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Contents
- 1 Byte & Beak StellarSites Talk Show
- 1.1 Byte & Beak StellarSites Talk ShowAll Your FAQs Answered – From AI Design to Your Custom Domain
- 1.2 🎬 Lights, Camera, Curiosity
- 1.3 Overview of StellarSites
- 1.4 Getting Started with StellarSites
- 1.5 Customizing Your StellarSites Website with KadenceWP
- 1.6 Services and Notifications Included with Your StellarSites Plan
- 1.7 StellarSites Migrations 101
- 1.8 Why StellarSites is the Best WordPress Hosting Solution
- 1.9 Connecting Your Custom Domain
- 1.10 Creating Your StellarSites Website
- 1.11 StellarSites Account Dashboard
- 1.12 Building Your Store with StellarSites and WooCommerce
- 1.13 Build Your LMS Site
- 1.14 Build Your Fundraising Site
- 1.15 Build Your Events Site
- 1.16 Troubleshooting and Support
- 1.17 How to Contact StellarSites Support
- 1.18 SSL, Performance & Site Downtime
- 1.19 Setting Up Your StellarSite & Migration
- 1.20 How to Migrate a Website Using WP Migrate DB Pro
- 1.21 Migrating to StellarSites Without WP Migrate DB Pro
- 1.22 Performance and Optimization
- 1.23 Caching, Backups & Solid Central
- 1.24 Backups and Disaster Recovery
- 1.25 What is Solid Central & How to Access It
- 1.26 Managing Site Backups with StellarSites
- 1.27 How to Manually Back Up Your Site with Solid Central
- 1.28 Security, Malware & Developer Tools
- 1.29 Built-In Security with StellarSites
- 1.30 Using Third-Party Plugins and Themes
- 1.31 Staging Sites with StellarSites
- 1.32 SSH Access and Command Line Tools
- 1.33 Security, Malware & Developer Tools
- 1.34 Built-In Security with StellarSites
- 1.35 Using Third-Party Plugins and Themes
- 1.36 Staging Sites with StellarSites
- 1.37 SSH Access and Command Line Tools
- 1.38 Billing and Account Management
- 1.39 StellarSites Plans & Pricing
- 1.40 StellarPay Frequently Asked Questions
Byte & Beak StellarSites Talk Show
Byte & Beak StellarSites Talk Show
All Your FAQs Answered – From AI Design to Your Custom Domain
Every great website story starts the same way: with someone staring at their screen, muttering, “There has to be an easier way to do this.”
That’s where StellarSites enters the stage—part website wizard, part performance powerhouse. But if you’ve ever tried to decode hosting features or pricing charts, you know it can feel like reading hieroglyphics upside down.
Enter our unlikely duo:
🧑💻 Byte — the caffeinated tech whisperer who can explain DNS like he’s reciting poetry (yes, it rhymes with “stress”). He’s got the brains, the blueprints, and a tendency to overcomplicate things… until Beak interrupts.
🦉 Beak — the endlessly curious owl with a knack for asking the questions you were just about to Google. He translates Byte’s tech-speak into plain English, all while keeping the mood lighter than a cloud server.
Together, they’re here to take you on a tour of StellarSites A–Z. Think of it as a talk show where the tough questions get answered, the jargon gets roasted, and the reader (that’s you) leaves knowing exactly what StellarSites can do for your website.
So grab your coffee ☕ (or your midnight owl snack 🥨) and settle in—because Byte and Beak are about to turn what could’ve been another boring FAQ into a smart, witty, and surprisingly fun ride through StellarSites.
👉 Want to know more about our mascot duo? Meet them here: Meet Beak & Byte: The Hosting Heroes of Dream Hosters
Let’s flap into it! 🦉💻
🎬 Lights, Camera, Curiosity
[Scene: The Dream Hosters studio. Byte adjusts a glowing neon sign that says “StellarSites or Bust!” while Beak swivels in his chair, talons tapping impatiently.]
🦉 Beak:
“Byte, I’ve got questions. Big ones. Like—‘What exactly is StellarSites?’ And no, don’t give me one of your 47-slide technical breakdowns. Pretend I’m a normal human for once.”
🧑💻 Byte:
(laughs nervously) “Alright, alright. No jargon, just the juicy bits. StellarSites is… well, think of it as building a website without wanting to throw your laptop out the window.”
🦉 Beak:
“Now that’s the answer I was looking for. So, shall we grill StellarSites A–Z, one feather-ruffling question at a time?”
🧑💻 Byte:
“You bet. Buckle up, Beak—this is going to be more fun than a server on rocket fuel.”
And just like that, the Q&A begins… 🚀
Overview of StellarSites
Scene: The Dream Hosters studio. Byte is adjusting his coffee mug while Beak flutters around a stack of StellarSites brochures.
🦉 Beak: “Byte, what exactly is StellarSites? Is it just another hosting gimmick?”
👨💻 Byte: “Think of StellarSites as your WordPress Swiss Army knife. Fully managed hosting, premium themes, essential plugins, and proactive support—so you skip server headaches, plugin wars, and launch lightning-fast.”
🦉 Beak: “Who’s it for? Birdwatchers?”
