Home » Hosting » How to Host WordPress on Cloudways: A Step-by-Step Guide for Indian Users

Hosting

How to Host WordPress on Cloudways: A Step-by-Step Guide for Indian Users

Edited On: Jun 8, 2026

Tushar R Behera

June 8, 2026

Most website owners start with shared hosting because it is affordable and easy to manage. However, as traffic grows, slow loading speeds, limited resources, and performance bottlenecks can quickly become frustrating. Cloudways offers a solution by combining the power of leading cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud with an easy-to-use managed hosting platform that handles server maintenance, security, updates, and backups for you.

For Indian users looking to improve website performance without dealing with complex server management, Cloudways provides a practical middle ground between shared hosting and self-managed cloud hosting. In this guide, we will walk you through the complete process of hosting a WordPress website on Cloudways, from signup to launch, step by step.

Cloudways Pricing for Indian Users

Cloudways offers two main products – Cloudways Flexible (customizable, pay-as-you-go) and Cloudways Autonomous (fully managed, auto-scaling). For most Indian WordPress users, Flexible can be the right starting point.

DigitalOcean droplet servers are divided into Standard (regular SSD) and Premium (faster CPUs and highly efficient NVMe storage) tiers. The choice depends on your site’s performance needs:

* All listed pricing structures are approximate estimations calculated using an active rate of ₹95/USD. Always confirm live pricing at the official Cloudways website before completing a purchase.

Cloudways periodically offers promo codes that discount the first 2 to 3 months by 20% to 30%. In addition to the provided deals, you can explore exclusive Cloudways coupon codes to increase your discount. However, ensure you enter it during signup, as it cannot be applied retroactively after an account is created.

A few essential billing notes for Indian users:

• Currency & Cards: Cloudways charges in USD only and accepts international Visa and Mastercard.
• RBI Regulations: Due to strict RBI regulations on recurring international automated billing, standard Indian debit cards frequently fail. Utilizing an international credit card is strongly recommended to avoid sudden account suspension. UPI, net banking, and PayTM are not supported.
• GST Treatment: Because Cloudways invoices from outside India (under DigitalOcean LLC), they do not provide Indian GSTIN invoices. Consult your CA to clear this as an international business expense.
• No Commitments: There are no long-term contracts; billing is completely pay-as-you-go, and you can cancel anytime.

All plans include free SSL certificates, automated daily backups, a built-in Cloudflare CDN option, 24/7 support, and unlimited WordPress installations on a single server.

For Indian users targeting a local audience, a DigitalOcean Bangalore server at the Micro or Small tier provides an excellent balance of speed and cost for blogs, portfolio sites, and emerging WooCommerce stores.

Step-by-Step: How to Host WordPress on Cloudways

Step 1: Sign Up and Start Your Free Trial

Go to cloudways.com and click Start Free. Cloudways offers a 3-day free trial with no credit card required to begin. Fill in your name, email, and password, then verify your email address via the verification link sent to your inbox.

Once your account is active, you will be taken to the primary Cloudways platform dashboard.

Step 2: Launch a New Server

From the top menu, click Servers, then click Launch.

An application setup form will appear. Configure it using the following details:

Application Details

• Application Type: Select WordPress. Cloudways automatically pre-configures your deployment with their optimized NGINX-based Lightning Stack server environment.
• Application Name: A unique name for your project (e.g., my-blog).
• Server Name: An internal name for your server (e.g., my-wordpress-server).

Choose Your Cloud Provider

For Indian webmasters, the recommended options are:

• DigitalOcean: The most affordable option; features a data center in Bangalore. (Here, you can choose between Standard and Premium server options depending on your budget.)
• AWS: Best for enterprise workloads; features a Mumbai data center.
• Google Cloud: Excellent for high-traffic apps; features a Mumbai data center.

Select a Server Size

Start with the Micro (1GB RAM) or Small plan (2GB RAM) if you are launching a new site. You can scale resources upward with a few clicks.

Choose Server Location

Select Bangalore (for DigitalOcean) or Mumbai (for AWS/GCP) to guarantee the lowest possible latency for Indian visitors.

Review the estimated monthly cost at the bottom, then click Launch Now. Your server and WordPress framework will be fully deployed in 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3: Verify Your Application is Running

Once the server status changes to live:

1. Go to the Servers section.
2. Click your server name.
3. Click the globe icon to view your active applications.

Cloudways assigns a temporary staging URL formatted as wordpress-xxxxx.cloudwaysapps.com so you can build and test your site before pointing your custom domain.

Step 4: Access Your WordPress Dashboard

Once deployment finishes:

1. Navigate to Cloudways Flexible, then My Applications in the sidebar.
2. Click your application name to open its management panel.
3. Under Access Details, locate your WordPress admin username and password.
4. Click the Log In link to open your official WordPress /wp-admin login panel.

From here, your site is fully functional. You can install your theme, add plugins, and begin designing.

Step 5: Connect Your Domain

To point your custom domain to your new Cloudways server:

1. Inside your Cloudways application panel, click Domain Management.
2. Type your domain name into the Primary Domain field and click Save Changes.
3. Copy the server’s public IP address from the Access Details screen.
4. Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, BigRock, etc.) and create an A record pointing to your Cloudways server IP. Do this for both the root domain (@) and the www subdomain.

DNS propagation typically takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. You can monitor its global status at whatsmydns.net.

Step 6: Enable Your Free SSL Certificate

Once your domain points successfully to the server and DNS has propagated:

1. Open your application panel in Cloudways.
2. Click SSL Certificate.
3. Input your domain name and your primary email address.
4. Click Install Certificate.

