# Homepage Documentation for Gilect Central Welcome to the knowledgebase for Gilect Central. Here, you will find detailed documentations for our services. Please note, because we only offer free services, we cannot offer 1 on 1 customer support. If you need 1 on 1 support, we recommend upgrading to [premium](https://ifastnet.com/portal/aff.php?aff=28607). ## Categories {% content-ref url="/pages/W07y6mHHhXhLUkl85TUA" %} [My Account](/account/creating-a-gilect-central-account) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/4RXqPYMW7VyNPp6xOZBY" %} [Hosting](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/dxuvLV1H4heE2N7qbiwV" %} [SSL Certificates](/ssl/generating-a-csr) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/VFS9IrznIfdUWW5K3Rwa" %} [Wordpress](/wordpress/how-to-install-wordpress) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/vTvWP9UXYp3jl15A4tqN" %} [Website Builder](/website-builder/launching-the-website-builder) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Video Tutorials We recently launched our video tutorials, where we show step by step guides on how to create your account and make a website. {% embed url="" %} Watch our video tutorials {% endembed %} {% embed url="" %} ## Creating a Website If this is your first time setting up hosting and making a website, we recommend reading the below articles *in chronological order* for step by step instructions on creating a website. These articles explain how to create a Gilect Central account, what you can do with it, how to make a website, and secure the website with an SSL certificate (https). ### Getting started Set up your Gilect Central account and make a hosting service. {% content-ref url="/pages/GlQlpU4s368leuHAtiTX" %} [Creating a Gilect Central Account](/account/creating-a-gilect-central-account) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} ### Creating your website Create your website and publish it to the internet for free. {% content-ref url="/pages/vNkRNSICDwMpEZ8ToCBe" %} [Manage Your Hosting Service](/hosting/manage-your-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} ### Securing with SSL Learn how to add "https" to your new website to build trust with your website visitors. {% content-ref url="/pages/8JHu1JgiVwxNPudi4x6v" %} [Generating a CSR](/ssl/generating-a-csr) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/HyjX7atJ70IJZiiQsjSJ" %} [Creating an SSL Certificate](/ssl/creating-an-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/ZKnrQXqqY4uHyMe0zIMi" %} [Installing The SSL Certificate](/ssl/installing-the-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} # Creating a Gilect Central Account Detailed instructions on creating an account with Gilect Central ### What is Gilect Central? Gilect Central is one account to access everything by Gilect. With your Gilect Central Account, you can create free hosting services and generate free SSL certificates #### Hosting Services Gilect offers you free hosting services. Our free hosting has unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and supports PHP and MySQL (meaning you can run WordPress on it!) Additionally, you can also choose whether you want a free subdomain name from us ( \_\_\_.gilect.net ) or if you already have a domain and want to use it with your free website. You can create a maximum of three hosting services. Each of these free hosting services comes with a CPanel account, and 1 FTP account and unlimited MySQL databases. #### SSL Certificates Whether you use our hosting or not, you can easily install a free SSL certificate on your website. These SSLs expire within three months but have unlimited renewals. An SSL certificate is what gives your website “https”. ### Create a Gilect Central Account You can easily create a Gilect Central account within one minute! Please visit to get started. We only require that you provide us with an e-mail address. We also require you to accept our terms of service and privacy policy. ![Sign up.](/files/ddvYYzZOBLdYqNOe7EdA) {% hint style="info" %} We require no other information, and no credit cards. {% endhint %} Thank you for creating an account with Gilect Central! You should see a dashboard that looks something like this: ![](/files/mVLzDzloimvRa3JeYb2e) You can now create websites and SSL certificates.
# Managing Your Account Change your password and profile picture ## Accessing your account settings Your account settings can be accessed through the "Account" tab on the left navigation bar. ![Account tab](/files/Mdh8I9xu8YMwei0JkAdQ) ## Changing your password You can change the password for your Gilect Central account here. This changes the password you use to log into central.gilect.com. It does not affect the password used for an individual service's CPanel, FTP, or MySQL. ![Changing your password](/files/Z4UbQFsqy7xDnNY5zoR4) ## Changing your Avatar Icon You can change your avatar icon via Gravatar.com. If you do not have an account there yet, you can register at , or by pressing "Edit Avatar" ## Log out You can log out of your account. # Create a Hosting Service Learn how to start utilizing Gilect Cloud to create free websites. ### What is Gilect's free Hosting? Our free hosting offers you free hosting services. Our free hosting has unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and supports PHP and MySQL (meaning you can run WordPress on it!) Additionally, you can also choose whether you want a free subdomain name from us ( *\_*.gilect.net ) or if you already have a domain and want to use it with your free website. You can create your hosting through your Gilect Central account. ### How many websites can I create? You can have a maximum of three hosting services in a Gilect Central account. Creating multiple Gilect Central accounts to get past this limit is *not* allowed. However, each service allows you to create unlimited websites, but they all share the same limits. If you need more services, you can upgrade to premium. ### What’s included in a hosting service When you add a hosting service, a new VistaPanel (abbreviated to CPanel) is created. CPanel is the control panel that Gilect uses to manage your websites. It is with this CPanel account that you can manage your websites, domains, FTP, databases, etc. You will also get access to the online file manager, as well as PHPMyAdmin for managing databases. ### What are the limits? Your CPanel account comes with 1 FTP, unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited MySQL databases, and unlimited addon/sub/alias domains. ### Creating the hosting service. Creating a hosting service is easy! First, make sure you are on the Gilect Central dashboard (). If you scroll down, you’ll notice the page is divided into two sections: hosting services and SSL certificates. For now, we only want to create a new hosting service, so ignore the SSL certificates and press “Create” ![Press the "Create" button](/files/pLh6enrbveEWw0igqNkt) Next, you’ll be prompted to either select a free subdomain or custom domain. #### Free subdomain If you don’t have a domain, don’t worry! Gilect provides you free .gilect.net subdomains, which you can use to create your website. Later on, you can change your free subdomain, or add a custom domain. Type in your free subdomain of choice and press “Select.” ![Press the "Select" button to check availability. After, press create.](/files/3t0AkXwI2o0S0YKHH1Lt) If your selected subdomain is available, congratulations! Press the “Create” button to continue. #### Custom domain? Already have your own domain? No problem Select the “custom domain” tab, check if you’re domain is allowed, and press the “Create” button. ![Press the "Custom domain" and then "Select" and then "Create"](/files/s4mR6mz5rBJbMe7MonJQ) {% hint style="warning" %} *Please note that .tk domains are banned, due to abuse in the past. However, other free domains (such as .ml) are still allowed.