Plesk - Getting Started Guide

Step 1 - Verify Plesk Works

Your server's IP address and root password are shown on the Server Details page in your client panel. Plesk panel is available immediately after your server is created. Open https://your.server.ip:8443 in a browser to verify it works.

Plesk panel login:

• Username: admin
• Password: the Admin Password you entered during the order

Plesk panel only works over HTTPS. Your browser will show a security warning about the self-signed certificate - click Advanced > Proceed (or Accept the Risk in Firefox). This is expected and safe.

Once you add a domain, you can install a proper Let's Encrypt certificate through the Plesk panel (see Step 3).

If you placed the server behind a VyOS router on a private network, set up port forwarding for ports 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS) and 8443 (Plesk panel). Plesk hosts websites that must be reachable from the internet.

Step 2 - Add Your First Domain

In Plesk panel, click Add Domain and enter your domain name. Plesk will create the web space, DNS zone and mail configuration automatically.

Before adding a domain, point it to your server by creating A records at your domain registrar:

Type	Name	Value
A	@	your.server.ip
A	www	your.server.ip

DNS changes usually take a few minutes, but can take up to 24 hours. You can check the status at dnschecker.org.

Step 3 - Enable SSL for Your Domain

Plesk has a built-in Let's Encrypt integration. To enable a free SSL certificate for your domain:

1. Go to Websites & Domains and select your domain
2. Click SSL/TLS Certificates
3. Click Install next to Let's Encrypt
4. Enter your email and click Install

Plesk will obtain and install the certificate automatically. Renewal is also automatic.

Step 4 - Activate a License

Your server comes with a 15-day trial license that activates automatically. The trial is fully functional and supports up to 3 domains.

To continue using Plesk after the trial, purchase and activate a license:

1. Purchase a license key from plesk.com or an authorized reseller
2. In Plesk panel, go to Tools & Settings → License Management
3. Click Install Key and enter your license key

Plesk will activate the license immediately. No server restart is required.

Fail2Ban - Brute-Force Protection

Your server comes with Fail2Ban pre-configured to protect both SSH and the Plesk panel from brute-force attacks.

Rule	Max Attempts	Ban Duration
SSH	5 failed logins	10 minutes
Plesk panel	5 failed logins	1 hour

Useful commands:

# Check banned IPs
fail2ban-client status plesk-panel
fail2ban-client status sshd

# Unban an IP
fail2ban-client set plesk-panel unbanip 1.2.3.4

If you accidentally lock yourself out, connect via VNC console in your client panel and unban your IP.

Service Management

Plesk manages most services automatically. For direct control:

# Restart Plesk-managed services via plesk command
plesk restart

# Check status of stack services
systemctl status nginx apache2 mariadb postfix dovecot named

# Restart an individual service
systemctl restart nginx

Install Applications

Plesk includes a one-click installer for popular applications. Go to Applications in the panel to install WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and many others without using the command line.

Server Credentials

Plesk admin password is stored in /root/.plesk_credentials.

What's Pre-Configured

• Web server: Nginx as reverse proxy + Apache for application processing
• Database: MariaDB, managed through Plesk panel
• Mail: Postfix (SMTP) + Dovecot (IMAP/POP3), ready for mailboxes
• DNS: BIND name server for hosting DNS zones
• IP remapping: Plesk automatically detects the correct IP after cloning

Software Included

Component	Details
Ubuntu	22.04 LTS
Plesk Obsidian	18.0 (Recommended preset)
Web Server	Nginx + Apache
Database	MariaDB
Mail	Postfix + Dovecot
DNS	BIND
Security	Fail2Ban

• Plesk Documentation: docs.plesk.com
• Plesk Licensing: plesk.com/pricing