# Deploy and manage WordPress on Lightsail
**Did you know?**
Lightsail stores seven daily snapshots and automatically replaces the oldest with the newest when you enable automatic snapshots for your instance. For more information, see [ Configure automatic snapshots for Lightsail instances and disks ](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/amazon-lightsail-configuring-automatic-snapshots.html) .
With this quick start guide, you will learn how to launch and configure a WordPress instance on Amazon Lightsail.
Here are a few steps you should take to get started after your WordPress instance is up and running on Amazon Lightsail. Before you get started, identify your blueprint vendor on your instance management page:
![\[WordPress blueprint vendor on the instance management page\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wordpress/wordpress-blueprint-vendor.png)
Select the appropriate guide for your WordPress instance:
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#### [ Bitnami ]
## Step 1: Configure your WordPress instance
You can configure your WordPress instance using a guided, step-by-step workflow that configures the following:
+ **A registered domain name** – Your WordPress site needs a domain name that is easy to remember. Users will specify this domain name to access your WordPress site. For more information, see [Register and manage domains for your website in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-domain-registration.md).
+ **DNS management** – You must decide how to manage the DNS records for your domain. A DNS record tells the DNS server which IP address or hostname a domain or subdomain is associated with. A DNS zone contains the DNS records for your domain. For more information, see [Understanding DNS in Lightsail](understanding-dns-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
+ **A Static IP address** – The default public IP address for your WordPress instance changes if you stop and start your instance. When you attach a static IP address to your instance, it stays the same even if you stop and start your instance. For more information, see [View and manage IP addresses for Lightsail resources](understanding-public-ip-and-private-ip-addresses-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
+ **An SSL/TLS certificate** – After you create a validated certificate and install it on your instance, you can enable HTTPS for your WordPress website so that traffic that is routed to the instance through your registered domain is encrypted using HTTPS. For more information, see [Secure your WordPress site with HTTPS on Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-enabling-https-on-wordpress.md).
**Tip**
Review the following tips before you begin. For troubleshooting information, see [Troubleshooting WordPress setup](amazon-lightsail-troubleshooting-wp-setup.md).
Setup supports Lightsail instances with WordPress version 6 and newer, that were created after January 1, 2023.
The Certbot dependency file, HTTPS rewrite script and certificate renewal script that are run during setup are saved in the `/opt/bitnami/lightsail/scripts/` directory on your instance.
Your instance must be in a **Running** state. Allow a few minutes for the SSH connection to become ready if the instance was just started.
Ports 22, 80, and 443 on your instance firewall must allow TCP connections from any IP address while setup is running. For more information, see [Instance firewalls](understanding-firewall-and-port-mappings-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
When you add or update DNS records that point traffic from your apex domain (`example.com`) and its `www` subdomains (`www.example.com`), they will need to propagate throughout the Internet. You can verify that your DNS changes have taken effect by using tools such as [nslookup](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs//messaging-and-targeting/how-to-check-your-domain-verification-settings/), or [DNS Lookup](https://mxtoolbox.com/DnsLookup.aspx) from *MxToolbox*.
Wordpress instances that were created prior to January 1, 2023, might contain a deprecated Certbot Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository that will cause website setup to fail. If this repository is present during setup, it will be removed from the existing path and backed up to the following location on your instance: `~/opt/bitnami/lightsail/repo.backup`. For more information about the deprecated PPA, see [Certbot PPA](https://launchpad.net/~certbot/+archive/ubuntu/certbot) on the *Canonical* website.
Let's Encrypt certificates will automatically renew every 60 to 90 days.
While setup is in progress, do not stop or make changes to your instance. It can take up to 15 minutes to configure your instance. You can view the progress for each step in the instance connect tab.
**To configure your instance using the website setup wizard**
1. On the instance management page, on the **Connect** tab, choose **Set up your website**.
![\[Launching WordPress setup in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-gf-01.png)
1. For **Specify a domain name**, use an existing Lightsail managed domain, register a new domain with Lightsail, or use a domain that you registered by using another domain registrar. Choose **Use this domain** to go to the next step.
1. For **Configure DNS**, do one of the following:
+ Choose **Lightsail managed domain** to use a Lightsail DNS zone. Choose **Use this DNS zone** to go to the next step.
+ Choose **Third-party domain** to use the hosting service that manages the DNS records for your domain. Note that we create a matching DNS zone in your Lightsail account in case you decide to use it later on. Choose **Use third-party DNS** to go to the next step.
1. For **Create a static IP address**, enter a name for your static IP address and then choose **Create static IP**.
1. For **Manage domain assignments**, choose **Add assignment**, choose a domain type, and then choose **Add**. Choose **Continue** to go to the next step.
