Inside this Article
**You can’t rely on DigitalOcean’s support – agents take a long time to respond, and rarely provide useful answersTo make matters worse, much of DigitalOcean’s online documentation seems to be out of date. That said, setting up a VPS with DigitalOcean isn’t that difficult – and in fact, much of the process is automated for you. **By following a few simple steps, you can have a new WordPress site up and running in an hour or twoThis guide will show you how to create a “Droplet” (VPS) with DigitalOcean and install the necessary software for web hosting. I’ll also cover how to install and configure WordPress. **It’s simple enough that even a total beginner can follow alongSo, let’s get started!
## Getting Started with DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean’s Droplets come as a blank slate – you can use them for a wide-range of purposes, not just for web hosting. Therefore, we’ll need to install the necessities for web hosting. Thankfully, nearly all of this is handled for you as part of an automatic setup process

Below is the software we’ll be installing and using in this guide:
- Ubuntu 20.04
- WordPress 5.8
- Apache 2.4.41
- MySQL 8.0.21
- PHP 8.0
- Fail2ban 0.11.1
- Postfix 3.4.10
- Certbot 0.40.0
 How Do I Create a Droplet?

**There’s a free trial available, which lets you try out DigitalOcean for 60 days**with no commitment. You’ll get $100 in free credit to play with, which is more than enough to host a basic WordPress site

**Upon logging in for the first time, DigitalOcean will offer a quick and easy setup screen for a variety of different use cases You’ll see an option for website hosting – click it to get started

 Which Plan and Data Center Should I Choose?You’ll now be taken to a screen where you can configure your VPS. DigitalOcean’s VPSs are known as Droplets – and to begin the process, you’ll need to choose a Droplet plan

**For a new WordPress site, the cheapest option offers just enough resourcesYou can easily upgrade to a better plan at any time

**For the best results, this should be as near as possible to the majority of your target audienceThis will minimize latency and ensure top-notch performance


**It is important that you set a secure root passwordDo not use a simple, guessable password for the sake of memorizability. At the same time, make note of your chosen password now, as you will not receive a confirmation email containing your root password. Once you’ve done this, you can hit *Create Droplet*

 Which Additional Options Should I Choose?You’ll now be taken to the DigitalOcean dashboard. A project will be created automatically and your Droplet will be placed within it. DigitalOcean projects are purely for organization purposes – you can rename it if you wish, or just leave it as is for now

**It may take a minute or two for your Droplet to deploy you can track this via a progress bar that will appear. Once the progress bar has filled, your new Droplet should be ready to configure. However, before we jump straight in, you may wish to take a look at the settings

**It is a good idea to enable backupsThis service offers an automatic weekly snapshot of your entire server. While you shouldn’t rely on this backup solution alone, it’s inexpensive and offers some protection against data loss. If you’d like to enable this service, simply click *Backups*on the left, followed by the *Enable Backups*button. DigitalOcean will then display the date and time of your first scheduled backup. You’ll then be able to access your backups from this same menu once your site is up and running

**You can enable additional metrics and configurable alerts for your Droplet for freewhich allows you to track resource usage and overall traffic in greater detail. You may also wish to implement an IPv6 address, which offers greater security and more efficient routing. Implementing these additional options isn’t effortless – you’ll have to use SSH and the command line. While the guides DigitalOcean provides for implementing these features are quick and easy to follow, you may want to wait until you’ve completed the setup of WordPress and had some practice with an SSH client before jumping in

 Naming Your Droplet and Checking the Placeholder PageWhile there’s nothing wrong with keeping the auto-generated name, you may wish to name your Droplet something that’s a bit easier to identify. To do this, click the current name of your Droplet at the top of its settings. Type in a new name, then click the blue checkmark to confirm


**You can name your Droplet whatever you like, but spaces, special characters, and most punctuation aren’t allowedHyphens are okay, though. Now that your Droplet is all set up, you should test that it is functioning properly. To do this, you can visit its IP address. If all is well, the IP should return a DigitalOcean placeholder page

**Your Droplet’s IP address can be found in its settings or on the dashboard homepageMouse over the IP address to reveal a “Copy” command, which will speed things along. Then, you can simply paste this address into a web browser of your choice

## Configuring WordPressWhile WordPress is installed on our Droplet, it’s not yet configured or ready to use

**To finish setting up WordPress **you’ll need to use an SSH client to connect to your DropletDon’t worry, this isn’t as hard as it sounds. Follow my simple guide below to get it done fast

 What is an SSH Client and Which One Should I Use?
**An SSH client allows you to remotely connect to a Linux machine (such as your Droplet) and control it via the command lineThese clients commonly include simple graphical interfaces. The most popular options are OpenSSH, which is built into Windows, and PuTTY, which is easy to use and free to download for both Windows and MacOS. **For this tutorial, I went with PuTTYIt offers a straightforward setup, and a simple UI that allows you to save your settings for repeated connections. It can handle mostly anything you can throw at it, and it suits our needs here very well. While different SSH clients may have different setup processes, the commands you’ll be entering will be identical. If you choose a different client, you can skip past the PuTTY setup guide below

 How To Enable WordPress Configuration With the Command Line


**As most computer users are on 64-bit Windows systems, you’ll likely want the top optionDownload the appropriate installer and run it to complete installation of the PuTTY client

**enter the IP address of your Droplet at the top of the Session screen You’ll also need to make sure your connection type is “SSH” and the port is set to “22”