👨💻 Byte: “Close, but not quite. It’s perfect for slightly technical humans—small business owners, nonprofits, freelancers, course creators—anyone who knows WordPress basics but wants to skip the maintenance drama.”
🦉 Beak: “Why choose StellarSites over DIY hosts?”
👨💻 Byte: “Every site ships pre-configured: WordPress, KadenceWP, caching, autoscaling PHP workers, Cloudflare integration, and daily backups. Basically, you get speed, security, and scale without breaking a sweat.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I pick where my site lives?”
👨💻 Byte: “Absolutely. US Central (Michigan) or EU West (Amsterdam)—pick your spot for optimal latency and compliance.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I get support for everything?”
👨💻 Byte: “One expert team handles hosting, plugins, themes, security, and performance. No more ping-pong between providers—just smooth sailing.”
Getting Started with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, after I buy, what’s first?”
👨💻 Byte: “Meet the AI Site Wizard. Define your brand, pick your site goals—store, courses, donations—choose imagery, and bam! You get a tailored draft site for review.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I skip the AI magic?”
👨💻 Byte: “Of course. Start blank or import a Kadence Starter Template, then tweak manually via Site Assist anytime.”
🦉 Beak: “What dashboards do I get?”
👨💻 Byte: “Two dashboards: StellarSites Account Dashboard for billing, subscriptions, and support; WordPress Dashboard for building and managing your site.”
🦉 Beak: “What’s Site Assist?”
👨💻 Byte: “It’s your post-launch checklist. Guides plugin setup—WooCommerce, GiveWP, LearnDash, The Events Calendar—plus global styles and integrations.”
🦉 Beak: “Need a reset?”
👨💻 Byte: “WP Reset or support can wipe AI content and start fresh—licensed plugins stay intact.”
Customizing Your StellarSites Website with KadenceWP
🦉 Beak: “My site’s live—how do I make it truly mine?”
👨💻 Byte: “KadenceWP is your visual playground. Customize colors, fonts, headers, footers, and edit content with Kadence Blocks—no code required.”
🦉 Beak: “I used the AI Wizard. Can I switch templates?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes! Appearance > Starter Templates lets you swap AI or classic templates. Pro tip: back up first.”
🦉 Beak: “Skipped AI—how do I get a starter kit?”
👨💻 Byte: “Site Assist > Starter Templates. Pick a curated template for eCommerce, courses, nonprofits, or events—apply instantly.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I update my AI choices?”
👨💻 Byte: “WordPress Dashboard > Site Assist > Set Up under AI Starter Site. Refresh your profile answers, and voilà—new content.”
🦉 Beak: “Building from scratch—code-free?”
👨💻 Byte: “Totally. Drag-and-drop Kadence Blocks, tweak global styles—zero coding, 100% control.”
Services and Notifications Included with Your StellarSites Plan
🦉 Beak: “Why all these StellarWP emails?”
👨💻 Byte: “Notifications from Solid Security, Backups, Central, Patchstack, WooCommerce, LearnDash, GiveWP, and Events—for critical events like security alerts, orders, course progress, and donations.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I silence the fluff?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes. WooCommerce emails in WooCommerce > Settings, GiveWP emails in GiveWP dashboard, Solid Central alerts in Solid Central. Control is yours.”
🦉 Beak: “Solid Performance and Solid Mail?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Performance runs silently. Solid Mail handles SMTP emails—no spam, just your messages sent cleanly.”
🦉 Beak: “Patchstack alerts—should I worry?”
👨💻 Byte: “Only if vulnerable software is detected. Virtual patches keep you safe until updates arrive.”
🦉 Beak: “Kadence AI emails me?”
👨💻 Byte: “Kadence itself doesn’t, but account or AI-credit usage alerts might appear. Nothing scary, promise.”
StellarSites Migrations 101
🦉 Beak: “Moving my WordPress site to StellarSites…sounds scary.”
👨💻 Byte: “Relax. StellarSites Migrations does the heavy lifting: copies your files and database, updates URLs automatically, and even gives you a preview URL before you point your DNS.”
🦉 Beak: “Deployment vs Migration—same thing?”
👨💻 Byte: “Not quite. Deployment syncs code between environments (staging → production). Migration moves your whole site from another host.”
🦉 Beak: “My old site is on a temp domain—is that okay?”
👨💻 Byte: “Nope. Migrations need a live domain with proper DNS—temporary URLs won’t cut it.”
🦉 Beak: “DNS changes—auto or manual?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use Entri for auto-updates, or manually add CNAME/ALIAS records. StellarSites’ Easy mode handles everything for you if you want zero headaches.”
🦉 Beak: “And if something breaks?”
👨💻 Byte: “Check logs in Solid Central, rerun the migration, verify DNS, or ping support. A quick manual check and you’re golden.”
Why StellarSites is the Best WordPress Hosting Solution
🦉 Beak: “Byte, should I really ditch my current host?”
👨💻 Byte: “Absolutely. StellarSites comes pre-built with WordPress, premium themes, plugins, performance tweaks, and security. Your site is business-ready, fast.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I lose WordPress freedom?”
👨💻 Byte: “Nope. You own your content, can install any plugin or theme, and export anytime. StellarSites just handles the heavy lifting.”
🦉 Beak: “Support—what makes it smart?”
