How to Install WHMCS on Your Hosting Account

This guide will walk you through the process of installing WHMCS. Before you begin, please ensure you have completed our Pre-installation Checklist.

Step 1: Upload WHMCS Files

1. Unzip the WHMCS file you downloaded to your local computer. You will see a folder named whmcs.
2. Using your Plesk File Manager or an FTP client (like FileZilla), upload the entire whmcs folder to your website's document root (usually httpdocs).
3. (Optional) You can rename the whmcs folder to something else (e.g., clients, billing) for better security and a cleaner URL structure.

Step 2: Rename the Configuration File

Inside the WHMCS folder on your server, find the file named configuration.php.new and rename it to configuration.php. This file will store your database connection details.

Step 3: Run the Installer

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the installation script. The URL will be http://yourdomain.com/whmcs/install/install.php (replace yourdomain.com and whmcs as needed).
2. Read and agree to the End User License Agreement (EULA).
3. The installer will perform some system checks. If you followed the pre-installation checklist, all checks should pass.
4. Enter the WHMCS License Key you gathered earlier.
5. Enter the Database Hostname (usually localhost), Database Name, Database Username, and Password you created in the pre-installation step.
6. Create your first administrator account by providing your name, email address, username, and a strong password.
7. Click "Complete Setup".

Step 4: Post-Installation Security Steps (Crucial)

Once the installation is complete, you must perform these security measures immediately:

1. Using your File Manager or FTP client, delete the /install/ directory from within your WHMCS folder. This is extremely important to prevent unauthorized access.
2. Review the file permissions for the configuration.php file. They should be set to 644.

Congratulations! WHMCS is now installed. You can now log in to your WHMCS admin area at http://yourdomain.com/whmcs/admin/. Your next step is to perform the initial setup by following our Post-Installation Setup Guide.