Cloudways utilizes Let’s Encrypt to deploy and auto-renew a free SSL certificate. Your site will now securely load over HTTPS.

Step 6.5: Configure SMTP for Emails (Crucial)

Because modern cloud servers block standard email ports by default to mitigate spam, a fresh Cloudways installation cannot natively send transactional emails (such as password resets, contact form alerts, or WooCommerce order notifications).

1. Click the grid icon in the top menu of your Cloudways dashboard and open Add-ons.
2. Navigate to Application Migration & SMTP to configure an external mail carrier.
3. Cloudways provides a low-cost Elastic Email add-on here that can be fully integrated into your server within two minutes.

Step 7: Configure the Breeze Cache Plugin

Cloudways deploys its proprietary caching plugin, Breeze, automatically with every WordPress setup. It operates alongside server-level Varnish caching to maximize speed out of the box.

To optimize its settings:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel and go to Settings → Breeze.
2. Under Cache Settings, check the boxes to enable the overall cache system and mobile cache.
3. Under File Optimization, enable HTML, CSS, and JS minification, and toggle on Move JavaScript to Footer.
4. Under Advanced, turn on Lazy Load Images and Lazy Load iFrames.
5. Click Save Changes and clear all built-in caches.

WooCommerce Tip: Breeze automatically excludes dynamic e-commerce checkout paths like /cart/ and /checkout/ by default. It is good practice to double-check these under the Exclude URLs settings tab to keep your checkout flow running perfectly.

Object Cache Pro is included entirely for free on all plans featuring 2GB RAM or above. It introduces Redis-powered database caching on top of your page cache, which drastically reduces page generation times for dynamic websites. You can verify its deployment status by navigating to your application panel, clicking Application Settings, then WordPress Settings, and checking the toggle.

Step 8: Migrate an Existing WordPress Site (If Applicable)

If you are moving an active site from an old shared host, choose one of these two options:

Option 1: The Cloudways Migrator Plugin (Recommended)

• Launch a clean WordPress application on your server using Steps 2 and 3 above.
• Access the new application’s Access Details tab and copy down the destination URL, server IP, database name, and your SFTP credentials.
• Log in to your old hosting platform, install the free Cloudways WordPress Migrator plugin, and activate it.
• Open the plugin interface, enter your email address, accept the terms, and click Next.
• Input the destination URL and SFTP details you copied from Cloudways.
• Review your configuration and click Migrate. You will receive an automated email notification once the transfer finishes.
• Audit your text, media, and design layouts on the temporary staging URL before modifying your live DNS settings.

Option 2: Managed Migration Navigate to Add-ons → Application Migration within your Cloudways account menu and submit a ticket. The Cloudways engineering team handles one site migration completely free of charge within 48 hours.

Key Features Worth Knowing

Who Should Use Cloudways in India?

Cloudways is perfectly suited for:

• Bloggers and digital publishers are outgrowing shared web hosting, those require superior Core Web Vitals scores.
• Freelancers and creative agencies manage a network of client websites from a single dashboard.
• WooCommerce store operators looking to maintain high uptimes during intense traffic rushes or sales.
• Developers seeking rapid SSH/SFTP access and direct Git deployment pipelines without wanting to manage command-line Linux servers.

It is not ideal for absolute beginners who rely heavily on legacy cPanel setups, bundled domain registrations, or complimentary email inboxes. Users requiring that type of ecosystem may find platforms like Hostinger more aligned with their initial needs.

Pre-Launch Checklist

Before updating your production domain records, verify this quick sequence:

• [ ] The WordPress installation successfully loads on the temporary Cloudways Apps staging link.
• [ ] Your primary administrator password has been updated from the default string.
• [ ] Your custom domain is saved under Domain Management, and A records point to your server IP.
• [ ] Global DNS propagation is validated using an external checker like whatsmydns.net.
• [ ] A Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is active, and HTTPS traffic enforcement is on.
• [ ] An external SMTP service is integrated to guarantee outbound email deliverability.
• [ ] The Breeze plugin is active with asset minification on and dynamic checkout routes excluded.
• [ ] Comprehensive backup cycles are scheduled and verified.

FAQs

Is Cloudways available in India?

Yes. Cloudways is fully accessible to Indian customers and features localized physical infrastructure in Bangalore (via DigitalOcean) and Mumbai (via AWS and Google Cloud) to provide minimal latency.

Does Cloudways bill in INR?

No. Cloudways operates its billing infrastructure exclusively in USD. Charges are converted to INR automatically by your banking institution at their current day exchange rates.

Can I pay for Cloudways using UPI or local debit cards?

UPI, NetBanking, and local wallets are not supported. Due to Indian regulatory restrictions governing automated recurring international mandates, standard domestic debit cards typically fail. An international credit card is strongly recommended to keep your hosting active.

Does Cloudways provide a GST invoice?

No. Cloudways operates outside of Indian tax jurisdictions under DigitalOcean LLC and does not collect or issue invoices containing an Indian GSTIN. Speak to your accountant regarding processing these payments as foreign business expenditures.

Which Cloudways datacenter is best for the Indian target markets?

For the vast majority of standard blogs and business websites, DigitalOcean’s Bangalore infrastructure delivers the best speed-to-price ratio. Enterprise platforms requiring specialized architecture can opt for AWS or Google Cloud in Mumbai.

Can I host multiple WordPress websites on a single Cloudways server?

Yes. Cloudways allows you to deploy unlimited applications onto a single server instance. Your only limiting factor is the physical hardware limits (RAM/CPU) of the server plan you select.

Does Cloudways offer a free trial period?

Yes. You can access a 3-day free trial directly without providing credit card details during signup.