👨💻 Byte: “One expert team knows your full stack—no finger-pointing. Hosting, plugins, themes, security—they handle it all in one place.”
🦉 Beak: “Stores, courses, events—does it cover everything?”
👨💻 Byte: “Every plan includes vertical solutions: WooCommerce for shops, LearnDash for courses, The Events Calendar for events, GiveWP for fundraising—all pre-configured.”
🦉 Beak: “Bottom line?”
👨💻 Byte: “Launch faster, stress less, and grow more. StellarSites gives WordPress flexibility without IT headaches.”
Connecting Your Custom Domain
🦉 Beak: “I’ve got a custom domain—how do I point it?”
👨💻 Byte: “Sites → Domain tab. Choose Easy (StellarSites nameservers) or Advanced (CNAME/ALIAS). Submit, wait for DNS propagation, and SSL auto-issues.”
🦉 Beak: “Easy mode—any caveats?”
👨💻 Byte: “Easy overwrites existing DNS. If you use email on that domain, copy MX/TXT records or risk mail outages.”
🦉 Beak: “Advanced + Cloudflare—different?”
👨💻 Byte: “Add CNAME for @ & www, enable proxy (orange cloud), confirm in wizard. Just make sure SSL can issue.”
🦉 Beak: “Registrar lacks ALIAS—help!”
👨💻 Byte: “Either switch to StellarSites nameservers or use a free DNS service like Cloudflare for CNAME flattening.”
🦉 Beak: “How fast until my site is live?”
👨💻 Byte: “DNS can take 5 minutes to 48 hours, but usually under an hour. SSL and domain recognition are automatic once propagation settles.”
Creating Your StellarSites Website
🦉 Beak: “Byte, once the dust settles, how do I actually build my site?”
👨💻 Byte: “AI Site Wizard: answer branding/goals, select tone & images, and get a draft site with layouts, copy, and royalty-free images.”
🦉 Beak: “Skipped AI—can I run it later?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yep! WP Dashboard → Site Assist → Activate Kadence AI.”
🦉 Beak: “Two dashboards—refresh me.”
👨💻 Byte: “StellarSites Account Dashboard manages billing, subscriptions, support. WordPress Dashboard is for editing pages, themes, plugins.”
🦉 Beak: “Need help finishing setup?”
👨💻 Byte: “Site Assist guides plugin setups—WooCommerce, GiveWP, LearnDash, Events—and tweaks global styles.”
🦉 Beak: “Ready to publish?”
👨💻 Byte: “Review AI/template content, adjust fonts/colors, finalize domain, hit Publish. Boom—live and business-ready.”
StellarSites Account Dashboard
🦉 Beak: “Purpose of the Account Dashboard?”
👨💻 Byte: “Central hub at my.stellarwp.com—manage sites, billing, subscriptions, payments, support.”
🦉 Beak: “Login where?”
👨💻 Byte: “my.stellarwp.com—email/password, passkey, or password-free login link.”
🦉 Beak: “Multiple sites?”
👨💻 Byte: “Sites section shows URL, plan, upgrades, buttons: Manage, View Site, Log In.”
🦉 Beak: “Site Details tabs?”
👨💻 Byte: “Overview, Connection Settings (SFTP/SSH), Subscription, Domain, License Keys for plugins.”
🦉 Beak: “Payment info change?”
👨💻 Byte: “Payment Methods tab—add, remove, update cards/PayPal for seamless renewal.”
Building Your Store with StellarSites and WooCommerce
🦉 Beak: “Ready to sell—where do I start?”
👨💻 Byte: “WP Dashboard via StellarSites Account → WooCommerce → Settings. Configure address, currency, shipping zones, and StellarPay or another gateway.”
🦉 Beak: “Adding products—is it tricky?”
👨💻 Byte: “Products → Add New. Enter name, description, price, images, select type (simple/variable/downloadable), and assign categories/tags.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I make product pages look fancy?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use Kadence Blocks. On Plus/Ultimate plans, Kadence ShopKit adds testimonials, galleries, sticky add-to-cart, and dynamic pricing.”
🦉 Beak: “Flux Checkout—what’s the hype?”
👨💻 Byte: “Multi-step, mobile-optimized, distraction-free. Customize layout, fonts, colors, and field order in WooCommerce → Flux Checkout.”
🦉 Beak: “Final checks before launch?”
👨💻 Byte: “Test demo transactions, configure email notifications, add legal pages, optimize performance—then go live!”
Build Your LMS Site
🦉 Beak: “Teach online—what do I need?”
👨💻 Byte: “LearnDash LMS: courses, lessons, quizzes, certificates, progress tracking—all pre-configured on Learning plans.”
🦉 Beak: “Creating my first course?”
👨💻 Byte: “LearnDash LMS → Courses → Add New. Title, drag-and-drop lessons/topics/quizzes in Builder tab, configure access, Publish.”
🦉 Beak: “Analytics—how do I track students?”
👨💻 Byte: “ProPanel (Plus/Ultimate) gives real-time activity, quiz results, messaging. Upgrade or add for advanced reporting.”
🦉 Beak: “Can more instructors help?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable Instructor Role (Ultimate/add-on) so multiple educators manage courses with their own ProPanel access.”