* {% endhint %} ### Nameservers If you use a custom domain, you need to set up your nameservers to link your domain to Gilect. This is done through your domain provider’s panel. Please set your nameservers to: * ns1.gilect.net * ns2.gilect.net If you are using a free subdomain you can skip this step ![You can copy the nameservers from the "Nameservers" tab.](/files/3zkFESJyidJ2RB3EjddZ) ![Example of nameservers at Freenom.com](/files/nAAgpv9G458mTbwIeVsA) ### Finish! {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations! You have created your first hosting service! You should be redirected back to the homepage, where you can see and edit your hosting service. {% endhint %} ![](/files/MmDq7mvqU5Bp134t0xRO) # Manage Your Hosting Service Learn how to manage your hosting service Before managing your hosting account, you need to make sure that you have one created. To learn how to create one, please check the article listed below. {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} ## About your hosting service ### What’s included in a hosting service When you add a hosting service, a new VistaPanel (abbreviated to CPanel) is created. It is with this CPanel account that you can manage your websites, domains, FTP, databases, etc. You will also get access to the online file manager, as well as PHPMyAdmin for managing databases. ### What are the limits? Your CPanel account comes with 1 FTP, unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited MySQL databases, and unlimited addon/sub/alias domains. ## Viewing your hosting services. Viewing the list of your existing services is easy! First, make sure you are on the Gilect Central dashboard (). If you scroll down, you’ll notice the page is divided into two sections: hosting services and SSL certificates. For now, we only want to manage our hosting services, so ignore the SSL certificates. ![](/files/MmDq7mvqU5Bp134t0xRO) {% hint style="info" %} If this list is empty, this means that you haven't created any hosting services yet. Creating a hosting service is easy, please refer to the article listed below on how to create one. {% endhint %} {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} Please select which hosting service you want to manage, and press the "Manage" button. ![](/files/1y3OH7Ut2yOsYs5D01Vj) You will be directed to a page that allows you to manage your selected hosting service, it should look something like this: ![Manage service page](/files/lWhU6DaMDwFWGFc6I5a4) ## Organization The page is divided into three sections: * Quick actions (on the left) * Main information * FTP/MySQL/Nameservers Information * Connected domains ### Quick actions ![Quick actions side panel](/files/6ZZif3fSLrLE47GTnrqU) The "Quick actions" side panel is what allows you to actually manage the service. You could go to the control panel, the file manager, edit the settings, deactivate it, or upgrade it. More information on what these actions do is listed below. #### Control Panel This action allows you to enter the CPanel for your service. The CPanel allows you to edit your website(s), upload files, add an SSL, use the Apps Installer, etc. It is the main interface to manage your website(s). ![CPanel Interface](/files/O14635jtlsCWo6c4VmGx) #### File manager The file manager allows you to upload, delete, create, and edit your websites' files and folders. It has a built-in code editor, so you can code your files without having to download and re-upload them. The file manager is good for uploading and downloading single files, but often fails to download multiple at a time. It is best to use an FTP client to upload and download files in bulk. ![The file manager](/files/RrsZk7iAQlsj9o8gxslv) ### Edit Settings Here, you can change the password for this service's CPanel account, FTP account, and MySQL databases, as well as deactivate your service. Please note, that it takes 60 days for your service to be deactivated fully, you can still reactivate your hosting during this time. {% hint style="danger" %} Any connected domains / addon domains / subdomains will be locked to this service upon deactivation. Please remove them from the CPanel **before** deactivating if you wish to use them again on another service. {% endhint %} ![Change password and deactivate](/files/6ILsMCCSgKdYhjN2Ur7b) ### Upgrade This allows you to upgrade the service to premium, where there are fewer limits. ### CPanel Account Information ![](/files/lL5uDGI0e7f8ByqRlXJY) Here, you can view the username and password to your CPanel account, as well as additional information such as status, hosting plan, and your main domain. ### FTP / MySQL / Nameservers ![](/files/RtxQJduQORYAWqj1Yuy6) Here, you can view your information for your FTP account and MySQL databases, as well as nameservers. For organization purposes, we separated the information into tabs. ### Connected domains ![](/files/vXHw2LbmkeRKcW7Uheq9) Here, you can view all of your subdomains, addon domains, alias domains, and free domains. You can also view them in the file manager to quickly edit or upload files. # Finding The Nameservers Learn what nameservers are, how to find them, and how to apply them ## What are nameservers? Nameservers connect your domain to an IP address, allowing visitors to access your domain and view your website. Without them, your domain would not work ## When should I use nameservers? If you have a custom domain, you *need* to set up the nameservers to point to our servers. Otherwise, people wouldn't be able to access your website! If you are using a free subdomain provided by us (for example, \_\_\_.gilect.net), then there is no need to set up nameservers, as we already did this ## What nameservers do I use for Gilect Our nameservers are the same for each hosting service. You can access them at the "Nameservers" tab in [Gilect Central](https://central.gilect.com/3.0). ![Where to find the nameservers](/files/7PbJANBCZiJZ95tTQCL2) If you want to copy the nameservers directly from here, you can do so: * ns1.gilect.net * ns2.gilect.net ## Where do I apply the nameservers? The nameservers are to be applied at your domain registrar (the place where you purchased your domain from!) You can copy them directly from Gilect Central and paste them into the domain registrar. ![An example of managing nameservers](/files/nAAgpv9G458mTbwIeVsA) # Creating a Backup ## Why Create a backup? It is important to regularly back up your website. In case something goes wrong with your website, you can easily revert back to an older version. Taking a backup only takes a few minutes, but can save you hours of re-making your website in the case of something unexpected happening with your website. ## Software Required An FTP client is required so that you can save your website's files onto your computer or a hard drive. In this guide, FileZilla will be used. FileZilla is a free FTP client and is one of the most popular. You can find download links to FileZilla and other free FTP clients in the CPanel.