**Next, set your login username as “root This saves you an extra step upon connecting to your Droplet. You can do this on the “Data” screen, found again in the main menu

*Save*. Your session will then appear in the list. If you wish to use these settings again later, click your saved session in the list and then hit *Load*. Now, you’re finally ready to connect! **Press the *Open*button at the bottom of the window to begin the connection 
*Accept*to move on


**It’s worth noting that the characters you type will not appear in the command line this is a security measure to ensure your password isn’t readable by any third parties. It may look like nothing is happening, but your inputs are working

**you’ll also need to connect a domain name to your Droplet Let’s take care of this now. You can close the SSH connection for the time being

## Connecting a Domain NameTo go any further, you’ll need an active domain name. If you haven’t registered one yet, do so now

**I will be using a domain name registered with Hostingerwhich offers lower prices than most for popular domain name extensions, along with easy DNS management. No matter which registrar you use, the process should be fairly similar

*Manage*button next to the domain you’d like to use

*Change*link to edit them

**ns1.digitialocean.com **ns2.digitialocean.com and **ns3.digitialocean.com This will point your domain name to DigitalOcean’s servers. If done correctly, your nameservers should look like the example in the above screenshot. Click *Save*to confirm the changes. **Keep in mind that nameserver changes may take some time to fully resolveWhile this can be instantaneous, it usually takes around an hour, and it can take up to a couple of days. I’d recommend waiting an hour or two before attempting the remaining steps. **Once you’ve allowed some time for the nameserver setting to change, you’ll need to configure your DNSThis needs to be done with DigitalOcean, not your domain registrar – as you’re using DigitalOcean’s nameservers, your DNS is now handled there. Thankfully, DigitalOcean offers simple DNS management for domain names, even if they’re registered elsewhere

*Networking*in the leftmost menu, followed by *Domains*at the top. **Here, you’ll need to enter your domain name without the “www.” – for example, I entered “awesomefool.comThen, click *Add Domain*

*A*option at the top of the screen. **In the Hostname field, you can simply enter thesymbol This represents your root domain – your domain name and chosen extension, without any prefixes or subdomains. In my case, the root domain is “awesomefool.com.” In the Will Direct To field, you can use the dropdown menu to select your Droplet. The “TTL” box can be left at its default value. Now, click the *Create Record*button. Your root domain will then point to your Droplet’s IP address, allowing visitors to use it to reach your site

*Cname*option at the top. **In the Hostname section, enter the “www.” prefix, then in the Is An Alias Of field, enter thesymbol You can now click the *Create Record*button a final time. This step just ensures that visitors who visit your domain with the “www.” prefix will be properly redirected to the correct IP address. Once this is done, you can safely head back to the homepage of the DigitalOcean dashboard

 Completing the WordPress Configuration and Logging In to the DashboardNow that your domain and DNS settings are all in order, you can begin configuring your WordPress installation

**Open an SSH connection to your Droplet with PuTTY, as you did earlier If you saved your session previously, you can load the session’s profile

**Enter your domain without the “www.” prefix, and hit the Enter key**

**I highly recommend you add SSL now – it will offer a layer of security and credibility to your site at no cost If you refuse, you’ll have to add SSL manually at a later date. Type “Y” to accept, or “N” to refuse. If you accept, you’ll have to agree to Let’s Encrypt terms and conditions. You can do this by typing “A”

**You should leave the input blank and hit the Enter key This will configure SSL for all options

**After some time, you should see that the WordPress installation process is finally completeTo confirm, you can type your domain name in a web browser – if it returns a basic WordPress site with the “Hello World” template text, you’re all good! If you’re still seeing the placeholder page, don’t worry – these changes may take a short time to appear. It may help to clear your browser cache and cookies

 Setting Up Your SiteAll that’s left is to begin building your site!
**To log in to your WordPress dashboard, simply enter your domain into the browser of your choice, but add “/wp-admin” at the end of the URL For example, mine would be “www.awesomefool.com/wp-admin”

**I would recommend installing further security plugins and backup solutions to better protect your site and data**

## Anything Else I Should Know?From here, you can build whatever site you desire – whether that be a blog, a landing page for your freelance work, or an ecommerce site. Depending on your individual needs,

**you may wish to activate some of the additional options DigitalOcean has to offer, such as advanced metrics or an IPv6 addressBoth require connecting to your Droplet through SSH, but DigitalOcean has extensive documentation to guide you through. Don’t forget about proper WordPress maintenance – keep all plugins and themes up to date, along with your core software. Have some kind of robust backup solution active, as you don’t want to lose your data after all this hard work. With all that done, I wish you and your WordPress site the best of luck!
## FAQ
 What is a VPS?A VPS is a virtual server that offers you a dedicated portion of a server’s resources. DigitalOcean’s VPSs use cloud technology and are known as “Droplets.” DigitalOcean offers a top-quality platform, and as such, it’s relatively expensive – check out
**our list of the best web hosting services**in 2022 for some cheaper alternatives

 What is the price of a VPS from DigitalOcean?The use of a Droplet is charged by the hour. All costs incurred are collected into a monthly bill. The Basic Droplet offers more than enough resources for a simple WordPress site, and is reasonably easy to set up

 Does DigitalOcean have a free trial?DigitalOcean offers a 60-day free trial with a $100 credit to try the service as you please. However, there’s no money-back guarantee. If you’re new to web hosting, you may want to have a look at
**our complete guide to launching your first website**