🦉 Beak: “Group learning possible?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes! Groups Management organizes students into cohorts, assigns leaders, tracks group progress.”
Build Your Fundraising Site
🦉 Beak: “Time to fundraise—how do I start?”
👨💻 Byte: “Site Assist → GiveWP Setup Wizard → connect payment gateways, set org info, customize donation pages.”
🦉 Beak: “Creating my first campaign?”
👨💻 Byte: “Donations → Campaigns → Create New. Add title, description, cover image, select goal type, Publish.”
🦉 Beak: “Tracking donors?”
👨💻 Byte: “Reports show totals/performance. Donors tab shows history & exports. Plus plan adds Recurring Donations; Ultimate adds Peer-to-Peer Fundraising.”
🦉 Beak: “Plan features?”
👨💻 Byte: “Essentials: GiveWP core & basic add-ons. Plus: Recurring Donations, Fee Recovery, Tributes, Currency Switcher, Form Field Manager. Ultimate: Peer-to-Peer.”
🦉 Beak: “Activating add-ons?”
👨💻 Byte: “WP Dashboard → Plugins → Activate pre-installed GiveWP add-ons, then configure in Donations → Campaign Forms → Settings.”
Build Your Events Site
🦉 Beak: “Setting up an event site—what’s included?”
👨💻 Byte: “Events Calendar core plugin, plus Filter Bar, Event Tickets, Event Tickets Plus, Promoter, Seating, Event Aggregator, Schedule Manager, Eventbrite integration depending on plan.”
🦉 Beak: “Adding my first event?”
👨💻 Byte: “Events → Add New. Enter title, details, schedule, venue, organizer, categories, then Publish. Live instantly.”
🦉 Beak: “Selling tickets?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable tickets in Events → Settings → Tickets. Add New Ticket, set price & quantity, Publish.”
🦉 Beak: “Automated promo emails?”
👨💻 Byte: “Promoter (Plus/Ultimate) sends reminders & follow-ups. Activate via Events → Settings → Licenses.”
🦉 Beak: “Multi-day events?”
👨💻 Byte: “Event Schedule Manager (Ultimate) builds detailed schedules, embeds via blocks/shortcodes, shows tracks & speakers.”
Troubleshooting and Support
Frequently Encountered Issues
🦉 Beak: “Byte, I’m stuck in a never-ending redirect loop—my site just keeps bouncing URLs!”
👨💻 Byte: “Check WP Admin → Settings → General and ensure both WordPress Address and Site Address match your domain in lowercase. Clear site and browser caches. If it persists, look for conflicting redirect or SSL plugins and inspect your .htaccess for duplicate rules.”
🦉 Beak: “My Kadence Creative Kit license says ‘expired’ even though I have a valid plan—what gives?”
👨💻 Byte: “Go to kadencewp.com/my-account, use ‘Lost your password?’ to access your account, retrieve your license key, then in WP Admin License page clear and re-enter it. Finally, flush caches to refresh activation.”
🦉 Beak: “I updated DNS but still can’t log in—why?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use the auto-login buttons in your StellarSites Account Dashboard under Sites. If you prefer credentials, find SFTP/SSH info in Connection Settings or reset your WP password via the login page.”
🦉 Beak: “Plugin conflict crashed my admin—now what?”
👨💻 Byte: “Rename the plugin folder via SFTP or run WP-CLI to deactivate the offender. Then reactivate plugins one by one to identify the culprit.”
🦉 Beak: “I broke my .htaccess—site’s down. Rescue plan?”
👨💻 Byte: “Restore a backup from Solid Central or manually replace .htaccess with WordPress defaults. Reapply any custom rules and verify.”
How to Contact StellarSites Support
🦉 Beak: “Byte, want to talk to humans—how do I reach support?”
👨💻 Byte: “Log in to my.stellarwp.com, click the support chat icon at bottom right, or open a ticket via Help Center. You can also email support@stellarwp.com with your site URL and error details.”
🦉 Beak: “Do they need my troubleshooting steps?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—include what you’ve tried, screenshots, and any error logs from Solid Central. It speeds up resolution.”
🦉 Beak: “What’s SLA response time?”
👨💻 Byte: “Most issues get an initial reply within two business hours; critical outages are prioritized for faster response.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I request a callback?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—open a ticket and select ‘Phone Support’ to schedule a callback in your preferred time window.”
🦉 Beak: “What about after-hours emergencies?”
👨💻 Byte: “Critical security or downtime issues can be flagged as emergencies. Use the emergency form on the support portal to alert the on-call team.”
SSL, Performance & Site Downtime
How SSL and HTTPS Work on StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, do I have to install SSL myself?”
👨💻 Byte: “Nope. StellarSites auto-issues a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate as soon as your domain points correctly. Renewal is automatic.”
🦉 Beak: “What if I want my own certificate?”
👨💻 Byte: “Upload an external SSL certificate via the Sites → Domain tab. Paste your cert and private key, then save. StellarSites will use it instead of Let’s Encrypt.”
🦉 Beak: “Mixed content warnings—help!”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable the ‘Force HTTPS’ toggle in Domain settings to rewrite all HTTP assets to HTTPS. Then clear caches.”