Download links are available in the CPanel.

{% hint style="info" %} FileZilla is third-party software not owned, operated, or affiliated with Gilect. We strongly recommend you review their Privacy Policy. {% endhint %} ## Backing up your files Every website has files which you need to back up. While these files can be accessed by our Online File Manager, it is only possible to transfer files in bulk using and FTP Client, such as FileZilla. ### Connecting with an FTP Client Launch your FTP Client of choice. FileZilla is being used in this example.

Launch your FTP software

Copy and paste the FTP information from the client area into the FTP client, as demonstrated in the below example. The Port is optional. Press the "Quick Connect" button after you finish filling out the login information.

Copy the files from the client area...

...Into the FTP Client

If you get an "Unknown Certificate" popup, press the "OK" button. There is a valid certificate installed.
### Transferring the Files Create a safe place on your drive to store your backed up files. On the left pane of FileZilla, you can locate the location you want your website files to be saved to. On the right pane of FileZilla, select the "htdocs" folder that you want to backup. {% hint style="info" %} Each of your domains have an "htdocs" folder. Your default domain (the one you signed up with) will be located in: /htdocs/ Any other (sub)domain (such as addon domains or subdomains) will have their own folder. They will be located in: /*domainname*/htdocs/ {% endhint %} Drag the folder to the left pane of FileZilla, where it shows the location selected on your drive. The folder will be copied to that location on your computer.

Drag the folders to your drive

{% hint style="info" %} If you get disconnected or an error occurs, simply reconnect and try again. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations! You backed up your files. You can proceed with the next step, backing up the database {% endhint %} ## Backing up the database Dynamic sites, such as those created with a CMS (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.) also contain databases which need to be backed up. Databases are different from your website's files and is needed for a dynamic website to function. Not all websites are dynamic, however. If your website is static, meaning it only contains files. If you used the Website Builder, then your website is static. There is no need to back up a database, because there isn't any. {% hint style="info" %} If you are not sure if your website contains a database, or are not sure which database it is, you can check in Softaculous. WordPress (and most other blogging CMSs) are *dynamic*. {% endhint %} ### Open the database Your databases can be accessed and downloaded via phpMyAdmin. You can access phpMyAdmin via the option in the CPanel.
Select the database which you wish to connect to.