1. For **Create an SSL/TLS certificate**, choose your domains and subdomains, enter an email address, select **I authorize Lightsail to configure a Let's Encrypt certificate on my instance**, and choose **Create certificate**. We start to configure the Lightsail resources.
While setup is in progress, do not stop or make changes to your instance. It can take up to 15 minutes to configure your instance. You can view the progress for each step in the instance connect tab.
1. After the website setup is complete, verify that the URLs that you specified in the domain assignments step open your WordPress site.
## Step 2: Get the default application password for your WordPress website
You need the default application password to sign in to the administration dashboard for your WordPress website.
**To get the default password for the WordPress administrator**
1. Open the instance management page for your WordPress instance.
1. On the **WordPress** panel, choose **Retrieve default password**. This expands **Access default password** at the bottom of the page.
![\[Accessing WordPress admin password in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wordpress/wordpress-bitnami-retrieve-password.png)
1. Choose **Launch CloudShell**. This opens a panel at the bottom of the page.
1. Choose **Copy** and then paste the contents into the CloudShell window. You can either put your cursor at the CloudShell prompt and press Ctrl\$1V, or you can right-click to open the menu and then choose **Paste**.
1. Make a note of the password displayed in the CloudShell window. You need this to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website.
![\[Viewing WordPress admin password in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-viewing-admin-password-01.png)
## Step 3: Sign in to your WordPress website
Now that you have the default user password, navigate to your WordPress website's home page, and sign in to the administration dashboard. After you're signed in, you can change the default password.
**To sign in to the administration dashboard**
1. Open the instance management page for your WordPress instance.
1. On the **WordPress** panel, choose **Access WordPress Admin**.
1. On the **Access your WordPress Admin Dashboard** panel, under **Use public IP address**, choose the link with this format:
http://*public-ipv4-address*./wp-admin
1. For **Username or Email Address**, enter **user**.
1. For **Password**, enter the password obtained in the previous step.
1. Choose **Log in**.
![\[Launching and configuring WordPress in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-07.png)
You are now signed in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website where you can perform administrative actions. For more information about administering your WordPress website, see the [WordPress Codex](https://codex.wordpress.org/) in the WordPress documentation.
![\[Launching and configuring WordPress in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-08.png)
## Step 4: Read the Bitnami documentation
Read the Bitnami documentation to learn how to perform administrative tasks on your WordPress website, such as install plugins, customize the theme, and upgrade your version of WordPress.
For more information, see the [Bitnami WordPress for AWS Cloud](https://docs.bitnami.com/aws/apps/wordpress/).
## Step 5: Create a snapshot of your instance
After you configure your website the way you want it, create periodic snapshots of your instance to back it up. A snapshot is a copy of the system disk and original configuration of an instance. A snapshot contains all of the data that is needed to restore your instance (from the moment when the snapshot was taken).
You can create [snapshots manually](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#manual-snapshots), or [enable automatic snapshots](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#automatic-snapshots) to have Lightsail create daily snapshots for you. If something goes wrong with your instance, you can create a new replacement instance using the snapshot.
You can work with snapshots on your instance's management page on the **Snapshots** tab. For more information, see [Snapshots in Amazon Lightsail](understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
![\[Create an instance snapshot in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-instance-snapshots.png)
------
#### [ Lightsail ]
## Step 1: Configure your WordPress instance
You can configure your WordPress instance using a guided, step-by-step workflow that configures the following:
+ **A registered domain name** – Your WordPress site needs a domain name that is easy to remember. Users will specify this domain name to access your WordPress site. For more information, see [Register and manage domains for your website in Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-domain-registration.md).
+ **DNS management** – You must decide how to manage the DNS records for your domain. A DNS record tells the DNS server which IP address or hostname a domain or subdomain is associated with. A DNS zone contains the DNS records for your domain. For more information, see [Understanding DNS in Lightsail](understanding-dns-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
+ **A Static IP address** – The default public IP address for your WordPress instance changes if you stop and start your instance. When you attach a static IP address to your instance, it stays the same even if you stop and start your instance. For more information, see [View and manage IP addresses for Lightsail resources](understanding-public-ip-and-private-ip-addresses-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
+ **An SSL/TLS certificate** – After you create a validated certificate and install it on your instance, you can enable HTTPS for your WordPress website so that traffic that is routed to the instance through your registered domain is encrypted using HTTPS. For more information, see [Secure your WordPress site with HTTPS on Lightsail](amazon-lightsail-enabling-https-on-wordpress.md).
**Tip**
Review the following tips before you begin. For troubleshooting information, see [Troubleshooting WordPress setup](amazon-lightsail-troubleshooting-wp-setup.md).
Your instance must be in a **Running** state. Allow a few minutes for the SSH connection to become ready if the instance was just started.