🦉 Beak: “Does Cloudflare break SSL?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use Full or Full (Strict) mode in Cloudflare. Avoid Flexible mode, as it can cause redirect loops.”
🦉 Beak: “How can I check my SSL status?”
👨💻 Byte: “In Solid Central > Security > SSL tab, view certificate status, expiration date, and recent issuance logs.”
What to Do if Your StellarSites Website is Slow
🦉 Beak: “My site’s crawling—what now?”
👨💻 Byte: “Check PHP worker usage in Solid Performance. If maxed out, upgrade your plan or optimize plugins. Then review caching rules and CDN settings.”
🦉 Beak: “How do I test performance?”
👨💻 Byte: “Run speed tests on tools like GTmetrix or WebPageTest. Compare First Contentful Paint and Time to Interactive. Check Waterfall charts for bottlenecks.”
🦉 Beak: “My images are massive—automate optimization?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable Kadence Cloud or a plugin like Smush to auto-compress and serve WebP. Use Liquid Web’s built-in image CDN via Solid Performance.”
🦉 Beak: “Third-party scripts slowing me?”
👨💻 Byte: “Defer non-critical scripts in Site Assist or lazy-load third-party tags. Consider hosting analytics locally.”
🦉 Beak: “Need deeper tuning?”
👨💻 Byte: “Open a performance ticket. The team can adjust Nginx, PHP-FPM, and fine-tune Redis or Memcached configs.”
What to Do If Your StellarSites Website Is Down
🦉 Beak: “Site’s offline—panic time?”
👨💻 Byte: “Check StellarSites Status page for known outages. Then log into Solid Central to view uptime and error logs. Look for 5xx errors.”
🦉 Beak: “DNS flub—how to verify?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use dig or DNS lookup tools to confirm your A or CNAME records point to the correct StellarSites IPs. Correct and wait for propagation.”
🦉 Beak: “Error 524—Cloudflare timeout?”
👨💻 Byte: “Increase proxy timeout in Cloudflare or optimize long-running requests (like huge imports). Alternatively, disable proxy (grey cloud).”
🦉 Beak: “Database connection error?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Central > Database tab shows connection logs. Restart PHP workers, verify credentials in wp-config.php, or open a support ticket.”
🦉 Beak: “My SSL expired—site unreachable?”
👨💻 Byte: “Force reissue in Domain settings, or upload your own cert. Then clear DNS cache and SSL cache in Cloudflare if used.”
Setting Up Your StellarSite & Migration
Setting Up Your StellarSite
🦉 Beak: “Byte, what steps do I take right after purchase to set up my new StellarSite?”
👨💻 Byte: “Head to Sites → Setup in your Account Dashboard. Choose your data center, configure basic site details, and launch the AI Site Wizard or blank install.”
🦉 Beak: “Need specific credentials?”
👨💻 Byte: “After setup, Sites → Connection gives SFTP, SSH, and WP-CLI credentials. Use these for file transfers, command-line tasks, or plugin troubleshooting.”
🦉 Beak: “Default plugins—what’s installed?”
👨💻 Byte: “KadenceWP, Kadence Blocks & Pro, StellarSites performance tools, Solid Security, Solid Backups, and any plan-specific vertical plugins (WooCommerce, LearnDash, GiveWP, Events).”
🦉 Beak: “Can I skip AI Wizard?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes. Under Setup, select ‘Blank Site.’ Then use Site Assist later to add your preferred plugins and templates.”
🦉 Beak: “What about DNS?”
👨💻 Byte: “Set up your domain in Sites → Domain during or after setup. Use Easy or Advanced methods—SSL issues are auto-handled once DNS propagates.”
How to Migrate a Website Using WP Migrate DB Pro
🦉 Beak: “I’m a WP Migrate DB Pro fan—how do I use it here?”
👨💻 Byte: “Install and activate WP Migrate DB Pro on both origin and StellarSite. Under Tools → Migrate DB Pro, enter your destination credentials from Sites → Connection, then push DB and media.”
🦉 Beak: “Need file sync?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable the Media Files addon in WP Migrate DB Pro. It transfers uploads, themes, and plugins alongside the database for a full migration.”
🦉 Beak: “URL rewriting—auto or manual?”
👨💻 Byte: “WP Migrate DB Pro automatically runs search-replace on URLs during export. Confirm Source and Destination URLs match your domains to avoid loops.”
🦉 Beak: “Post-migration checklist?”
👨💻 Byte: “In StellarSite WP Admin, verify permalinks, regenerate caches, run Database Health checks, and test front-end links before updating DNS.”
🦉 Beak: “Rolling back—ever needed?”
👨💻 Byte: “WP Migrate DB Pro can pull DB from StellarSite back to origin. Always back up both environments first in Solid Central.”
Migrating to StellarSites Without WP Migrate DB Pro
🦉 Beak: “What if I don’t use WP Migrate DB Pro—any built-in tool?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes. In Sites → Migrate, launch the built-in migration wizard. It handles files, DB sync, URL rewrites, and gives a preview URL.”
🦉 Beak: “Temporary URLs—how do they work?”
👨💻 Byte: “During migration, StellarSites provides a *.preview.stellarwp.com URL. You test everything there before pointing your domain.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I schedule migrations?”
