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This guide assumes you’ve installed AreaWP and completed the setup wizard. If not, start with the Installation Guide.

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Step 1 — Deploy a WordPress Template

Templates (Blueprints) let you package a full WordPress setup and make it available for deployment. Go to Services → Templates (/templates) → Manage → Add Blueprint.
1

Go to Services → Templates → Manage

In the sidebar, navigate to Services → Templates, then click the Manage button and select Add Blueprint.
2

Upload your WordPress files

Provide the template contents. Two options:Fill in the template name, description, category, and version.
3

Save the Blueprint

Click Save. The template is now available in the catalog for clients to deploy from their portal.

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Step 2 — Configure Site Settings

Go to Settings → Site Settings to configure platform-wide options for your installation.

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Platform Mode

Choose how the platform operates:

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General Toggles

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Site Configuration

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SSL Certificate

SSL is provisioned during the initial setup wizard. This section only needs revisiting if you change the panel domain or need to redeploy the certificate for a new domain. The Force WWW Redirect toggle redirects www.yourdomain.com to the apex domain (or vice versa) automatically.

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Company Info

Used on invoices and billing documents:

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Tax Management

Enable the Tax toggle to add tax to all invoices:
  • Tax Name — label shown on invoices (e.g. VAT, GST)
  • Tax Amount — percentage rate (e.g. 20 for 20%)
When the Support Center is enabled, add quick-access links shown on the client dashboard — each link has a label, description, and URL. Useful for pointing clients to your knowledge base, community forum, or external support portal.

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Step 3 — Set Up Email

Outgoing email is required for registration confirmations, password resets, billing invoices, and renewal reminders. Without it, clients receive nothing from the platform.
1

Go to Settings → Email

Navigate to Settings and select Email from the sidebar.
2

Enter your SMTP credentials

Popular providers: SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES, Postmark, or your own Postfix server.
3

Send a test email

Click Send Test Email. AreaWP sends a verification message to the admin address. Check your inbox to confirm delivery before going live.
4

Customize email templates (optional)

Scroll to Email Templates to customize the content and branding of transactional emails — welcome, invoices, renewal reminders, and more.
Without a working SMTP configuration, clients will not receive registration emails, password resets, or billing notifications. Configure this before inviting your first user.

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Step 4 — Set Up Billing

1

Create a Pricing Plan

Go to Administration → Pricing Plans → New Plan. Set name, price, billing period, and resource limits.
2

Enable a Payment Gateway

Go to Administration → Payment Gateways. Enable Stripe, PayPal, Tap, or Bank Transfer and enter credentials.
3

Invite a Client

Go to Administration → Users → Invite User. The client receives an email registration link and can subscribe to a plan from their portal.

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Step 5 — White-Label the Platform

1

Open Settings → White Label

Go to Settings and find the White Label category.
2

Set brand name and logo

Enter your brand name, upload your logo (light and dark variants), and choose your primary color.
3

Save

Changes take effect immediately across the entire UI for all users.

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What’s Next?

Server Fleet

Agent Fleet, fleet monitor, cloud provisioning (Hosted plan only)

Set Up Monitoring

Thresholds, alerts, and public status pages

Configure Backups

Automated schedules and S3 storage

Explore Docker

Containers, Compose stacks, and live metrics