Lightsail WordPress Setup Guide: How to Launch Your Site Quickly

One of the key aspects of creating a new WordPress website is setting up a hosting environment. To that end, one of the best platforms is AWS Lightsail. With it, you can get your WordPress site up and running in minutes, without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure.

Through this blog, I’ll explain how the WordPress experts set up a new project on the AWS Lightsail and the benefits it offers. Let’s begin.

What is AWS Lightsail?

AWS Lightsail is like a starter kit for getting your websites and web applications up and running quickly and easily on the AWS cloud. It’s a simplified version of Amazon’s powerful cloud services. Designed specifically for beginners, small businesses, and developers, Lightsail offers a straightforward way to host their projects.

The AWS Lightsail offers:

• Virtual Private Servers (VPS): These are essentially your own little slices of a powerful computer in the cloud. You can use them to host your website files, databases, and applications.
• Easy-to-use interface: Lightsail has a simple, intuitive console that makes it easy to launch and manage your servers, even if you’re new to cloud computing.
• Bundled services: Lightsail bundles essential services together like storage, databases, and networking, so you don’t have to set them up individually.

As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your Lightsail resources to handle more traffic and storage needs.

How to Set Up WordPress on AWS Lightsail?

Amazon Web Services is a highly reliable, scalable, low-cost cloud infrastructure platform. It offers tools like code editors, SDKs, and CI/CD services to help developers build, test, and deploy applications. One of its premium tools is Lightsail and you can set up WordPress on it effectively. Here’s how the process goes:

Sign up for AWS

First up, you need to create an account with the Amazon Web Services. Open your web browser and go to the official AWS website. You’ll see a prominent button that says “Create an AWS Account”. Click on it to begin.

You’ll need to fill out two key details:

• Email Address: This will be your root user email for accessing your AWS account. Make sure it’s an email address you check regularly.
• AWS Account Name: Choose a name for your AWS account (e.g., “MyCompanyName” or “MyPersonalProjects”). You can change this later if needed.

AWS will send a verification email to the address you provided. Open the email and click on the verification link to confirm your email address.

Then, you will need to create a strong password for your root user account. It should be a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Make sure to store this password securely, as it provides complete access to your AWS account. Finally, re-enter the password and confirm it.

Create a WordPress Instance

After you have created the AWS account, access its management console. There, you will be able to create a WordPress instance in the Lightsail.

Step 1: Open your web browser and navigate to the AWS Lightsail console. Enter your AWS credentials (username and password) to log in.

Step 2: Click on the “Instances” tab in the top menu. This will open the “Create Instance” wizard.

Step 3: Start a new instance by clicking “Create instance”.

Step 4: WordPress runs on Linux, so select “Linux/Unix” as your platform.

Step 5: Under “Pick a blueprint”, choose “WordPress”. This pre-configures your instance with everything you need to run WordPress.

Step 6: Lightsail offers several instance plans starting from around $3.5 per month with different amounts of RAM, processing power, and storage. Select a plan that suits your website’s needs and budget. You can always upgrade your plan later if needed.

Step 7: Give your WordPress instance a recognizable name (e.g., “MyWordPressSite”).

Step 8: Click the “Create instance” button to launch your WordPress instance.

It will take a few minutes for your instance to launch. You can monitor its progress on the “Instances” page.

Configure Your WordPress Instance

Once your WordPress instance is up and running, you’ll need to connect to it using SSH. This will give you access to the command line interface (CLI) where you can manage your instance.

Here’s how you can connect to your instance:

Step 1: Open a terminal or command prompt on your computer.

Step 2: Type ssh user@<your-instance-ip-address> and press Enter.

Replace <your-instance-ip-address> with the actual IP address of your WordPress instance. You can find this information on the Lightsail console by clicking on the instance name and then looking at the “Public IP Address” section.

Step 3: You’ll be prompted for your password. Enter the root user password that you created when you launched the instance.

Get the Admin Password for your WordPress Website

In the Lightsail console, click on your WordPress instance’s name. You’ll find its public IP address listed on the instance management page.

Lightsail provides a built-in SSH client. On your instance’s management page, click the “Connect using SSH” button. This will open a terminal window directly in your browser, connected to your instance.

Alternatively, if you prefer using your own SSH client (like Terminal on macOS or PuTTY on Windows), you can use the instance’s public IP address to connect.

Once you’re connected to your instance via SSH, you’ll see a command prompt. Type the following command and press Enter:

cat bitnami_application_password

This command will display your automatically generated WordPress admin password.  It’s usually a long, random string of characters. So make sure to copy and keep it safe.

Sign into the Administration Dashboard of your WordPress Website

It’s finally time when you get to see your WordPress website and start customizing it. Here’s how to sign in to your WordPress admin dashboard:

Step 1: When you go to your site’s address, you’ll be automatically redirected to the WordPress login page (wp-login.php). This is where you’ll enter your credentials.

Step 2: Enter the login credentials:

• Username: The default username is “user”.
• Password: Paste the admin password that you retrieved earlier using the cat bitnami_application_password command in the SSH terminal.

Step 3: After that, click “Log In”.

You should now be in the WordPress administration dashboard (wp-admin). This is the control center for your website. From here, you can:

• Change your theme
• Install plugins
• Install theme
• Write and publish pages and posts
• Configure your website’s settings and much more!

On the login page, you can check the “Remember Me” box if you’re using a trusted device. This will keep you logged in for a longer period.

If you need help setting up your WordPress instance on Lightsail, consult with our professional WordPress development company. We will help you create the best virtual cloud server for your site effectively.

Why Use Lightsail for your WordPress Website?

Lightsail offers a compelling blend of simplicity, affordability, and power, making it a great choice for hosting your WordPress website. It can be an excellent option if you are looking for more control compared to managed WordPress hosting.

Here are a few key advantages:

• Simplified Interface: Lightsail’s console is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, even for those new to cloud computing. Launching a WordPress instance takes just a few clicks.
• Pre-configured WordPress: The WordPress blueprint comes with WordPress pre-installed and configured, saving you the hassle of manual setup.
• Low Cost: Lightsail offers affordable monthly plans starting at just a few dollars, making it a budget-friendly option for small businesses and individual bloggers.
• Dedicated Resources: Unlike shared hosting, where you share resources with other websites, Lightsail provides dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage for your WordPress instance, ensuring better performance and stability.
• Easy Upgrades: As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your Lightsail instance to a higher plan with more resources to handle increased traffic and storage needs.
• Secure Infrastructure: AWS data centers are highly secure, with multiple layers of physical and network security. Lightsail also provides a built-in firewall to protect your instance from unauthorized access.
• Customization: You can customize your instance to meet your specific needs. That includes installing additional software, configuring server settings, and optimizing performance.

While Lightsail is a great option for many WordPress users, it’s important to consider your specific needs and technical expertise. So, enticed by these benefits? Then hire our WordPress development experts and get your website optimized.

FAQs on Setting Up WordPress on AWS Lightsail

To Summarize

AWS Lightsail is a simplified, beginner-friendly way to get started with AWS cloud services. It provides virtual private servers (VPS), storage, databases, and networking. They are all bundled together in an easy-to-use package with affordable, predictable pricing.

Remember that this is just the beginning of your WordPress journey on Lightsail. As your site grows, Lightsail offers the flexibility to scale your resources, ensuring your site can handle increased traffic and storage needs.

So, need help with your cloud WordPress website? Then connect with our WordPress professionals today!