👨💻 Byte: “Not yet. Migrations run on demand. For zero-downtime, schedule DNS TTL drop 24 hours prior and run migration during low-traffic windows.”
🦉 Beak: “Large sites—file limits?”
👨💻 Byte: “Built-in migrations support up to 10 GB of files. For larger sites, use SFTP sync or WP Migrate DB Pro Media addon.”
🦉 Beak: “Post-migration performance?”
👨💻 Byte: “Run Site Health Check in WP Admin, clear Solid Performance caches, and confirm workers and CDN are active for optimal speed.”
Performance and Optimization
🦉 Beak: “Byte, what performance tools come with StellarSites?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Performance bundles Nginx caching, Redis object cache, PHP worker autoscaling, and a global CDN—no plugins required.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I need to configure caching?”
👨💻 Byte: “By default, page and object caching are on. In Solid Performance → Caching tab, you can purge caches, exclude URLs, and enable browser caching rules.”
🦉 Beak: “What about database queries?”
👨💻 Byte: “Redis handles object caching. You can view cache hit/miss stats in Solid Performance → Stats.”
🦉 Beak: “Minification and concatenation?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable CSS/JS minify in Solid Performance → Asset Optimization. You can defer JS and inline critical CSS for faster loads.”
🦉 Beak: “Mobile performance—tested?”
👨💻 Byte: “Image optimization serves WebP via Liquid Web’s CDN. Lazy-loading is automatic for offscreen images.”
Caching, Backups & Solid Central
Caching Configuration and Options with Solid Performance
🦉 Beak: “How do I purge caches?”
👨💻 Byte: “In WP Admin toolbar, click ‘Purge Cache.’ Or in Solid Performance → Caching, hit Purge All or clear individual caches.”
🦉 Beak: “Custom cache exclusions?”
👨💻 Byte: “In Solid Performance → Caching → Exclusions, add URL patterns or cookies to bypass cache on sensitive pages like carts or account pages.”
🦉 Beak: “Cache TTL—can I adjust?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes. Under Browser Cache Settings, set custom max-age values for assets. Default is 30 days for static assets.”
🦉 Beak: “Edge vs origin caching—difference?”
👨💻 Byte: “Origin cache lives on your server. Edge cache lives on the global CDN. You control origin TTL here; edge TTL is fixed at one hour.”
🦉 Beak: “How to monitor cache performance?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Performance → Stats shows cache hit rate, average hit time, and bandwidth saved.”
Backups and Disaster Recovery
🦉 Beak: “Backup nightmares—what’s my safety net?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Central runs daily backups of files and DB retained for 7 days. Plus on-demand snapshots are available before big changes.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I download backups?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes. In Solid Central → Backups, select a snapshot, then click Download to get DB dump and a zip of wp-content.”
🦉 Beak: “How do I restore?”
👨💻 Byte: “Click Restore on a snapshot in Solid Central. Choose full restore or selective files/DB. It runs in minutes without manual FTP.”
🦉 Beak: “Backup retention—can I extend?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enterprise plans offer custom retention policies. Contact support to increase retention beyond default 7 days.”
🦉 Beak: “Backup failure alerts?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Central emails you on failed or missed backups. Check logs and rerun manually if needed.”
What is Solid Central & How to Access It
🦉 Beak: “What exactly is Solid Central?”
👨💻 Byte: “It’s your server control panel within StellarSites for backups, restorations, logs, uptime, and SSL management.”
🦉 Beak: “How do I get there?”
👨💻 Byte: “Sites → Manage → Solid Central in your Account Dashboard. Or click ‘Solid Central’ from the WP Admin toolbar.”
🦉 Beak: “What modules does it include?”
👨💻 Byte: “Backups, Security (malware scans), Performance Stats, Database Management, SSL, and Error Logs.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I run CLI commands there?”
👨💻 Byte: “No CLI in Solid Central. For WP-CLI or Bash, use SSH credentials from Sites → Connection.”
🦉 Beak: “Any limits?”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Central is read-only for server settings. For deeper server tweaks, open a support ticket.”
Managing Site Backups with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Day-to-day backup checks—what do I see?”
👨💻 Byte: “In Solid Central → Backups, view list of daily snapshots, status icons, and sizes. Recent backups appear at top.”
🦉 Beak: “Scheduling ad-hoc backups?”
👨💻 Byte: “Click ‘Backup Now’ anytime in Solid Central. Handy before plugin updates or major content changes.”
🦉 Beak: “Retention overview?”
👨💻 Byte: “Default retains 7 daily snapshots. You see retention countdown on each snapshot entry.”
🦉 Beak: “What if storage runs out?”
👨💻 Byte: “Your plan includes ample backup storage. If you hit limits, Solid Central notifies you—upgrade your plan or delete old snapshots.”
🦉 Beak: “Backup encryption—safe?”
👨💻 Byte: “Backups are encrypted at rest and in transit. Only your site owner account can access downloads.”
How to Manually Back Up Your Site with Solid Central
🦉 Beak: “I want full control—manual backup time?”
👨💻 Byte: “Open Solid Central → Backups → Backup Now. Wait for the process to complete—progress bar shows status.”
🦉 Beak: “Partial backups?”
👨💻 Byte: “Select ‘Custom Backup,’ choose Files or Database only, then click Start. Useful if you only changed content.”
