Creating a website can feel like a huge task, especially when you're dealing with powerful tools like a server control panel. Many people choose popular options like cPanel, but CyberPanel offers an incredible, free alternative that comes with the high-performance LiteSpeed web server.
This combination can make your WordPress website incredibly fast. However, setting it up correctly is key to unlocking its full potential. It's easy to get lost in all the settings and options.
This guide is designed to remove all the guesswork. We will walk you through every single click, from the initial server setup to installing WordPress and securing your new site. Think of this as your personal roadmap to a successful website launch.
We will not only show you what to do but also explain why you are doing it, turning complex technical steps into simple, understandable actions. By following these instructions, you are guaranteed to have a fully functional, secure, and fast WordPress website running on CyberPanel.
What You Will Learn
Initial Server Configuration: How to perform the crucial, one-time setup of your CyberPanel packages, PHP settings, and security features for optimal performance.
Website Creation: The exact process for adding a new domain to CyberPanel and activating essential features like SSL and email security.
One-Click WordPress Installation: How to use CyberPanel's built-in installer to get WordPress up and running with the powerful LiteSpeed Cache plugin.
Security Hardening: Simple but critical steps to force a secure HTTPS connection and protect your website's files from common threats.
Troubleshooting & Next Steps: How to verify your site is working correctly and what to do after the installation is complete.
Before We Begin: Gathering Your Tools
Before we dive into the step-by-step process, let's make sure you have everything you need. Getting these items in order first will make the entire process much smoother.
What is CyberPanel, Exactly?
Imagine your web server is like a powerful engine. CyberPanel is the dashboard for that engine. It's a web hosting control panel that gives you a graphical interface—with buttons and menus—to manage all the complex functions of your server. This means you don't have to be a command-line expert to host a website. Its biggest advantage is that it uses the OpenLiteSpeed or LiteSpeed Enterprise web server, which is famous for being much faster than older technologies like Apache (CyberPanel, n.d.).
What You Need to Start
To follow this tutorial, you will need three things:
A Domain Name: This is your website's address (e.g., yourwebsite.com). You can purchase one from any domain registrar.
A Server with CyberPanel: You'll need a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated server with CyberPanel already installed. Many hosting providers offer this.
Your CyberPanel Login Details: Your hosting provider should have given you an IP address, a username (usually 'admin'), and a password.
Finding Your CyberPanel Login Page
Your CyberPanel dashboard lives at a specific port on your server's IP address. To log in, you will open your web browser and type the following into the address bar:
https://your-server-ip:8090
You just need to replace your-server-ip with the actual IP address of your server. Once you enter your username and password, you will be inside the CyberPanel dashboard.
The Foundation: One-Time Server Configuration
The next few steps are about setting up the server environment itself. The great news is that you only have to do this once. After you complete this foundational setup, adding more websites in the future will be much faster because these core settings will already be in place.
Step 1: Upgrade Your Resource Package
By default, CyberPanel assigns a very limited 'Default' package to websites. We need to increase its limits to prevent our site from hitting a wall as it grows.
On the left sidebar menu, find and click on Packages, then select Modify Package.
Selecting The Right Package
On the new page, you will see a dropdown menu labeled Select Package. Click it and choose Default. This will load the current settings for that package.
Increasing Your Disk Space
The first setting to change is Disk Space. This is the total amount of storage your website has for its files, images, and database. The default of 1000 MB (1 GB) is quite small. It's best to increase this to a much larger value, like 90000 MB, to give your site plenty of room to grow.
Unlocking Your Bandwidth
Next is Bandwidth. Think of bandwidth as the amount of data your website can transfer to visitors each month. If you run out, your site can go offline. To prevent this, we can set it to unlimited. Simply change the value in the Bandwidth field to zero (0). In CyberPanel, a zero here means "unlimited."
Once you've made those two changes, scroll down and click the Modify Package button to save.
Step 2: Fine-Tune Your PHP Settings
PHP is the programming language that powers WordPress. We need to adjust a few of its settings to ensure our website can handle complex tasks and larger file uploads without errors.
From the left sidebar, click on PHP, then click Edit PHP Configs.
Choose The Right PHP Version
At the top of this page, you will see a tab for Select PHP. It is very important that you choose the previous stable version of PHP. For example, if the latest version listed is PHP 8.2, you should select PHP 8.1. While it's tempting to use the newest version, many WordPress themes and plugins are not immediately updated to support it. Choosing the previous version ensures maximum compatibility and prevents your site from breaking (WordPress.org, 2023).
