Getting Started with Plesk

This comprehensive guide is designed to assist new users in commencing their journey with Plesk. It provides a foundational understanding of how to get started, offers a detailed overview of the platform's intuitive interface, and thoroughly explains the essential concept of subscriptions for efficient server and website management. Whether you're a shared hosting customer or an administrator, understanding these core aspects will ensure a smooth and productive experience.

Logging In to Plesk for the First Time

To access your Plesk control panel, navigate to the following URL in your web browser:

https://<Plesk server's address>:8443

Here, <Plesk server’s address> should be replaced with either the domain name or the specific IP address assigned to your Plesk server. Upon reaching the login page, you will be prompted to enter your designated username and password. Your initial login experience may vary slightly, depending on whether you are a shared hosting customer accessing your account or an administrator managing the entire server.

Note: When logging in as a Plesk administrator, you might be required to change your administrative password. This is often a security measure based on server settings. You have the option to generate a strong password automatically or manually input a new password that adheres to the established Plesk password strength policy, ensuring robust security for your server environment.

Logging In as a Shared Hosting Customer

Upon your initial login to Plesk as a shared hosting customer, you will be directed to a form requesting essential contact details. This typically includes information such as:

• Your company or organization name.
• Your primary phone number and email address.
• Your current address and country of residence.

This contact information is vital for your service provider to communicate with you regarding any potential service issues, updates, or important announcements. The form also provides an opportunity to establish a new, secure password for your user account. This password, combined with your existing username, will be used for all subsequent logins to Plesk. Please note that usernames cannot be altered directly by users; for any username modification requests, kindly reach out to your hosting provider for assistance.

Logging In as the Server Administrator

For server administrators, the first login to Plesk initiates a series of configuration steps designed to collect personal information and establish the initial server setup. The process typically unfolds as follows:

1. Plesk License Agreement: You must review and accept the license agreement to continue with the setup.
2. Initial Server Configuration: This crucial step involves several key settings:
   • Defining the server’s full hostname.
   • Selecting the primary default IP address for the server.
   • Categorizing all available IP addresses on the server into either shared or dedicated allocations.
   • Establishing a new, secure password for the Plesk administrator account.
3. Personal Information Form: A dedicated form will require you to enter your personal contact and identification details, which must be completed to proceed.
4. Plesk Interface Selection: You will then choose the interface that best suits your primary use case for the server. There are two distinct Plesk interface options:
   • Power User View: This interface is recommended for web administrators who are directly managing their own websites or those of their clients.
   • Service Provider View: Ideal for shared hosting providers who intend to offer hosting services to customers, allowing them to manage their own websites independently.
5. License Key Provision: You will need to supply your Plesk license key. This can be done by uploading a .ZIP archive, an .XML file, or by entering a specific activation code.
6. First Subscription Configuration (for Power User View): If you selected the Power User view, you will proceed to configure your initial subscription. This involves specifying:
   • The primary domain name for the subscription.
   • The associated IP address.
   • A system user username and its corresponding password.

Plesk User Interface Explained

Plesk is designed to cater to a diverse range of users, each with unique needs and operational scenarios. For instance, a service provider's requirements for setting up service plans and configuring server-wide parameters differ significantly from a customer's need to create a database or adjust PHP settings for their domain. To effectively serve all user roles, Plesk offers two distinct interface panels:

• The Customer Panel: This interface is primarily focused on web hosting operations, providing all the essential tools for creating and managing websites, email accounts, and related services. It is specifically tailored for hosting customers.
• The Power User View: Encompassing all functionalities of the Customer Panel, the Power User View also integrates advanced tools for managing server-wide settings. This comprehensive view is ideal for server administrators who host their own websites, as well as for web development agencies that manage websites for their clients.

Both panels offer robust capabilities for managing subscriptions, which are fundamental to resource allocation and permissions within Plesk.

Given that this guide is intended for shared hosting customers and web designers who manage client websites, our primary focus will be on the Power User View. Let's explore its layout and key components, as illustrated in a typical Plesk Power User View interface:

