Buying and setting up hosting #
What do I need to launch a website? #
A registered domain, hosting, website content, and HTTPS. Email is a separate setup task if you need it. Start here.
Can I buy a domain and hosting together? #
Yes. Add one hosting plan and eligible domain registrations to the same cart. Check the primary domain before paying. Buy hosting with a new domain.
Can I use a domain I already own? #
Yes. Enter it in Domain you already own at checkout. After setup, connect it using your current DNS provider or Lucid nameservers. Use an existing domain.
Do I have to transfer my domain to buy hosting? #
No. Keep its registration at the current registrar and connect its DNS to hosting. Continue renewing it with that registrar. Hosting with an external domain.
Can I keep my external DNS provider? #
Yes. Choose Keep my DNS provider, then add the displayed hosting records at that provider. Preserve records for any existing email service. Choose a DNS setup method.
Can I buy several hosting plans in one order? #
Order one hosting plan at a time. Several domains can share an eligible domain/hosting cart, but additional domain purchases do not create additional hosted websites. Cart rules.
Can I add an SSL certificate to the hosting cart? #
Purchase a standalone SSL certificate in its own order, at quantity one. Cart rules.
I paid. Why is hosting not active yet? #
Setup may need payment or domain registration confirmation, or support review. Hosting can be created before DNS points to Lucid; connecting the public website is a separate step. Open My Account → Hosting services or Services. Setup statuses.
How long does activation take? #
Account setup depends on payment, any new primary-domain registration, and provisioning. Public access also depends on DNS and website setup. Follow the service's next step rather than a fixed activation estimate. Setup statuses.
Where do I log in to Virtualmin? #
For an active service, use My Account → Hosting services / Services → Open Virtualmin. A direct panel address may also appear in your welcome details. Virtualmin login.
Domains and DNS #
Does a domain search reserve the name? #
No. Availability and pricing need confirmation through the order process. Check the final registration result after payment. Register a domain.
Why can't I order my preferred domain? #
A confirmed unavailable result can mean the name is registered or reserved. Premium or unsupported names may not be offered for checkout. An unconfirmed lookup is a separate state: retry it before deciding availability. Search troubleshooting.
Why does renewal cost more than registration? #
Registration, renewal, and transfer can have different rates and terms. Introductory offers may apply only to the initial registration. Domain prices.
How do I transfer a domain here? #
Check eligibility with the current registrar, unlock the domain when permitted, obtain its authorization code if required, then use My Account → Domains → Transfer a domain. Inbound transfer.
Does a domain transfer move my website and email? #
No. Copying website data and mailboxes requires a separate migration. Also confirm whether the old provider will keep hosting your DNS. Migration preparation.
Why is a transfer locked or delayed? #
Registrar or registry restrictions, a recent registration or transfer, a registrant change, an incorrect code, or a pending process may apply. Check the exact status. Transfer locks.
Can I transfer my domain away? #
Use the current domain's supported unlock and authorization-code controls, then start the transfer with the receiving registrar. Eligibility depends on the extension and status. Outbound transfer.
Are domains renewed automatically? #
Do not assume so. The documented domain flow requires a renewal quote and payment. A saved card or hosting subscription does not by itself renew your domains. Renew a domain.
Can I recover an expired domain? #
It depends on its registry state. Renewal may still be possible, or restoration may need a separate reviewed quote. Recovery is not guaranteed. Expiry and restoration.
Where should I edit DNS records? #
At the provider operating your active authoritative nameservers. A record in an inactive DNS zone will not change public answers. Find the correct DNS editor.
How long do DNS changes take? #
Visibility depends on the record's cache lifetime, delegation changes, and resolver behavior. Check the authoritative answer and cached answers instead of relying on a fixed countdown. DNS troubleshooting.
Will changing nameservers copy my existing records? #
No. Preserve and recreate the required records at the new DNS provider before the switch. This includes external email and verification records. Change nameservers.
Is DNSSEC the same as SSL? #
No. DNSSEC validates DNS data. TLS certificates secure connections to a covered hostname. Coordinate DS-record changes during DNS moves. DNSSEC.
Website management #
Is a Virtualmin virtual server a VPS? #
In Virtualmin, a virtual server usually means a managed domain and its hosting configuration. It does not promise a dedicated virtual machine or root access. Virtual server terminology.
Where do I upload my website? #
Use the document root of the selected domain, often public_html. Confirm the path for that site before uploading or replacing files. File Manager.
Can I use SFTP or SSH? #
Access depends on your plan and account permissions. Use the supplied host, username, port, and protocol; ask support if they are missing. File transfers.
Can I install WordPress? #
If the plan supports it, use the available Virtualmin installer or a manual installation with a database and supported PHP environment. The Control Center WordPress tab lists detected applications; it does not install or update them. Install WordPress.
Can I change my PHP version? #
Select the website in the Control Center and open PHP to choose an available version for its current PHP mode. Back up and check application compatibility first. Use Virtualmin for advanced settings. PHP settings.
Can one account host several websites? #
Yes, where your plan's website allowance permits it. Use Add website, verify control with the supplied TXT record, and connect the site's DNS. Sites share the hosting service's limits and owner account. Add a website.