🦉 Beak: “Downloading mid-process—possible?”
👨💻 Byte: “No—wait until snapshot finishes. You’ll see a ‘Download’ button once ready.”
🦉 Beak: “Naming snapshots?”
👨💻 Byte: “By default they’re timestamped. You can add notes in the snapshot details panel to label manually created backups.”
🦉 Beak: “Restore from manual backup—steps?”
👨💻 Byte: “In Backups list, click the restore icon next to your manual snapshot. Choose full or file/DB only.”
Security, Malware & Developer Tools
What to Do If Your StellarSite Gets Infected With Malware
🦉 Beak: “Malware scare—help!”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Security runs daily scans. If malware’s detected, Solid Central flags the site. Click ‘Clean Now’ to auto-remove known signatures.”
🦉 Beak: “What if auto-clean fails?”
👨💻 Byte: “Open a security ticket. Support will investigate, apply manual removal, and recommend updates or plugin patches.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I quarantine files?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—Solid Central → Security → Threats shows infected files. Click ‘Quarantine’ to isolate until cleaned.”
🦉 Beak: “Post-clean checklist?”
👨💻 Byte: “Restore a pre-infection backup if recovery is incomplete, update all plugins/themes, rotate SFTP/SSH passwords, and force password resets for users.”
🦉 Beak: “Preventive measures?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable two-factor in WP, limit login attempts in Solid Security, keep software up to date, and review user roles regularly.”
Built-In Security with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, what’s protecting my site before I even install a plugin?”
👨💻 Byte: “StellarSites bakes in a three-layer defense: an application-level WAF tuned for WordPress, Cloudflare edge security for DDoS and TLS, plus Solid Security Pro inside your dashboard.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I need to tweak firewall rules?”
👨💻 Byte: “Nope. The WAF auto-updates and blocks malicious IPs, malformed headers, and common exploits—no config required.”
🦉 Beak: “Cloudflare’s flexible mode—safe?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use Full (Strict) to avoid redirect loops. StellarSites manages TLS internally, so you get end-to-end encryption without touching Cloudflare settings.”
🦉 Beak: “Solid Security Pro—what extras?”
👨💻 Byte: “It enforces strong passwords, two-factor or passwordless logins, brute-force protection, file-change detection, vulnerability scans, and detailed activity logs.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I view logs?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—go to WP Admin > Security for Pro logs, or Solid Central > Security for firewall and scan reports.”
Using Third-Party Plugins and Themes
🦉 Beak: “Byte, can I install any plugin or theme I like?”
👨💻 Byte: “Absolutely—StellarSites doesn’t lock you down. Just ensure compatibility and keep them updated.”
🦉 Beak: “What about theme conflicts?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use the staging environment to test before pushing live. That way you catch clashes without downtime.”
🦉 Beak: “Will Solid Performance cache third-party assets?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—provided they aren’t excluded. You can manage exclusions in Solid Performance > Caching.”
🦉 Beak: “My plugin triggers a fatal error—now what?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH in and run wp plugin deactivate plugin-name, or rename its folder via SFTP. Then troubleshoot locally.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I sandbox experimental code?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use a local dev environment or staging site—never test untrusted code on production.”
Staging Sites with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, I want to test big changes—how do I stage?”
👨💻 Byte: “Click ‘Create Staging’ in Sites > Manage. It clones your live site—files and DB—so you can test themes, plugins, or major updates safely.”
🦉 Beak: “Push changes back live?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use the Deploy button in staging. Pick DB, files, or both, then review diff warnings before overwriting production.”
🦉 Beak: “Can multiple people work on staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—everyone with WP credentials can log into the staging WP Admin URL.”
🦉 Beak: “Storage limits for staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Staging sites share your plan’s storage. Large sites may need to delete old staging clones or upgrade.”
🦉 Beak: “SSL on staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Staging URLs use auto-issued Let’s Encrypt certs—just like prod—so you test under HTTPS.”
SSH Access and Command Line Tools
🦉 Beak: “I live in the terminal—what SSH do I get?”
👨💻 Byte: “Sites > Connection gives you SSH credentials and host. Use ssh user@hostname or WP-CLI commands directly.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I run Composer or NPM?”
👨💻 Byte: “No—no build tools on production. Use SSH for WP-CLI, bash, file edits, and Git pulls only.”
🦉 Beak: “SFTP vs SSH—differences?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH gives command-line control; SFTP is for drag-and-drop file transfers with your preferred client.”
🦉 Beak: “Any security concerns?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH keys are recommended. Rotate passwords periodically and restrict access to team members only.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I alias commands?”
👨💻 Byte: “You can create bash aliases in your user’s home .bashrc—handy for long WP-CLI commands.”
Security, Malware & Developer Tools
What to Do If Your StellarSite Gets Infected With Malware
🦉 Beak: “Malware scare—help!”
👨💻 Byte: “Solid Security runs daily scans. If malware’s detected, Solid Central flags the site. Click ‘Clean Now’ to auto-remove known signatures.”
🦉 Beak: “What if auto-clean fails?”
👨💻 Byte: “Open a security ticket. Support will investigate, apply manual removal, and recommend updates or plugin patches.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I quarantine files?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—Solid Central → Security → Threats shows infected files. Click ‘Quarantine’ to isolate until cleaned.”
