From WHM to Website

Overview

This guide outlines the essential steps to quickly publish a website on a newly provisioned cPanel & WHM server.

Important Considerations:

• This procedure focuses solely on the minimum requirements for website publication. We highly recommend exploring our comprehensive documentation to configure all beneficial features available on your cPanel & WHM server.
• Feel free to skip any steps you have already completed, such as logging into WHM or setting the hostname.
• Due to networking prerequisites, an IPv6-only cPanel & WHM server is not supported. A minimum of one IPv4 address is mandatory.

Prepare WHM

This section details the fundamental configurations required for a server to effectively host a website.

Log in to WHM

To access WHM, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the following URL, replacing IPADDRESS with your server’s actual IP address.
2. Enter the root username and your password.
3. Click Log in.
4. Accept the software license terms. A new interface will then be displayed.
5. Provide your email address in the Email Address field.
6. Input your default nameservers into the Nameservers fields. These should be provided by your hosting or network provider.
7. Click Finish. The WHM Home interface will now be accessible.

For additional details, please consult our documentation on How to Log in to Your Server or Account and Getting Started.

Set the Hostname

Your server's hostname serves as its unique identifier on the internet. While most hosting providers set this up during provisioning, you might need to configure it manually.

To set the hostname, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to WHM’s Change Hostname interface (WHM » Home » Networking Setup » Change Hostname).
2. If you intend to modify the hostname, enter the desired new hostname in the provided text box.
3. Click Change. A confirmation message will then be displayed.
4. Click Add an A entry for your hostname. A new interface will appear, showing the server's primary IP address.
5. Click Add Entry. A confirmation message will be shown.

Warning: After updating the server's hostname, your web browser might display a warning regarding a change to the server’s SSL certificate.

Confirm the DNS Resolvers

Your server's DNS resolvers enable it to find the IP addresses of other websites across the internet. While most hosting providers configure these resolvers during the provisioning process, manual adjustment might be necessary.

To configure DNS resolvers on your server, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to WHM’s Resolver Configuration interface (WHM » Home » Networking Setup » Resolver Configuration).
2. Click Proceed. A new configuration interface will appear.
3. Enter the preferred IPv4 or IPv6 addresses into the Primary Resolver and Secondary Resolver fields.

Note: If your hosting provider has not supplied this information, you may use Google® nameservers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

4. To add a third resolver, enter its IP address in the Tertiary Resolver field.
5. Click Continue. A confirmation message will be displayed.

Configure Nameservers

Note: We advise setting up nameserver software on your server to ensure all services function optimally. If your domain registrar or hosting provider manages your nameserver services, you may bypass this section. Instead, consult them for guidance on DNS registration and record setup.

Your server's nameservers enable you to host your own DNS entries for websites, giving you control over the branding of your domains when others query their information.

To select and configure nameservers on your server, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to WHM’s Nameserver Selection interface (WHM » Home » Service Configuration » Nameserver Selection).
2. Choose the nameserver software you wish to employ.
3. Click Save.
4. Navigate to WHM’s DNS Zone Manager interface (WHM » Home » DNS Functions » DNS Zone Manager).
5. Select your hostname’s zone file and click Manage.
6. Add A records for both NS1 and NS2 entries.
7. Modify the existing NS entries to reflect your chosen nameservers.
8. Click Save. A confirmation message will appear.
9. Access your domain registrar's website.
10. Update the nameserver records for your primary domain to point to your own nameservers.

For more detailed information, refer to our documentation on How to Set Up Nameservers in a cPanel & WHM Environment and Basic WebHost Manager Setup.

Set Up Reverse DNS

Reverse DNS (rDNS) utilizes pointer records (PTR) to translate IP addresses back into domain names.

It is strongly advised to configure the PTR record of your server’s primary IP address to match your server’s hostname. Please note that many hosting providers do not delegate authority for PTR records to their customers; therefore, you may need to contact your hosting provider for assistance with this configuration.

For further details, consult our How to Configure Reverse DNS in WHM documentation.

Configure WP Toolkit

If you intend to use WordPress® for your website, refer to our WP Toolkit for WHM documentation for guidance.