1. Navigation Pane: This prominent section efficiently organizes the Plesk interface. Tools are logically grouped by their function. For example, all controls related to managing web hosting settings are conveniently located on the Websites & Domains page, while tools for managing email accounts can be found on the Mail page. Below is a concise description of some frequently encountered tabs and their functionalities (availability may vary based on your installed license and extensions):
   • Websites & Domains: This central hub allows you to add and remove domains, subdomains, and domain aliases. Here, you can also manage various web hosting configurations, create and manage databases and their users, modify DNS settings, and secure your websites with SSL/TLS certificates.
   • Mail: Use this tab to effortlessly create and delete mail accounts, in addition to managing various mail server settings.
   • Applications: From this section, you have the ability to install and manage a diverse range of popular web applications, enhancing your website's functionality.
   • Files: This web-based file manager provides a convenient way to upload content to your website and manage all files already residing on the server within your allocated subscription.
   • Databases: Here, you can establish new databases and efficiently manage existing ones for your web applications.
   • Statistics: This section offers valuable insights into your disk and traffic usage. It also provides a link to detailed web statistics, offering a comprehensive overview of your website's visitor activity.
   • Server: Exclusively visible to server administrators, this tab features a suite of tools designed for configuring server-wide settings and ensuring optimal performance.
   • Extensions: Manage all installed Plesk extensions from this area, and easily access the specialized functions they provide.
   • Users: This tab enables you to add and remove user accounts, granting other individuals access to log into Plesk with defined permissions.
   • My Profile: Visible only in the Power User view, this item allows you to review and update your contact details and other personal information associated with your account.
   • Account: Accessible primarily within the Control Panel for shared hosting customers, this item displays information regarding your subscription's resource usage, allowed hosting options and granted permissions. The tools here enable customers to retrieve and update their contact details and personal information, and also back up their subscription settings and websites.
   • Docker: This tab appears if the Docker Manager extension is installed, allowing you to run and manage containers based on Docker images.
   • WordPress: Visible when the WP Toolkit extension is installed, this section facilitates the configuration and comprehensive management of your WordPress websites.
2. Search Field: Located prominently, this field allows you to quickly search for domains, extensions, specific options, and other elements within the Plesk interface, enhancing navigation and efficiency.
3. User and Subscription Information: This section clearly displays the name of the currently logged-in user and the active subscription being managed. Users can modify their account properties and switch between multiple subscriptions if applicable.
4. Help Menu: Accessible here, the Help menu provides quick access to a context-sensitive online guide and a library of informative video tutorials, assisting users whenever they need support or clarification.
5. Contextual Controls: This dynamic section contains all controls pertinent to the tab currently open. For example, if the Websites & Domains tab is active, this area will display various tools specifically for managing web hosting aspects of the subscription.
6. Miscellaneous Controls and Information: This area aggregates a variety of additional controls and informative displays, designed for user convenience and quick access to frequently used functions or status updates.

As you progress through this guide, you will encounter detailed instructions for performing many common daily tasks within Plesk. These instructions often involve navigating to a specific tab and clicking a relevant control. Should you find a particular tab or control missing from your panel, it most likely indicates that the corresponding functionality is currently disabled for your subscription. In such instances, it is advisable to contact your service provider for further assistance and clarification.

Overview of the Items in the Navigation Pane

For a comprehensive understanding of the Plesk interface and the functionalities available, the following table provides a detailed overview of the various tabs found within the Navigation Pane and their corresponding operations. This table highlights the extensive capabilities offered for both customers and administrators to manage their web hosting environment effectively.

Understanding Subscriptions

To fully grasp how resource utilization is managed and how the range of available options is controlled for different users within Plesk, it is crucial to understand the fundamental concept of a subscription.

When a customer procures a hosting account, a dedicated subscription is automatically established for them within Plesk. A subscription is essentially a defined package, combining a specific set of available resources with a distinct range of permissions granted to the user. Resources typically encompass elements like disk space and data transfer (traffic), while permissions might include capabilities such as adding supplementary domains or modifying PHP settings. This permission-based structure offers service providers significant flexibility in determining which services and operations customers are authorized to manage.

Note: Throughout this guide, you will find detailed instructions for various routine tasks. Should you encounter a situation where you are unable to follow certain steps due to a missing tab or button, the most probable reason is that your service provider has explicitly disabled the corresponding permission within your subscription's properties. In such circumstances, it is recommended to contact your provider for clarification and assistance.

The resources allocated to a subscription can be utilized by the customer as they deem appropriate. For instance, if a subscription provides 100 megabytes of disk space, the customer has the flexibility to allocate this space for website content, email storage, databases, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, if the subscription permits the creation of multiple domains, the customer can establish additional domains and distribute the available disk space among them according to their needs.

It is possible for a single customer to possess multiple subscriptions. However, it is vital to understand that resources are not shared or pooled between these separate subscriptions. For example, if a customer holds two subscriptions, each offering 100 megabytes of disk space, they cannot cumulatively use 150 megabytes for one subscription and 50 megabytes for the other. Such an allocation would constitute a violation of one subscription's defined resource limits and could potentially lead to the suspension of the non-compliant subscription.

Warning: If a subscription is suspended, all associated domains will become inaccessible, and the owner will be prevented from managing the subscription until it has been reactivated by the service provider. Should you discover that your subscription has been suspended, it is imperative to contact your provider as soon as possible to resolve the issue and restore full access.

For individuals managing their own Plesk server to host their personal websites or those of their clients, the concept of strict resource limits often becomes less relevant. In such scenarios, your administrative subscription is typically configured with unlimited resources, providing complete freedom and flexibility for server and website management.