Select the database to connect to

### Download the database After you connected to phpMyAdmin, press the "Export" button in the top navbar.

Export button

Confirm that all the details are correct, and press "Go" to begin downloading the database. Make sure you store the file in a safe place.
{% hint style="success" %} Your database is now backed up! {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations, your entire website was backed up! To restore a backup it, simply drag the htdocs folder back into the webserver, and import the database. {% endhint %} # Suspensions Different types of suspensions. When your service on Gilect gets suspended, your websites will redirect to suspendeddomain.org or suspended-website.net. There are two reasons why you may have been suspended. When you get suspended, you will have received an email telling you why you were suspended. Suspensions fall into any of these two categories: ## Fair Usage Limits Most likely, you have been suspended for exceeding the daily resource limits allowed. This suspension is only temporary, and your website will be restored the next day. ### How to check your usage You can check your usage in the "Account Statistics" in the CPanel.
A graph will be shown for each different limit. The blue line signifies how much of that resource you have used up, the red line shows the daily limit, and the green line shows your average usage over the last 15 days. If you go over any of the limits, your service is automatically suspended for one day. ### What are the limits? If you were suspended for any of these reasons, you have gone over your daily allowed limits: * Hits * CPU * Ram * I/O * Entry processes ### Why are these limits imposed? While these limits may seem unfair at first, they are here for a reason. Imposing these limits ensures that a single website cannot overload all of the resources of a server, as this would dramatically reduce availability for other websites on the server. ### How to prevent hitting these limits Reaching the limits a few times is not a problem. However, if you find yourself constantly getting suspended, it could mean that your website might be growing in traffic or is no longer suitable for free hosting. To mitigate these problems, you can try optimizing your website to use less resources. If you have multiple websites on a single service, you can migrate some websites to other services. {% hint style="info" %} Please note that domains cannot be shared through services. If you have a domain in one service, it cannot be used in another service. {% endhint %} If you are still getting constantly suspended, your best choice would be to upgrade to premium, which has much less strict limits. While Premium isn't free, it's almost free, at just $2.99/month. {% embed url="" %} ## Suspended for abuse If you did not get suspended for any of the above reasons, you were likely suspended for abuse. A reason will be provided in the email you received. Your website could have been suspended for, but not limited to, a breach of our Terms of Service, or Malware. There are automatic systems in place that scan for abuse or malware. If you believe that this was a mistake, you can send an appeal to contact\[at]gilect.com, where your website will be manually reviewed by a moderator. If your website is unable to be restored withing 60 days, it will be permanently deleted. ## Miscellaneous reasons If you didn't cross any daily limits, or breach our Terms of Service, you may have been suspended for any of these reasons. ### Inactivity If a service's website(s) do not get at least 5 hits within a month, it is deemed as inactive. You will receive an email letting you know, as well as a chance to reactivate your website. If your website is not reactivated within this time, it will be permenantly deleted. While this limit might seem unfair, it is to ensure that abandoned websites aren't using up disk space or resources that otherwise could be allocated to another user. {% hint style="info" %} A hit is simply a file request. If someone loads your website, each file requested (pages, images, files, stylesheets) counts as a hit. Simply visiting your website 1 to 5 times (depends on how many hits your website uses) is enough to deem your service as active. {% endhint %} ### Inodes or other limits One inode refers to a file or directory. Each service can have a maximum of 30,000 files. If this limit is crossed, consider deleting files that are no longer in use. # Generating a CSR How to generate a CSR, the first step in adding SSL to your site ## What is a CSR? CSRs have the information that is needed to request the SSL certificate from the CA (certificate authority). This information isn’t made public. ## Where do I get a CSR from? A CSR can be generated many different ways, and there are many tools online that allow you to request one. In this tutorial, we will be using the CSR generator that's built into the CPanel. A hosting service is required from us in order to access the CPanel ## Generating the CSR ### Finding the generator Assuming that you already have a hosting service with us, please open the CPanel and select the "SSL/TLS" option, in the "Security" panel. ![Select SSL/TLD](/files/R1suuiSXfulntiWWNtlm) If you do not have a hosting service with us active yet, or do not know how to access the CPanel, you can learn how to do so here {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/vNkRNSICDwMpEZ8ToCBe" %} [Manage Your Hosting Service](/hosting/manage-your-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} Afterward, select the domain or subdomain you wish to configure SSL for. ![Select the domain you wish to configure](/files/D309OIak9YfJbxXjkUs3) Press the "Generate Key / CSR" button. ![Press the "Generate Key / CSR" button](/files/I1PMXCKZk88BRFzFFedT) ### Filling out information Next, follow the prompts to fill out the information needed to generate the CSR, and press the "Generate Key" button after finished. Unless you share the CSR (as it can be decrypted), the information used to generate the CSR is kept private and is only used by the CA to generate your certificate. ![Fill out the information accordingly](/files/KthyajVQgn0vetkNeQHD) ### Finishing After finishing generating the CSR, a private key is also generated. The private key is what verifies that you own the website. ![Private key and CSR](/files/7zG4YDuVP7jXZyqAo8gO) {% hint style="danger" %} **KEEP THE PRIVATE KEY SECURED, AND DO NOT SHARE IT WITH ANYONE.** Otherwise, others would be able to impersonate and spoof your websites. In the case that you lose the private key, you will have to re-generate the certificate. {% endhint %} ![As mentioned in the CPanel, you will have to regenerate the certificate if you lose the private key.](/files/rIdmqrUe3Ff6gAPtvJAn) ## Using the CSR to Generate an SSL Certificate Now that you have a CSR, you can go on to the next step, generating an SSL certificate. Gilect offers a free SSL tool, which is documented here: {% content-ref url="/pages/HyjX7atJ70IJZiiQsjSJ" %} [Creating an SSL Certificate](/ssl/creating-an-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} # Creating an SSL Certificate Learn how to generate an SSL certificate, which you can use to secure your website ### What is Gilect's SSL? Whether you use our hosting or not, you can easily install a free SSL certificate on your website. These SSLs expire within three months but have unlimited renewals. ### What is an SSL certificate? An SSL (stands for Secure Socket Layer) keeps your connection with the hosting servers secure. It is what allows you to have https in your URL. Having an SSL certificate is important as it encrypts data and keeps it from hackers. If you don’t have an SSL, many browsers won’t trust your website and display an error message if someone tries to access the “https” version of your website. ![what happens when you don’t have SSL installed](/files/o243pJ4yNbv8XO8kQ90z) ### What websites can I use Gilect SSL for? You can use Gilect SSL for any domain that you own, even if you aren’t hosting it on Gilect. You can also use Gilect SSL on subdomains, including ones offered for free by Gilect. ### How long do these SSL certificates last? Gilect’s SSLs last for three months before they expire. You can renew them as many times as you want. ### Getting started: What do I need before generating the SSL certificate? Before generating your SSL certificate, make sure that you have a CSR code. Our CPanel offers a tool allowing you to generate CSRs. CSRs have the information that is needed to generate the SSL certificate. This information isn’t made public. When you generate a CSR, a private key is also generated. Please keep these in a safe place, as you will need them later. You can learn how to generate a CSR here: {% content-ref url="/pages/8JHu1JgiVwxNPudi4x6v" %} [Generating a CSR](/ssl/generating-a-csr) {% endcontent-ref %} ### How to generate the SSL certificate Creating an SSL is easy! First, make sure you are on the Gilect Central dashboard (). If you scroll down, you’ll notice the page is divided into two sections: hosting services and SSL certificates. For now, we only want to create a new SSL certificate, so ignore the Hosting Services and press “Add” ![](/files/u021a9uHhBiH5VHiOmXv) Then, you will be directed to a page where you have to paste your CSR code. Press “Generate” after you finish. Make sure that you include > —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– and… > —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– ![Paste the CSR Code](/files/TpnKNvtAv6zijCqfd0fu) After that, you will be directed to the homepage, where you will find the SSL has been generated. If you don’t see it right away, please note it can take 5 minutes for the SSL to be fully generated. Press the “Manage” button and continue to the next step. ![](/files/3ou4ga77VW01NU4DPoLi) ### Verification To verify you own the domain, you must create CNAME records. The following instructions show you how to apply the SSL on Gilect Cloud’s CPanel, however, it should be similar to other control panels. Open the CPanel and find “CNAME Records.” ![](/files/yhvXyVKuJqBDigCeYljB) #### CNAME record Copy the record from the Client Area into the CPanel. On some other hosts, or Cloudflare, the record name and domain are to be put in one field. ![](/files/yqGWh6TJ6ggNDP2hUQVf) ![](/files/VT9R5dXDtV2YRvPJeh0u) #### Domain in the CPanel, select the domain that you are installing the certificate on: ![](/files/ED022V1uOiqnxW3zWCJ0) {% hint style="info" %} Depending on your host, this may be a bit different. Some hosts require the Record name and Domain in one field, in which the Record name would be: *RECORD.yourdomain.com.