What happens after you order managed hosting

Managed hosting is prepared by our team, so there is a short setup stage between paying for your plan and receiving your hosting account. This guide explains each step and how to get your website online once the service is ready.

Setup after payment

When your invoice is paid, the hosting service appears under Managed Hosting in your account with a Pending status and the note "This service is being set up." During this stage our team reviews the order and creates the hosting account. There is nothing further you need to pay or submit.

If we need information from you to complete setup, we contact you through your account email or a support ticket, so keep an eye on both.

When your service becomes active

We email you the account details as soon as the service is ready, and its status changes to Active. The service page then shows:

• The plan, primary domain, billing cycle, recurring amount and next due date.
• The server, username and IP address of your hosting account.
• A Log in to control panel button when one-click sign-in is available for your plan.

For your protection, the service page never displays your hosting password. If one-click sign-in is not available, use the control panel credentials from your welcome email.

Getting your website online

1. Point your domain at the hosting. Set the domain's nameservers to the values provided for your hosting account. For domains registered with us, use the nameserver form on the domain page; see Updating nameservers and DNS: the basics.
2. Upload your website. Use the file manager or FTP access in your control panel to upload your files, or the control panel's tools to set up your application.
3. Create databases and email accounts your site needs, then update your application's configuration to use them.
4. Test before you announce. Allow time for DNS changes to take effect, then check your pages, forms and checkout from more than one network.

Moving an existing site instead?

If your website currently lives with another provider, you do not have to move it by hand. Submit a migration request and our team will assess it; see Submitting a migration request.