Increase Your Website's Memory
Now, scroll down until you see the memory_limit setting. This controls how much server memory a single script can use. The default of 128M is often too low for modern WordPress sites, especially if you use page builders or e-commerce plugins. Increase this value to 512M or 1024M for better performance.
Allow for Larger File Uploads
Next, find the upload_max_filesize setting. This dictates the maximum size of a single file you can upload to your WordPress media library. The default is too restrictive. A good range is between 80M and 150M. This allows you to upload high-quality images or medium-sized PDF documents.
Set Your Total Post Size Limit
Right below that, you will find post_max_size. This setting controls the total size of all data in a single submission. It must be larger than your upload_max_filesize. A good rule of thumb is to make it about twice the size. So, if you set upload_max_filesize to 150M, you should set post_max_size to 300M.
After adjusting these values, click the Save Changes button.
A Quick Note on Image Optimization
Even though we increased the upload limits, you should always compress your images before uploading them to WordPress. Large image files are the number one cause of slow websites. Using a free online tool to losslessly compress your images will dramatically improve your site's speed and lower your hosting costs.
Step 3: Activate Your Security Shield
CyberPanel comes with a powerful Web Application Firewall (WAF) called ModSecurity. It helps protect your site from common hacking attempts. We just need to turn it on.
On the left sidebar, navigate to Security, then click on ModSecurity Conf.
Turning On The Firewall
On this page, you should see three sliders. Click the main Activate button to turn them all on. This enables the firewall engine.
Installing The Protection Rules
Now, we need to give the firewall its rules. Go back to the Security menu and click on ModSecurity Rules Pack. You will see a single slider on this page. Turn it on to activate the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set, which is an industry-standard set of rules that protects against a wide range of attacks (OWASP, n.d.).
With that, your one-time server configuration is complete! Every new website you create will now benefit from these robust settings.
Building Your WordPress Site: Step-by-Step
Now we get to the exciting part: creating the actual website. You will repeat these steps for every new domain you want to host on your server.
Step 4: Create Your New Website
In the left sidebar menu, click on Websites, and then click the Create Website button. This opens the main website creation form.
Fill In The Basic Details
Let's go through the fields one by one:
Select Package: Leave this set to Default. It will now use the upgraded package we configured earlier.
Select Owner: Choose admin.
Domain Name: Enter your full domain name, but without the www. part. For example, just type yourwebsite.com.
Email: Enter your email address. This will be used for notifications.
Select PHP: Again, select the previous stable version of PHP (e.g., PHP 8.1).
Select Your Additional Features
Below the PHP selection, you'll see a section for Additional Features. This is very important for security and functionality. Check these three boxes:
SSL: This will issue a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for your site, enabling the secure https:// padlock in browsers.
DKIM Support: This adds a digital signature to your website's outgoing emails, which helps prevent them from being marked as spam.
open_basedir Protection: This is a crucial security feature that prevents your website's code from accessing files outside of its own directory. It acts like a digital fence around your site.
Once all fields are filled and boxes are checked, click the Create Website button at the bottom. Wait a few moments for CyberPanel to work its magic.
Step 5: Secure Your Panel's Hostname (Optional but Recommended)
Sometimes, after creating your first site, you might want to secure the CyberPanel login page itself with a proper SSL certificate instead of just using the IP address.
On the sidebar, go to SSL and then Hostname SSL. Select the website you just created from the dropdown and click Issue SSL. Now you can access your panel securely at https://yourdomain.com:8090.
Dealing With the "Unsafe" Warning
When you first navigate to your newly secured panel URL (https://yourdomain.com:8090), your browser might show a security warning. This is normal. It happens because the certificate is self-signed at first. Just click Advanced and then Proceed to yourdomain.com (unsafe). You can then log in with your credentials.
Step 6: Install WordPress in One Click
It's time to install WordPress. This is incredibly easy with CyberPanel's application installer.
Go to Websites on the sidebar, then click List Websites. Find your new domain in the list and click the Manage link on the right.
Find The Application Installer
On the management page for your website, scroll all the way down to the bottom. You will see a section called APPLICATION INSTALLER. Click on the first option, WP + LSCache.
Enter Your WordPress Login Info
A small form will appear. This is where you will set up the login for your actual WordPress site, not CyberPanel.
Blog Title: Give your website a name.
