What CloudPanel is

CloudPanel is a free control panel built around Nginx and PHP-FPM. It manages PHP, Node.js, Python, static and reverse-proxy sites, databases, Let’s Encrypt certificates, cron jobs, backups and site users from a web interface and from its command-line tool, clpctl. It does not include email hosting. It suits developers and agencies who host their own sites on a VPS.

Requirements

Check CloudPanel’s requirements page before you install, because supported releases change.

Step 1: connect and update the server

ssh root@your-server-ip

apt update && apt -y upgrade && apt -y install curl wget sudo

Step 2: run the installer

The install command checks the installer’s SHA-256 checksum before it runs, so a changed or damaged file is rejected. The checksum changes with each installer release, so always copy the full command from CloudPanel’s documentation. It has this form:

curl -sS https://installer.cloudpanel.io/ce/v2/install.sh -o install.sh; \
echo "CHECKSUM_FROM_THE_DOCS install.sh" | \
sha256sum -c && sudo DB_ENGINE=MYSQL_8.4 bash install.sh

If the checksum line reports FAILED, stop and copy the current command again.

Step 3: choose the database engine

Set DB_ENGINE in the install command. The documentation lists which engines are offered for each operating system. Typical choices are:

Pick a long-term support release that your applications support. Changing the database engine later means moving every database.

Step 4: create the admin user and lock down the panel

1. Open https://your-server-ip:8443. The browser warns about a self-signed certificate; continue for now.
2. Create the admin user at once. Until you do, anyone who finds the address could claim the panel.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication for the admin user.
4. Restrict port 8443 to your own IP address in CloudPanel’s firewall or your server firewall.

If you do not have a fixed IP address, add basic authentication in front of the panel:

clpctl cloudpanel:enable:basic-auth --userName=john.doe --password='a-long-password'

Useful clpctl commands

Run these as root over SSH.

# Add a PHP site (list templates with: clpctl vhost-templates:list)
clpctl site:add:php --domainName=www.example.com --phpVersion=8.4 --vhostTemplate='Generic' --siteUser=john --siteUserPassword='!secretPassword!'

# Add a Node.js site
clpctl site:add:nodejs --domainName=www.example.com --nodejsVersion=22 --appPort=3000 --siteUser=john --siteUserPassword='!secretPassword!'

# Add a database
clpctl db:add --domainName=www.example.com --databaseName=my-database --databaseUserName=john --databaseUserPassword='!secretPassword!'

# Install a Let's Encrypt certificate (www.example.com also covers example.com)
clpctl lets-encrypt:install:certificate --domainName=www.example.com

# Reset a CloudPanel user's password
clpctl user:reset:password --userName=john.doe --password='!newPassword!'

As a site user, reset file permissions inside the site folder with clpctl system:permissions:reset --directories=770 --files=660 --path=.

First tasks after installing

• ✓ Point your domain’s DNS to the server, then add the site and its Let’s Encrypt certificate.
• ✓ Set up backups in CloudPanel and copy them to remote storage, not only the same server.
• ✓ Keep the server updated with apt update && apt upgrade, and update PHP when security releases come out.
• ✓ If the site uses Cloudflare, run clpctl cloudflare:update:ips so CloudPanel trusts Cloudflare’s IP ranges.

When a critical PHP release comes out, follow our PHP security update guide, which includes CloudPanel steps.

Email on a CloudPanel server

CloudPanel does not host email. Use an external email service, or run a separate mail system such as mailcow on its own server. mailcow needs several gigabytes of RAM and its own ports, so running it next to CloudPanel on a small VPS is not recommended.

Troubleshooting

Comparing panels? See our free control panels guide and our aaPanel guide.