Ports 22, 80, and 443 on your instance firewall must allow TCP connections from any IP address while setup is running. For more information, see [Instance firewalls](understanding-firewall-and-port-mappings-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
When you add or update DNS records that point traffic from your apex domain (`example.com`) and its `www` subdomains (`www.example.com`), they will need to propagate throughout the Internet. You can verify that your DNS changes have taken effect by using tools such as [nslookup](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs//messaging-and-targeting/how-to-check-your-domain-verification-settings/), or [DNS Lookup](https://mxtoolbox.com/DnsLookup.aspx) from *MxToolbox*.
Let's Encrypt certificates will automatically renew every 60 to 90 days.
While setup is in progress, do not stop or make changes to your instance. It can take up to 15 minutes to configure your instance. You can view the progress for each step in the instance connect tab.
**To configure your instance using the website setup wizard**
1. On the instance management page, on the **Connect** tab, choose **Set up your website**.
![\[Launching WordPress setup in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-gf-01.png)
1. For **Specify a domain name**, use an existing Lightsail managed domain, register a new domain with Lightsail, or use a domain that you registered by using another domain registrar. Choose **Use this domain** to go to the next step.
1. For **Configure DNS**, do one of the following:
+ Choose **Lightsail managed domain** to use a Lightsail DNS zone. Choose **Use this DNS zone** to go to the next step.
+ Choose **Third-party domain** to use the hosting service that manages the DNS records for your domain. Note that we create a matching DNS zone in your Lightsail account in case you decide to use it later on. Choose **Use third-party DNS** to go to the next step.
1. For **Create a static IP address**, enter a name for your static IP address and then choose **Create static IP**.
1. For **Manage domain assignments**, choose **Add assignment**, choose a domain type, and then choose **Add**. Choose **Continue** to go to the next step.
1. For **Create an SSL/TLS certificate**, choose your domains and subdomains, enter an email address, select **I authorize Lightsail to configure a Let's Encrypt certificate on my instance**, and choose **Create certificate**. We start to configure the Lightsail resources.
While setup is in progress, do not stop or make changes to your instance. It can take up to 15 minutes to configure your instance. You can view the progress for each step in the instance connect tab.
1. After the website setup is complete, verify that the URLs that you specified in the domain assignments step open your WordPress site.
## Step 2: Get the default application password for your WordPress website
You need the default application password to sign in to the administration dashboard for your WordPress website.
**To get the default password for the WordPress administrator**
1. Open the instance management page for your WordPress instance.
1. On the **WordPress** panel, choose **Retrieve default password**. This expands **Access default password** at the bottom of the page.
![\[Accessing WordPress admin password in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wordpress/wordpress-lightsail-retrieve-password.png)
1. Choose **Launch CloudShell**. This opens a panel at the bottom of the page.
1. Choose **Copy** and then paste the contents into the CloudShell window. You can either put your cursor at the CloudShell prompt and press Ctrl\$1V, or you can right-click to open the menu and then choose **Paste**.
1. Make a note of the password displayed in the CloudShell window. You need this to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website.
![\[Viewing WordPress admin password in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/wordpress/amazon-wordpress-lightsail-viewing-admin-password.png)
## Step 3: Sign in to your WordPress website
Now that you have the default user password, navigate to your WordPress website's home page, and sign in to the administration dashboard. After you're signed in, you can change the default password.
**To sign in to the administration dashboard**
1. Open the instance management page for your WordPress instance.
1. On the **WordPress** panel, choose **Access WordPress Admin**.
1. On the **Access your WordPress Admin Dashboard** panel, under **Use public IP address**, choose the link with this format:
http://*public-ipv4-address*./wp-admin
1. For **Username or Email Address**, enter **user**.
1. For **Password**, enter the password obtained in the previous step.
1. Choose **Log in**.
![\[Launching and configuring WordPress in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-07.png)
You are now signed in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website where you can perform administrative actions. For more information about administering your WordPress website, see the [WordPress Codex](https://codex.wordpress.org/) in the WordPress documentation.
![\[Launching and configuring WordPress in Lightsail.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/amazon-wordpress-tutorial-08.png)
## Step 4: Create a snapshot of your instance
After you configure your website the way you want it, create periodic snapshots of your instance to back it up. A snapshot is a copy of the system disk and original configuration of an instance. A snapshot contains all of the data that is needed to restore your instance (from the moment when the snapshot was taken).
You can create [snapshots manually](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#manual-snapshots), or [enable automatic snapshots](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.html#automatic-snapshots) to have Lightsail create daily snapshots for you. If something goes wrong with your instance, you can create a new replacement instance using the snapshot.
You can work with snapshots on your instance's management page on the **Snapshots** tab. For more information, see [Snapshots in Amazon Lightsail](understanding-snapshots-in-amazon-lightsail.md).
![\[Create an instance snapshot in the Lightsail console\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lightsail/latest/userguide/images/quick-start-instance-snapshots.png)
------