in a browser — the WordPress installer will guide you through connecting to the database.

Enable HTTPS for WordPress

1. Issue an SSL certificate first. See the SSL guide.
2. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings → General.
3. Change both the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to start with https://.
4. Save Changes.
5. Add the HTTPS redirect to .htaccess as described in the SSL guide.

Security hardening

• Use a unique admin username — do not use "admin" as your username.
• Install a security plugin — Wordfence or iThemes Security adds firewall rules and login protection.
• Keep WordPress updated — Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins regularly from the dashboard.
• Limit login attempts — Wordfence or the "Limit Login Attempts Reloaded" plugin prevents brute-force attacks.
• Disable XML-RPC if you don't use it — add to .htaccess:

  <Files xmlrpc.php>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
  </Files>

• Enable automatic backups — Hoststack.pro includes automated backups on all plans. Also use a plugin like UpdraftPlus for off-site copies.

Improving WordPress speed

• Use a caching plugin — W3 Total Cache or LiteSpeed Cache (if available) dramatically reduces page load times.
• Optimize images — Use Smush or ShortPixel to compress images without quality loss.
• Use PHP 8.x — Switch to PHP 8.2 or higher in cPanel for significant performance gains. See the PHP guide.
• Minimize plugins — Each active plugin adds load time. Deactivate and delete unused plugins.

Migrate an existing WordPress site

1. Install the All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator plugin on your old site.
2. Export your site as a package.
3. Install a fresh WordPress on your Hoststack.pro account.
4. Install the same migration plugin and import the package.
5. Update your domain in WordPress settings, then update DNS. See the migration page or contact us for assisted migration.