How to install WordPress in Plesk, step by step

You can install WordPress in Plesk in two ways: with the built-in installer in a few clicks, or manually over FTP if you want more control. WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, and it lets you build a website, blog or online shop without any programming knowledge. This article walks you through both methods on your hosting at LJPc, step by step, and then covers what to set up afterwards: a theme, clean permalinks and a forced HTTPS connection.

What you need before you start

To install WordPress you need an active hosting package at LJPc, with your domain name added to your hosting. You manage everything through Plesk, the control panel included with every package. You log in to Plesk from the customer portal: open your site and click the Log in to Plesk button. Plesk then opens in a new tab, without a separate login.

WordPress needs very little, but it runs best on a modern server environment. WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or higher and MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or higher. LJPc has a recent PHP version ready by default. You can change the PHP version yourself in Plesk if a theme or plugin needs a specific version. A free SSL certificate and unlimited databases come with every package, so everything you need for a secure WordPress site is already there.

Choose your installation method

There are two routes. The built-in installer in Plesk is the fastest and sets up the database and the administrator account automatically. The manual route over FTP gives you full control over every file and setting. Beginners usually pick the installer, while advanced users sometimes prefer the manual method.

Install WordPress in Plesk with the installer

This is the quickest way. Plesk downloads WordPress, creates a database with a database user, sets up an administrator account and delivers a working site. Follow these steps.

1. Open Plesk and go to Websites & Domains. Find your domain.
2. Click the WordPress tab, or open Applications and choose WordPress under the featured applications (Featured applications). Both open the same installer.
3. Click Install. Choose Install (Quick) for a fast installation with default settings, or Install (Custom) if you want to fill in the details yourself.
4. For a custom installation, enter the site title, an administrator username, a strong password and your email address. You will use these details to log in later. Avoid an obvious username such as admin.
5. Check the installation path. For the main site, leave it on the domain folder, which matches the httpdocs folder. If you want WordPress in a subfolder, for example for a blog, enter that folder.
6. Leave the database name as it is or change it, optionally choose the WordPress version and language, and set automatic updates to your preference.
7. Click Install. After about half a minute WordPress is installed and you see the login details and a link to your admin area.

Quick or custom installation?

Install (Quick) installs the latest WordPress with default settings and an automatically generated password. Handy for a quick test. Install (Custom) lets you set the site title, the username, the password, the database name and the installation path yourself. For a real, lasting site choose Custom, so you set a recognisable username and your own password from the start.

Install WordPress manually over FTP

If you would rather do everything yourself, you can install WordPress manually. This is known as the famous five-minute install. You need an FTP or SFTP program and access to Plesk for the database.

1. Download WordPress from wordpress.org and unzip the file on your computer.
2. Create a database with a database user in Plesk. You can read how in create a database in Plesk. Note down the database name, the username and the password.
3. Upload the unzipped WordPress files to the httpdocs folder of your domain. See upload files with FTP and SFTP for the connection details. For a site on your main domain, place the files directly in httpdocs, not in a subfolder.
4. Configure wp-config.php with your database details (see below).
5. Open your domain in the browser, for example at yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php. Choose the language, enter the site title, a username, a strong password and your email address, and click Install WordPress.

Setting up wp-config.php

In the WordPress files you will find wp-config-sample.php. Rename that file to wp-config.php and fill in your database details. The most important values are:

• DB_NAME: the name of your database.
• DB_USER: the database user.
• DB_PASSWORD: the password for that user.
• DB_HOST: at LJPc almost always localhost, because the database runs on the same server as your website.
• $table_prefix: the table prefix, wp_ by default. A custom prefix such as site_ makes your database a little harder to guess.

Also replace the Authentication Unique Keys and Salts block with fresh keys. You generate these with the official WordPress salt generator and paste them over the existing lines. Save the file and upload it to httpdocs.

First steps after the installation

WordPress is now running. These settings give you a solid starting point straight away.

Log in and choose a theme

Go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and log in with the administrator account. Under Appearance > Themes, choose a theme that suits you, or install a new one. The theme determines the look of your site.

Set your permalinks

By default WordPress uses URLs with question marks and numbers. Go to Settings > Permalinks and choose Post name. Your URLs then contain the title of your page, which reads better and is friendlier for search engines. Click Save Changes.

Force HTTPS

A secure site runs over HTTPS. LJPc issues a free Let's Encrypt certificate automatically as soon as your domain points to the hosting. After that, send visitors to the secure version: in Plesk, under Websites & Domains > Hosting Settings, turn on the Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS option. Also check that the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) under Settings > General both start with https://.

Keep WordPress up to date

Update WordPress, your themes and your plugins regularly, because updates close security holes. Our article on updating WordPress safely explains how to do this without risk. Also remove themes and plugins you do not use.

Solving common problems

If you get stuck, this table helps you move on quickly.

Still stuck? Feel free to contact support and we will help you finish the installation.