Create the Account

To establish the cPanel account, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to WHM’s Create a New Account interface (WHM » Home » Account Functions » Create a New Account).
2. Enter the desired domain name in the designated field. The system will automatically suggest a username.
3. Input and confirm a secure password. The Password Generator feature is available to assist you in creating a strong password.
4. Provide a contact email address for the account.
5. Click Create. A confirmation message will then be displayed.

Note: If you opt to use your hosting provider or registrar’s nameservers, ensure that the DNS records for your domain are properly configured on their respective nameservers.

Prepare cPanel

This section outlines the essential configurations required for a cPanel account to host a website effectively.

Log in to cPanel

To quickly access your newly created cPanel account, simply click Go to cPanel.

For additional methods and detailed information on logging into a cPanel account, please refer to our How to Log in to Your Server or Account documentation.

Create an Email Account

Note: If you plan to use an alternative mail provider for your website, this section can be skipped.

To create an email account for your site, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to cPanel’s Email Accounts interface (cPanel » Home » Email » Email Accounts).
2. Click Create.
3. Enter a username in the designated field.
4. Set a password in the appropriate field.
5. Click Edit Settings.
6. Specify the desired storage space for the account in the relevant field.
7. Click Create.

For instructions on testing your email account, please consult our Email Deliverability documentation.

Prepare the Website

This section details how to publish a website on your account.

Choose and follow the steps for your preferred publishing method below.

Create a Website with Sitejet Builder

Instructions for creating a website using Sitejet Builder would be provided here. (Content not available in the original article snippet).

Create a WordPress Website

Note: The Onboarding Assistant can automatically create a WordPress® website for new cPanel accounts if the WordPress option is selected during setup.

If you intend to build a WordPress site, refer to our WP Toolkit interface (cPanel » Home » Domains » WP Toolkit) documentation for detailed instructions.

For comprehensive information on installing, configuring, and managing WordPress sites using WP Toolkit, please consult Plesk’s WP Toolkit documentation.

For general information and support related to WordPress, visit the WordPress Support website.

Create a Placeholder Page with Site Publisher

If you plan to upload your own site content, it is advisable to display a placeholder page while your site is under construction. To configure a placeholder for your account, please refer to our Site Publisher interface (cPanel » Home » Domains » Site Publisher) documentation.

Upload Your Own Content

To securely upload your website content, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to cPanel’s Web Disk interface (cPanel » Home » Files » Web Disk).
2. For users of Microsoft Windows® Vista, 7, 8, or 10, enable Digest Authentication by performing these additional steps:
   • Click Enable Digest Authentication. A new window will open.
   • Enter your cPanel account’s password.
   • Click OK.
3. Click Configure Client Access adjacent to the system user email account.
4. Select your operating system.
5. Install the necessary software.
6. Connect to your Web Disk account, which will then appear as another drive on your workstation.
7. Drag and drop content to your server as required.

Alternatively, you can utilize the following interfaces for content upload:

• cPanel’s Git Version Control interface (cPanel » Home » Files » Git Version Control)
• cPanel’s File Manager interface (cPanel » Home » Files » File Manager)
• cPanel’s FTP Accounts interface (cPanel » Home » Files » FTP Accounts)

Perform Additional Steps

With your website now operational, we recommend implementing the following additional measures to enhance server security and protection:

• Verify that AutoSSL has successfully obtained an SSL certificate for your website.

  Note: After securing your site with an SSL certificate, ensure all WordPress installations are updated to use https: secured locations instead of http: unsecured locations.

• Establish reseller accounts, packages, and feature lists to streamline the process of offering hosting plans to your clients.
• Schedule and configure backups for your server.
• Execute EasyApache 4 to select the appropriate Apache and PHP modules for your server environment.
• Update MySQL® or migrate to MariaDB® for your server’s databases.
• Set your notification preferences for both your server and websites.
• Configure your server’s firewall and cPHulk Brute Force Protection for robust security.
• Consider purchasing and installing KernelCare to effectively manage your operating system's kernel.