New to dPanel - dNocs? Follow these six steps in order and, in about an hour, you go from an empty account to a website running on your own server at your own domain with HTTPS. Each step links to the page that walks you through it.
Never run a server before? Read How a website runs on your server first, and keep the Glossary open for any word you don't know.
Your first hour with dPanel
- Sign in. Open dnocs.devetek.app and sign in with Google or a username and password. See Sign in and your profile.
- Pick a workspace. A workspace is the box your servers, applications and domains live in. Use your personal workspace to try things out, or a team workspace to share with others. See Workspaces.
- Get a server. A server is the computer in a data centre your website runs on. Either way, dPanel first needs an SSH key, the password-free key it uses to sign in to the server.
- No server yet? Connect your cloud account, such as AWS, Google Cloud or DigitalOcean, and launch one from dPanel. See Create a cloud server.
- Already rent a VPS? Connect it over SSH instead. See Connect your own server.
- Deploy your first app. Connect GitHub, then follow a tutorial from start to finish:
- Deploy WordPress with MariaDB, the simplest place to start.
- Deploy Laravel with PostgreSQL, for a PHP web application.
- Put it on a domain. Add your domain under Domain & DNS, then create a load balancer: the front door that answers on your domain and gets a free HTTPS certificate. See Domains and DNS and Load balancers.
- Keep an eye on it. The dashboard tells you whether everything is all right, and Reading logs shows what your app is doing.
You can also let the assistant do the clicking: describe what you want and approve each change. See Ask dPanel.
How long each step takes
| Step | Your time | Waiting for dPanel |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in, workspace | 2 minutes | none |
| SSH key | 1 minute | none |
| Cloud server | 5 minutes | 10–20 minutes while the server is set up |
| Your own server | 5 minutes | a few minutes while dPanel installs itself |
| First app | 10–15 minutes | 5–15 minutes for software and the build |
| Domain and HTTPS | 5 minutes | 1–10 minutes for DNS and the certificate |
Before you start
- A GitHub account with the code you want to run. The tutorials use public example repositories you can fork.
- A cloud account, only if you want dPanel to launch a server for you. Your provider bills you for the server directly; dPanel does not resell servers.
- A domain name at Cloudflare or DigitalOcean, so dPanel can create the DNS record for you. A domain elsewhere works too, but you add the record yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know Linux or use a terminal?
No. Every step happens in the browser. dPanel signs in to your server over SSH for you, installs software from a list, and shows logs on the page.
Can I try dPanel without a domain?
Yes. Your application runs without one; you only need a domain to publish it on the internet with HTTPS in step 5.
Who bills me for the server?
Your cloud provider, for every hour the server exists. dPanel does not resell servers. Delete a server you no longer use so it stops costing money. See Delete a server.
Something went wrong. Where do I look?
Start with Common problems and fixes. The dashboard's Needs your attention list also points at anything that failed.