Skip links
San Antonio Web Design
Published in:

How-to-set-up-cloudways-for-wordpress-hosting

Author
Published on:

How to Set Up Cloudways for WordPress Hosting

 

Image

If you want premium-level WordPress performance without learning server administration, Cloudways is easily one of the best solutions. It gives you the raw speed of DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud — with a managed backend that does all the hard work for you.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through every stage of setting up WordPress on Cloudways, from creating an account to going live with DNS, SSL, backups, and advanced settings. Whether you’re launching a personal blog, an e-commerce store, or a business website, this guide gives you the exact process.

👉
https://www.cloudways.com/en/?id=1004605

SECTION 1 — Create Your Cloudways Account (5 Minutes)

 

Image

Step 1: Visit the Cloudways Homepage

Go to Cloudways and click Start Free. You’ll create an account with:

  • Name
  • Business email
  • Password
  • Company or personal usage details

Cloudways usually offers a free 3-day trial — no credit card required.

Step 2: Confirm Your Email

Check your inbox and verify your account to activate the dashboard.

Step 3: Log In

After verification, you’ll land inside the Cloudways Platform panel.

SECTION 2 — Launch a New WordPress Server (10 Minutes)

 

Image

 

Cloudways makes WordPress installation a one-click process. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Click “Launch Server”

On your dashboard, select:

  • Application: WordPress
  • Version: Choose the latest recommended WordPress version
  • Application Name: Your website name
  • Server Name: (optional) e.g., “SA-WordPress-Site”
  • Project Name: Organize sites inside folders

Step 2: Choose Your Cloud Infrastructure Provider

Cloudways lets you pick from:

  • DigitalOcean
  • Vultr High Frequency
  • Linode
  • AWS
  • Google Cloud

Recommended: DigitalOcean or Vultr High Frequency for best price-to-performance.

Step 3: Select Your Server Size

For most websites:

  • 1GB RAM / 1 Core CPU → Small personal or local business site
  • 2GB RAM / 1–2 Core CPU → WooCommerce or high-traffic blogs
  • 4GB+ → Membership sites, LMS, large stores

Step 4: Choose a Server Location

Choose the closest location to your audience. For Texas businesses:

  • Dallas
  • Austin
  • Houston

This gives you the lowest latency.

Step 5: Click “Launch Now”

Cloudways will automatically provision:

  • A cloud server
  • Optimized WordPress installation
  • NGINX + Apache hybrid stack
  • Redis optional
  • Free caching layers

This process takes 5–7 minutes.

SECTION 3 — Access Your WordPress Site & Admin Panel

Image

 

 

Once the server is live, Cloudways displays your WordPress credentials.

Where to find them:

Dashboard → Applications → Select your WordPress app → Access Details

You’ll see:

  • Admin URL (e.g., yourtempURL.com/wp-admin)
  • Username
  • Password

Click Login → You’re inside WordPress!

SECTION 4 — Set Up Your Domain Name on Cloudways

Image

 

Image

Your website currently runs on a temporary Cloudways URL. To use your own domain:

Step 1: Navigate to Domain Management

Go to:

Applications → Your App → Domain Management

Step 2: Enter Your Primary Domain

Add:

example.com

Then click Save Changes.

Step 3: Update DNS Records at Your Registrar

Log into your domain provider such as:

  • GoDaddy
  • Namecheap
  • Google Domains
  • Cloudflare
  • HostGator

Add a DNS A record pointing to your Cloudways server IP:

A Record
Host: @
Value: YOUR.SERVER.IP
TTL: 600

For www:

CNAME Record
Host: www
Value: example.com

DNS propagation usually completes within 5 minutes–4 hours.

Your site now loads from your official domain.

SECTION 5 — Enable Free SSL Certificate

Image

HTTPS is required for:

  • SEO
  • Security
  • E-commerce
  • Google Chrome access

Cloudways includes SSL via Let’s Encrypt.

Step 1: Open SSL Management

Go to:

Applications → Your App → SSL Certificate

Step 2: Choose Let’s Encrypt SSL

Enter:

  • Your email
  • Your website domain

Click Install Certificate.