Why does my website still show the old version? #
Check the selected domain, document root, browser cache, application cache, and any CDN. DNS may also still point some visitors at an old server. Caching.
Why is my site slow or showing an error? #
Record the URL, error, time, recent changes, and whether it fails on another network. Check service status and relevant logs before changing settings. Website troubleshooting.
Email and HTTPS #
Can I create email addresses at my domain? #
If your service supports it, select the website and open Email in the Control Center to enable Lucid-hosted email and create a mailbox. Configure mail DNS separately, and plan any move from an existing email provider first. Create a mailbox.
What server settings should I use in my email app? #
Use the mail hostname and credentials supplied for your account. Common port numbers are not a substitute for the service's confirmed settings. Connect an email app.
Can I keep Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email? #
Preserve the mail provider's MX and authentication records at the active DNS provider. Coordinate those records before a hosting nameserver change. Email DNS records.
Why does outgoing email go to spam? #
Check SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment, sending reputation, and message content. Authentication helps but does not guarantee inbox placement. Email authentication.
Does buying an SSL certificate activate HTTPS? #
You must complete configuration and validation, then install the issued certificate with its matching private key and chain on the correct endpoint. Choose SSL.
Does a wildcard certificate cover the main domain? #
A wildcard covers the matching subdomain level; apex coverage depends on the certificate's included names. Check the exact package and issued names. Certificate coverage.
Is a certificate request the same as a private key? #
No. A CSR requests a certificate for public names. Keep the corresponding private key secret and on an approved secure system. SSL guidance.
Billing and account help #
Are my website and email backed up automatically? #
The current Control Center shows backups as unconfigured and does not provide backup or restore controls. Confirm any separately arranged backup service or permitted Virtualmin backups, including scope, schedule, destination, and retention. Keep a verified off-server copy. Backups.
Can I restore only one file or database? #
It depends on the backup format and your restore permissions. Check the selected components and overwrite behavior before restoring into a live service. Restore a backup.
What should I do if my website is hacked? #
Contact support, preserve useful evidence, contain the affected site, and restore or clean it using trusted copies. Close the entry point and rotate affected credentials. Compromise response.
Will renewing hosting renew my domain too? #
No. Track hosting, domain, and certificate renewal separately and verify each new period after payment. Renewal management.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my hosting? #
Use a plan-change control if offered, or contact support about the existing service. Confirm limits, charges, and timing before the change. Plan changes.
How do I cancel or request a refund? #
Back up and move anything you need, then use the offered cancellation process or contact support. Eligibility and effective dates follow the applicable terms. Cancellation and refunds.
Does removing my saved card cancel hosting? #
Use the service cancellation process. Removing payment details or deleting website files does not reliably cancel a subscription or service. Cancellation.
Does updating my login email update my domain contacts? #
Not necessarily. Review account details, billing details, and each domain's registration contacts separately. Update contact details.
What should I send support? #
Send the domain, hosting service ID, order number, exact error, timestamp, recent changes, and steps tried. Remove passwords, keys, login links, and payment secrets. Support request checklist.
Lucid Control Center #
What can I manage in the new dashboard? #
Choose a hosting service and website to manage supported email, database, DNS, SSL, and PHP tasks. Use the sidebar for domains, orders, payment methods, and account settings. Open Virtualmin provides the advanced tools available to your account. Control Center tour.
How do I avoid changing the wrong website? #
Check both the hosting service selector and website selector before making a change. Service details describe the hosting account; website tools apply to the selected site. Service details and usage.
Does Add website register a new domain? #
No. Register the domain separately if needed. Adding a site creates hosting beneath your existing service after TXT verification; it does not transfer registration or move traffic automatically. Add a website.
Does Connected mean everything is working? #
It indicates the recorded website DNS check succeeded. Check the actual website, HTTPS, and email separately. Cached checks may need refreshing after changes. Dashboard troubleshooting.
Why are some DNS controls unavailable? #
The dashboard's hosting DNS editor needs a confirmed Lucid-hosted authoritative zone. If you chose Keep my DNS provider, edit records at that provider. Protected records and unsupported record types need the appropriate advanced tool or support. Dashboard DNS.
How do I request a free SSL certificate? #
Open DNS & SSL for the website and use Request Let's Encrypt SSL when available. The service must be eligible and the selected hostname must pass DNS and web validation. Check the issued names; a request for one hostname does not establish coverage for every subdomain. Request free SSL.
Can I pause a mailbox without deleting its messages? #
For eligible ordinary mailboxes, Pause sign-in blocks mailbox access while preserving messages. It does not reroute incoming mail or replace account cancellation. Only mailbox sign-ins paused through the dashboard can be restored there. Mailbox sign-in controls.
Do matching mail DNS checks guarantee email delivery? #
No. They compare published DNS with available expected values. They do not prove successful mail delivery, message signing, sender reputation, or every server setting. Send and receive test messages as well. Check mail DNS.
Does changing my hosting password change my Lucid login? #
No. The hosting owner's password is separate from the customer account password. Resetting it can affect other services that share those hosting credentials, such as file transfer or shell access. Hosting login and password.
How do I renew an existing hosting service? #
Open the service and use Renew hosting when offered. Review and pay its renewal order; it extends that service rather than creating another hosting account. Follow any separate subscription controls if your service uses a subscription. Hosting renewals.
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