Login User: Choose a username. Do not use "admin" as it's a security risk.
Login Password: Create a strong, unique password.
Admin Email: Enter the email you want to associate with your WordPress admin account.
Path: Leave this field empty. This is very important. Leaving it empty installs WordPress in the main directory, so your site is accessible at yourwebsite.com.
Click the Install Now button. The installation will only take about a minute.
Step 7: Force a Secure HTTPS Connection
Your site now has an SSL certificate, but we need to tell the server to force all visitors to use the secure version.
Go back to the website management page (Websites > List Websites > Manage). Scroll down to the CONFIGURATIONS section and click on Rewrite Rules.
Select The Right Template
At the top, you'll see a dropdown for Select Template. Click it and choose Force HTTP -> HTTPS. This will automatically add the necessary code to the text box. Click the Save Rewrite Rules button to apply the change. Now, everyone who visits your site will be automatically redirected to the secure https:// version.
Step 8: Re-Enable Directory Protection
Our final step is to re-enable the open_basedir protection we selected during website creation. This feature is sometimes temporarily disabled during the WordPress installation process.
Still on the website management page, scroll down to the FILES section and click on open_basedir Protection. Simply click the Enable radio button and then hit the Apply Changes button.
And that's it! You have successfully created, installed, and secured a brand new WordPress website on your CyberPanel server.
Success! What to Do Now?
Congratulations on setting up your website. The hard part is over. Now you can check your work and start building your content.
Verifying Your New Website
Open a new browser tab and go to your domain name: https://yourwebsite.com. You should see a default WordPress page with a "Hello world!" post.
To log into your WordPress dashboard, go to https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin. Use the username and password you created during the one-click installation step.
Your First Steps in WordPress
Once you're logged into the WordPress dashboard, here are a few things you can do right away:
Choose a Theme: Go to Appearance > Themes to change the look of your site.
Install Essential Plugins: Consider adding plugins for SEO (like Yoast SEO) and security (like Wordfence).
Delete the Default Content: Delete the "Hello world!" post and the sample page to start fresh.
Create Your First Page: Go to Pages > Add New to create your "About" or "Contact" page.
Adding More Websites in The Future
If you want to add another website, the process is even easier. You just need to repeat the steps from the "Building Your WordPress Site" section. You can skip the "One-Time Server Configuration" section, as those settings are already perfect.
Conclusion: You've Unlocked CyberPanel's Power
You have successfully navigated what can be a complex process. By taking the time to configure the server environment correctly and following each step carefully, you have built a solid foundation for a fast and secure WordPress website. You now have a high-performance hosting setup that can compete with expensive managed hosting solutions. You are no longer just a beginner; you are a website owner in full control of your server.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why is CyberPanel considered a good choice for WordPress?
A: The main reason is its use of the LiteSpeed web server. WordPress sites running on LiteSpeed, especially when paired with the LSCache plugin (which we installed), are known to be significantly faster than sites on older server technologies. This speed can improve user experience and SEO rankings.
Q: Can I host more than one website on my CyberPanel server?
A: Absolutely. You can host as many websites as your server's resources (CPU, RAM, and disk space) can handle. To add another site, you just repeat the process starting from "Step 4: Create Your New Website" for each new domain.
Q: Is CyberPanel completely free to use?
A: Yes, the version of CyberPanel we used in this tutorial, which comes with the OpenLiteSpeed web server, is 100% free and open-source. There is a paid version called CyberPanel Enterprise that uses the LiteSpeed Enterprise web server for even higher performance and more features, but the free version is extremely powerful and sufficient for most users.
Q: What is the difference between the "Hostname SSL" and the website's SSL?
A: The website's SSL (issued when you create the website) secures your actual domain (https://yourwebsite.com), protecting your visitors' data. The Hostname SSL secures your CyberPanel's login page (https://yourdomain.com:8090), protecting your server management session. Both are important for a fully secure setup.
Q: Do I really need to do the package and PHP configurations for every site?
A: No, and that's the great part. The steps for modifying the Default package, editing the PHP Configs, and setting up ModSecurity are one-time-only server configurations. Once you've done them, those improved settings apply to all future websites you create under the Default package.
References & Further Reading
CyberPanel. (n.d.). What is CyberPanel?. CyberPanel Official Website.
OWASP. (n.d.). OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set. Open Web Application Security Project.
WordPress.org. (2023). Requirements. WordPress.org About.
0 Comments