Step 3: Force HTTPS

Enable: Auto-Renewal
Enable: HTTPS Redirection

Your website is now secure.

SECTION 6 — Set Up Backups (Critical Step)

Image

 

Backups protect you from:

  • Plugin errors
  • Theme conflicts
  • Hacks
  • Server crashes

Cloudways backups are automatic and off-site.

👉 https://www.cloudways.com/en/?id=1004605

How to Enable Backups

Dashboard → Server Management → Backups

Configure:

  • Frequency: Every 1–6 hours
  • Retention: 7–30 days
  • Local Backup: OFF (optional to save resources)

Click Save.

Restore a Backup Anytime

  1. Go to Application Management
  2. Click Restore
  3. Pick the backup date
  4. Confirm rollback

It takes 1–3 minutes.

SECTION 7 — Enable Cloudways Caching & Optimization

 

 

Image

Cloudways automatically installs its plugin:

Breeze Cache Plugin

This handles:

  • Minification
  • Gzip
  • Caching
  • Database optimization
  • CDN compatibility

Enable features inside:

WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Breeze

Optional: Enable Redis for Database Caching

Dashboard → Server Management → Settings & Packages → Toggle Redis ON

This massively boosts WooCommerce performance.

SECTION 8 — Add Cloudways CDN (Optional but Recommended)

 

Image

A CDN improves speed for global visitors. Cloudways offers its own CDN.

How to enable it:

Applications → Add-ons → CloudwaysCDN

Enter your domain → Enable CDN → Copy the CDN URL into Breeze.

This improves:

  • Image loading times
  • Script delivery
  • CSS loading

SECTION 9 — Create SFTP/SSH Access

Image

 

 

To edit files, upload themes, or change advanced configurations:

Step 1: Go to Server Management → Master Credentials

You’ll find:

  • SFTP Username
  • SFTP Password
  • Server IP

Use FileZilla or Cyberduck to connect using:

Protocol: SFTP
Host: SERVER-IP
Username: SFTP-USER
Password: SFTP-PASS
Port: 22

Step 2: Use SSH Terminal

Click Launch SSH Terminal inside Cloudways.

This is useful for:

  • WP-CLI
  • Clearing cache
  • File operations
  • Running migrations

SECTION 10 — Staging Environment Setup

Image

 

A staging website allows testing new plugins, themes, or code safely.

How to Create Staging:

  1. Go to your Application
  2. Click Staging Management
  3. Click Create Staging Application

Cloudways will clone:

  • Files
  • Database
  • Configurations

Push/Pull Options

  • Push to Live: Deploy staging changes
  • Pull from Live: Sync updates to staging

This is essential for agencies and developers.

SECTION 11 — Final WordPress Optimization on Cloudways

 

Image

 

Once everything is live, make sure your WordPress site is optimized.

1. Install an SEO Plugin

  • Rank Math
  • Yoast
  • SEOPress

2. Enable Image Compression

Use: Imagify, ShortPixel, or Optimole.

3. Use a Lightweight Theme

Recommended:

  • Astra
  • GeneratePress
  • Kadence

4. Keep Plugins Minimal

Only essential tools should be active.

SECTION 12 — Final Checklist Before Launch

 

 

Image

Before going live:

✔️ SSL active

✔️ Backups configured

✔️ DNS pointing correctly

✔️ Breeze caching active

✔️ CDN enabled (optional)

✔️ Staging site ready

✔️ SFTP/SSH confirmed

✔️ Security settings on (2FA, strong password)

Your WordPress site is now fully ready to scale with Cloudways.

Conclusion

Setting up WordPress on Cloudways takes less than an hour, but gives you:

  • Faster load times
  • Better SEO
  • Higher reliability
  • Built-in security
  • Auto-scaling
  • Cloud performance without complexity

For small businesses, online stores, agencies, and enterprise-level projects, Cloudways delivers unmatched value.

👉 https://www.cloudways.com/en/?id=1004605

 

You may also like

Explore
Drag