* {% endhint %} #### Destination Copy the destination from the Gilect Central Client Area into the CPanel ![](/files/OUppZfFJXtOjeFsrVzir) ![](/files/4nFoBz8SPHbcjUsjbI0M) After you are finished with these steps, press “Add”. ![](/files/qL9GYnoWw0yTh61V7Y4o) ### Installation In the client area, you can check the status of the SSL certificate. Wait for it to be “active”. This may take up to 24 hours, due to DNS propogation. After that, you can install the SSL certificate by pasting the certificate. ![SSLs in Gilect Cloud's CPanel](/files/yYgizSChkwipVew14gbP) {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations! Your website now works on SSL! For more detailed instructions on installing the SSL certificate please read: {% endhint %} {% content-ref url="/pages/ZKnrQXqqY4uHyMe0zIMi" %} [Installing The SSL Certificate](/ssl/installing-the-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} # Installing The SSL Certificate After generating the certificate, here is how to install it on Gilect CPanel. ## Getting started This article assumes that you already have an SSL certificate generated and ready to be installed. If not, please read below for instructions on how to generate one. {% content-ref url="/pages/HyjX7atJ70IJZiiQsjSJ" %} [Creating an SSL Certificate](/ssl/creating-an-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} This article also assumes that you are using Gilect as your website host. If not, instructions may vary depending on the host and control panel you are using. If you are interested in hosting a website for free, please check the link below: {% embed url="" %} Gilect free hosting {% endembed %} ## Installing the certificate After your SSL's status is "Active", it is ready to be installed. It can take up to 24 hours to for the status to update. ### Navigating to SSL page Assuming that you already have a hosting service with us, please open the CPanel and select the "SSL/TLS" option, in the "Security" panel. ![Select SSL/TLD](/files/R1suuiSXfulntiWWNtlm) {% hint style="info" %} If you do not have a hosting service with us active yet, or do not know how to access the CPanel, you can learn how to do so here: {% endhint %} {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/vNkRNSICDwMpEZ8ToCBe" %} [Manage Your Hosting Service](/hosting/manage-your-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} Afterward, select the domain or subdomain you wish to configure SSL for. ![Select the domain you wish to configure](/files/D309OIak9YfJbxXjkUs3) ### Pasting the certificate To install the SSL certificate, simply copy the Certificate code from the client area into the CPanel, and press "upload certificate" when done. ![Copy this](/files/WG14iH9MwFSJ0mCUQhjg) ![Paste it into here. Make sure to press "Upload Certificate" or else it will not save](/files/Wpp0Zwh3KxEvHb2c6srP) Make sure that there is no extra spacing and that you include > —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– and… > —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– {% hint style="warning" %} **Make sure you press "Upload Certificate", or else the certificate will not save!** {% endhint %} ## Finished! Try accessing your site via *https\://* now! Congratulations! Your website now uses an SSL certificate! Please make sure to renew every three months, as this keeps your certificates up to date and ensures that they don't expire. (And, renewals are free!) {% hint style="info" %} If you are not seeing these changes and your website still doesn't load on https\://, please wait 24 to 72 hours for DNS propagation and then try again. {% endhint %} # Renewing SSL Certificates SSL expired? Here's how to renew it! ## How long do these SSL certificates last? Gilect’s SSLs last for three months before they expire. You can renew them as many times as you want. ## When should I renew my SSL certificate? It is recommended to renew your certificates a few weeks prior to the expiration date to avoid disruption to your website. You will be emailed when your SSL is about to expire. Please check your spam bin if you do not receive such emails. ## How do I renew SSL certificates Currently, there is no automated way of renewing certificates. It is required that you generate a new certificate and install it. ### Copying the CSR code You can simply copy the CSR code from your previous certificate and use it to generate your old certificate. ![Copy the CSR code...](/files/JsEaSs1dFd0mfGs7E2FY) ![Paste the CSR Code](/files/TpnKNvtAv6zijCqfd0fu) Make sure that you include > —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– and… > —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– ### Generating the new certificate Please read here for reference on how to generate an SSL certificate {% content-ref url="/pages/HyjX7atJ70IJZiiQsjSJ" %} [Creating an SSL Certificate](/ssl/creating-an-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} ### Installing the SSL certificate Please read here for reference on how to install an SSL certificate. {% content-ref url="/pages/ZKnrQXqqY4uHyMe0zIMi" %} [Installing The SSL Certificate](/ssl/installing-the-ssl-certificate) {% endcontent-ref %} # How To Install WordPress How to install WordPress via Softaculous ### What is WordPress? WordPress is a popular and user-friendly Content Management System (CMS) that powers over 30% of the web. It can be used to build websites, blogs, and more. ## How to install WordPress WordPress is easiest installed via Softaculous, the one-click apps installer used in free hosting. This article assumes