How to install Plesk on your VPS

Plesk provides a web-based control panel for managing your VPS hosting environment. Installing Plesk gives you tools to manage domains, email accounts, databases and security settings through a graphical interface rather than command line only.

You will connect to your VPS via SSH, run the official Plesk installer and access your new control panel through a web browser. The installation takes 15–30 minutes depending on your server specifications.

Connect to your VPS via SSH

SSH provides secure command line access to your VPS. You need this connection to run the Plesk installation script with root privileges.

1. Open PuTTY.
   Launch the PuTTY application on your computer.
2. Enter your VPS details.
   In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your VPS IP address or domain name. Confirm SSH is selected as the connection type and the port shows 22.
3. Start the connection.
   Click Open at the bottom of the window. A terminal window appears.
4. Log in as root.
   When prompted for a username, type root and press Enter. Enter your VPS root password when prompted. The password will not display as you type.

You are now connected to your VPS with root access. The command prompt displays, ready for you to run the Plesk installer.

Run the Plesk installation script

The official Plesk installer downloads and configures all required components automatically. This method ensures you get the latest stable version with correct dependencies.

1. Get the installation command.
   Open get.plesk.com in your web browser. The page displays the current installation command.
2. Copy the command.
   Click the copy button next to the installation command. The command looks similar to: sh <(curl https://autoinstall.plesk.com/one-click-installer || wget -O - https://autoinstall.plesk.com/one-click-installer)
3. Paste and run the command.
   Return to your PuTTY window. Right-click to paste the command, then press Enter. The installer begins downloading and installing Plesk components.
4. Wait for installation to complete.
   The process takes 15–30 minutes. Progress messages appear in the terminal as components install. Do not close the PuTTY window during installation.

When installation completes, the terminal displays a success message with your Plesk login URL. You can now access the Plesk control panel through your web browser.

Access your Plesk control panel

Plesk runs on port 8443 and uses HTTPS for secure access. Your first login creates the administrator account and completes the initial setup.

1. Open the Plesk login page.
   In your web browser, navigate to https://your-vps-ip:8443 or https://yourdomain.com:8443, replacing the IP address or domain with your VPS details.
2. Accept the security warning.
   Your browser displays a security warning about the SSL certificate. Click Advanced and then Proceed to continue. This warning appears because Plesk uses a self-signed certificate until you configure a proper SSL certificate.
3. Complete the initial setup.
   Follow the on-screen prompts to set your administrator password, enter your contact details and configure basic settings. These details create your Plesk administrator account.

You now have full access to the Plesk control panel. The dashboard displays server statistics and provides access to all management tools.

Wrapping up

Your VPS now runs Plesk with full control panel functionality. You connected via SSH, ran the official installer and completed the initial setup. You can now manage domains, create email accounts and configure server settings through the Plesk interface.

Review the Plesk Administrator Guide to learn about available features and security best practices. Our cPanel installation guide covers an alternative control panel if you need different functionality. Our VPS hosting provides the foundation for running Plesk or other control panels.