How to install WordPress on a VPS

Quick answer: Install a web server, PHP and MariaDB (the LEMP stack), create a database, then download and configure WordPress — fastest with WP-CLI: wp core download, wp config create, wp core install. Prefer a visual workflow? Install a free control panel like CloudPanel and add WordPress from its interface.

Overview

On an unmanaged Cloud2Y VPS you install WordPress yourself — which takes about 15 minutes and gives you full control over PHP versions, caching and security. This guide shows the manual path on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 with Nginx; for the full web-server configuration see installing WordPress with Nginx, and for the panel route see installing CloudPanel.

Before you start

• A VPS with Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 and SSH access as root or a sudo user.
• A domain with an A record pointed at the server (how to point a domain) — you can start with the IP and add the domain later.
• The stack installed: Nginx, PHP-FPM 8.x and MariaDB.

Step-by-step guide

1. Create a database and user:

   sudo mariadb
   CREATE DATABASE wp_site CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
   CREATE USER 'wp_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'STRONG-PASSWORD';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wp_site.* TO 'wp_user'@'localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT;

2. Install WP-CLI:

   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar
   chmod +x wp-cli.phar && sudo mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp

3. Download and configure WordPress in your web root:

   sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com && cd /var/www/example.com
   sudo -u www-data wp core download
   sudo -u www-data wp config create --dbname=wp_site --dbuser=wp_user --dbpass=STRONG-PASSWORD
   sudo -u www-data wp core install --url=https://example.com --title="My Site" \
     --admin_user=admin_name [email protected] --prompt=admin_password

4. Point your Nginx server block at /var/www/example.com and reload; then add SSL.
5. Log in at /wp-admin/, set permalinks, delete unused default plugins/themes.

Common issues

• “Error establishing a database connection”: wrong credentials in wp-config.php or MariaDB not running (systemctl status mariadb).
• File permission errors: the web root should belong to www-data: sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/example.com.
• White page after install: missing PHP extensions — install php8.3-mysql php8.3-curl php8.3-gd php8.3-xml php8.3-mbstring php8.3-zip php8.3-imagick.

When to contact support

Cloud2Y supports the server platform itself; in-OS software setup is in your hands on an unmanaged VPS. If the server is unreachable or behaves unexpectedly at the platform level, open a ticket — and if you’d rather skip the setup entirely, ask about free migration of an existing site.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a control panel to run WordPress on a VPS?

No. WordPress runs fine on a plain LEMP stack managed over SSH, but a free panel like CloudPanel or HestiaCP adds a visual interface for domains, SSL and backups if you prefer clicking to typing.

What is WP-CLI and why use it?

WP-CLI is the official WordPress command-line tool: it downloads core, creates wp-config.php, installs sites and manages plugins, making repeatable installs far faster than the web installer.

Which PHP version should I use for WordPress?

Use a current PHP 8.x release (8.2 or 8.3). WordPress core and major plugins fully support it, and PHP 8 is significantly faster and better with memory than the end-of-life 7.4 branch.

Related articles

• How to install WordPress with Nginx
• How to configure SSL for WordPress
• How to configure WordPress backups
• How to secure WordPress on a VPS

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