that you already have a hosting account with Gilect and know how to access the CPanel. If not, read here: {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/vNkRNSICDwMpEZ8ToCBe" %} [Manage Your Hosting Service](/hosting/manage-your-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} ### Accessing Softaculous Softaculous can be accessed from the "Software" section of the CPanel. ![](/files/rXPGsngA4Z6bymiAuvq3) Afterward, select "WordPress" from the list of apps: ![](/files/oVCace9tQiO2CON5cn4Y) ### Filling in the information #### Software Setup Choose the domain and protocol that you wish to install WordPress on. Ensure that you are always using an up to date version of WordPress for best security practices. #### Site Settings Enter the name of your site and a quick description of it. #### Admin Account This is the information that you are later going to be using to log into your WordPress admin dashboard and manage your website. Keep this information in a safe place. ![](/files/Ly5lpm5LaqldkpFEdlVR) #### Advanced Options It is not necessary to make any changes to the Advanced options. If you would like, you can choose the name of the database. We recommend keeping auto upgrade off, it is best to do this manually. ![](/files/Q63ERfJGB9Ss9fs8UVBY) #### Theme Select a theme, if you would like. This can always be changed later. ![](/files/UdNtyYN9DzyfB7A7dEo1) ### Installing After you are done, press the "Install" button to begin WordPress installation. ![](/files/wAyzkLdFsjtgUqEbkPvk) Please wait while WordPress is being installed. This make take a couple minutes. ![](/files/9iYavuy2TwIBgrlaWVSK) After finished installing, you will be shown a page that shows the installation URL and the Admin Dashboard URL. If you receive an error message, please go back and check the information that you summitted for any mistakes. ![](/files/XEPhQk3esmNkRy5Wo9Sb) {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations! WordPress has been installed! {% endhint %} # Updating WordPress Keeping WordPress up to date It is important to keep WordPress up to date, to ensure that you always have the latest features and security measures. This article assumes that you already have a hosting account with Gilect and know how to access the CPanel, and that WordPress was installed through Softaculous. If WordPress was not installed via Softaculous, you can always scan for existing installations and import them to Softaculous via the WordPress manager. {% content-ref url="/pages/h06fIqfEfqH0kKt9Cp4z" %} [How To Install WordPress](/wordpress/how-to-install-wordpress) {% endcontent-ref %} ## How to update WordPress WordPress is best updated via the WordPress manager at Softaculous. ### Accessing the WordPress manager The WordPress manager can be accessed via Softaculous. Softaculous can be accessed from the "Software" section of the CPanel. ![](/files/rXPGsngA4Z6bymiAuvq3) Afterward, you can select the WordPress manager in WordPress, which is the WordPress button in the top right: ![](/files/bT5oE2eeqx03Knu860aw) ### Updating WordPress If an update for WordPress is available, an "Updates Available" button will show. You can press the button to show more options. ![](/files/h4ExAvrNGnGkUm5Bj3Je) Press the "Upgrade Now" button. ![](/files/FeUjdvj3KgU933zkuM8t) It is always recommended to take a backup before updating anything, in the event that something fails and your website breaks. You can easily backup WordPress by ticking the "Create Backup" checkbox. Afterward, press the "Upgrade" button, and WordPress will begin updating. No further action is required by you. ![](/files/MFuAwsBpLtWNkXIH1fqO) ![](/files/15lNX2a4aW0LkBBi5d3V) {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations, WordPress has been updated. {% endhint %} ### Why can't I update from the wp-admin dashboard? It is possible to update directly from wp-admin, however it is not recommended. Using Softaculous to update has higher chances of success, and also allows you to create backups. ## Updating Plugins and Themes It is important to keep plugins and themes up to date, to ensure that you always have the latest features and security measures. You can update plugins and themes through the WordPress Manager. ![](/files/zcRmWxTPhpoxrMaTkEiD) # Staging WordPress How to clone a WordPress website ## What is staging? Staging a WordPress site allows you to clone it before making any changes to you live website. This allows you to experiment around with your WordPress website without risk of something bad happening to your live website. It is useful when making large changes, such as installing or changing themes, adding plugins, or changing important settings. Most hosts charge a premium fee for this service, we offer it without a price tag! ## Pre-Requirements It is required that you already have a hosting service and a WordPress website active at Gilect, and know how to use Softaculous. If this is not already the case, please read the articles linked below: {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/h06fIqfEfqH0kKt9Cp4z" %} [How To Install WordPress](/wordpress/how-to-install-wordpress) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Accessing the WordPress Manager The WordPress manager can be accessed via Softaculous. ![](/files/bT5oE2eeqx03Knu860aw) ## Staging After accessing the WordPress manager, you can click the "Staging" button for the WordPress website you wish to stage.

Click the "Staging" button

### Staging Installation Details Afterward, fill out the installation URL and directory for the cloned website. Optionally, you can choose a custom name for the database name to be created for the cloned site. {% hint style="info" %} It is recommended to stage your website on a directory. You can choose any directory that isn't already in use. If you choose "staging" as your directory, your cloned website will be accessed at *yourdomain.com*/***directory**.* {% endhint %}

Fill out the directory and database name

### Site Settings Fill out the name of your cloned WordPress site, and choose whether or not you want to have it visible in search engines. {% hint style="warning" %} You should not have your cloned website visible in search engines, as it is only a temporary website and can have negative impacts toward your actual website. {% endhint %}

Choose a name

### Finishing After all information is filled out, simply press the "Create Staging" button, and the process will begin.

Simply fill out the form and submit it

It can take up to 5 minutes for the process to complete. If an error unexpectedly occurs, please go back and resubmit the form.
{% hint style="success" %} Congratulations, your website was staged successfully! {% endhint %} ## Accessing your staged website You can easily access and log into your website after completing the staging process. This can be easily done by clicking the Wp-Admin links after the installation completes.
Any changes that you make to this cloned website will ***not*** be reflected onto your actual live website. You can test out themes and plugins without risking data loss on your live website. ## Pushing Changes to Live Website If you are content with the changes you made to your cloned website, you can easily push the changes to your live website. Access the WordPress manager, select the staged installation, and select the "Push to Live" option:
{% hint style="info" %} You can either keep the default settings, or customize them. If you do not know what you are doing, you should not customize the settings. {% endhint %}
The process can take up to five minutes.
{% hint style="success" %} Congratulations, your website was pushed to live! {% endhint %}
## Deleting The Staged Website If you already pushed changes to live or no longer need the cloned website, you can simple delete it through the WordPress manager.
## Staging a staged website It is possible to stage a website which was already staged. You can stage an unlimited amount of stages. This is useful if you are making large changes to a staged website and want to change something big again. It is, however, more practical to backup your website. # Launching The Website Builder Learn how to build your site with the website builder ## What is the website builder? Don't know how to code a website? Not familiar with WordPress? You can always use our integrated website builder, allowing you to drag an drop blocks to make a website. Our website builder is WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get), meaning that everything is previewed in real time. If you decide to upgrade to premium later, we unfortunately **CANNOT** automatically migrate websites built with the website builder, as it is exclusive to Gilect. It has to be migrated manually. ## Pre-requirements Using the website builder requires an active hosting service and available subdomain or custom domain. If you do not have an active service, please read here: {% content-ref url="/pages/XZDnkMCMcGnRiiBs8RxD" %} [Create a Hosting Service](/hosting/create-a-hosting-service) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Launching the website builder Select the service which you would like to use the website builder with. ![](/files/aMDG85kjZDIrXV4CAeT2) Afterward, select the domain/subdomain which you would like to use the website builder. {% hint style="warning" %} **This will overwrite current files on that domain if you save, please ensure that there are no files already for that domain.** {% endhint %} ![Choose the domain you want to use the website builder with](/files/34ho0LHnWc3SMDLWuYpx) Afterward, the website builder will be launched. You can read the documentation for the website builder here: # Making a Website With The Website Builder Learn how to create a website using the integrated website builder ## What is the website builder? Don't know how to code a website? Not familiar with WordPress? You can always use our integrated website builder, allowing you to drag an drop blocks to make a website. Our website builder is WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get), meaning that everything is previewed in real time. {% hint style="info" %} If you decide to upgrade to premium later, we unfortunately **CANNOT** automatically migrate websites built with the website builder, as it is exclusive to Gilect. It has to be migrated manually {% endhint %} ## Launching the website builder Documentation for launching the website builder can be found here: {% content-ref url="/pages/ornW2ZeEJG4KD94NhlPb" %} [Launching The Website Builder](/website-builder/launching-the-website-builder) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Using the website builder ### Choosing a template After launching the website builder for the first time, please choose a template to build off of: ![Choose a template](/files/SXC64nnQWFSHYhDBLKaH) {% hint style="info" %} If you already have a website, you can import it using the import feature. If you wish to start from a scratch, you can use the blank template. {% endhint %} ### Building the website You can select any element to edit it. ![](/files/ivCVjx0Q8M54Awls85Sx) You can drag and drop elements to reorder them. ![](/files/tGZPbhqhE5rosKAxWvxq) You can drag in new blocks. ![](/files/eICeGxcwmHCLIpXpORcE) ## Publishing Don't forget to publish! This can be done by pressing the Publish button in the upper right. If you don't want to publish right away, you can also save as a draft. ![](/files/TwcfnyWsotNjkGqk02d5) {% hint style="warning" %} **Publishing will overwrite current files on that domain, please ensure that there are no other files already for that domain, otherwise they will be overwritten.** {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} Congratulations! You made a website using the website builder. {% endhint %}