🦉 Beak: “Post-clean checklist?”
👨💻 Byte: “Restore a pre-infection backup if recovery is incomplete, update all plugins/themes, rotate SFTP/SSH passwords, and force password resets for users.”
🦉 Beak: “Preventive measures?”
👨💻 Byte: “Enable two-factor in WP, limit login attempts in Solid Security, keep software up to date, and review user roles regularly.”
Built-In Security with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, what’s protecting my site before I even install a plugin?”
👨💻 Byte: “StellarSites bakes in a three-layer defense: an application-level WAF tuned for WordPress, Cloudflare edge security for DDoS and TLS, plus Solid Security Pro inside your dashboard.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I need to tweak firewall rules?”
👨💻 Byte: “Nope. The WAF auto-updates and blocks malicious IPs, malformed headers, and common exploits—no config required.”
🦉 Beak: “Cloudflare’s flexible mode—safe?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use Full (Strict) to avoid redirect loops. StellarSites manages TLS internally, so you get end-to-end encryption without touching Cloudflare settings.”
🦉 Beak: “Solid Security Pro—what extras?”
👨💻 Byte: “It enforces strong passwords, two-factor or passwordless logins, brute-force protection, file-change detection, vulnerability scans, and detailed activity logs.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I view logs?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—go to WP Admin > Security for Pro logs, or Solid Central > Security for firewall and scan reports.”
Using Third-Party Plugins and Themes
🦉 Beak: “Byte, can I install any plugin or theme I like?”
👨💻 Byte: “Absolutely—StellarSites doesn’t lock you down. Just ensure compatibility and keep them updated.”
🦉 Beak: “What about theme conflicts?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use the staging environment to test before pushing live. That way you catch clashes without downtime.”
🦉 Beak: “Will Solid Performance cache third-party assets?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—provided they aren’t excluded. You can manage exclusions in Solid Performance > Caching.”
🦉 Beak: “My plugin triggers a fatal error—now what?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH in and run wp plugin deactivate plugin-name, or rename its folder via SFTP. Then troubleshoot locally.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I sandbox experimental code?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use a local dev environment or staging site—never test untrusted code on production.”
Staging Sites with StellarSites
🦉 Beak: “Byte, I want to test big changes—how do I stage?”
👨💻 Byte: “Click ‘Create Staging’ in Sites > Manage. It clones your live site—files and DB—so you can test themes, plugins, or major updates safely.”
🦉 Beak: “Push changes back live?”
👨💻 Byte: “Use the Deploy button in staging. Pick DB, files, or both, then review diff warnings before overwriting production.”
🦉 Beak: “Can multiple people work on staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—everyone with WP credentials can log into the staging WP Admin URL.”
🦉 Beak: “Storage limits for staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Staging sites share your plan’s storage. Large sites may need to delete old staging clones or upgrade.”
🦉 Beak: “SSL on staging?”
👨💻 Byte: “Staging URLs use auto-issued Let’s Encrypt certs—just like prod—so you test under HTTPS.”
SSH Access and Command Line Tools
🦉 Beak: “I live in the terminal—what SSH do I get?”
👨💻 Byte: “Sites > Connection gives you SSH credentials and host. Use ssh user@hostname or WP-CLI commands directly.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I run Composer or NPM?”
👨💻 Byte: “No—no build tools on production. Use SSH for WP-CLI, bash, file edits, and Git pulls only.”
🦉 Beak: “SFTP vs SSH—differences?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH gives command-line control; SFTP is for drag-and-drop file transfers with your preferred client.”
🦉 Beak: “Any security concerns?”
👨💻 Byte: “SSH keys are recommended. Rotate passwords periodically and restrict access to team members only.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I alias commands?”
👨💻 Byte: “You can create bash aliases in your user’s home .bashrc—handy for long WP-CLI commands.”
Billing and Account Management
Managing Your StellarSites Subscription
🦉 Beak: “Need to upgrade mid-month—how?”
👨💻 Byte: “Go to Billing > Subscriptions, click Change Plan, select new plan, and prorated charges apply automatically.”
🦉 Beak: “Cancel subscription—any penalties?”
👨💻 Byte: “No cancellation fees. You keep access until period end, then data is retained for 30 days before deletion.”
🦉 Beak: “Add seats or add-ons?”
👨💻 Byte: “Under Subscriptions, click Manage Add-Ons to add vertical solutions like ProPanel or Peer-to-Peer fundraising.”
🦉 Beak: “Invoice retrieval?”
👨💻 Byte: “Billing > Invoices lets you download PDFs or set up automated monthly email delivery.”
🦉 Beak: “Payment failures—what happens?”
👨💻 Byte: “Three retries occur over 72 hours. If unresolved, site enters read-only maintenance mode until payment is updated.”
StellarSites Plans & Pricing
🦉 Beak: “What plan tiers exist?”
👨💻 Byte: “Essentials: single site, basic performance; Plus: multiple sites, vertical solutions; Ultimate: unlimited sites, advanced features, premium add-ons.”
🦉 Beak: “What’s included in Plus vs Ultimate?”
👨💻 Byte: “Plus adds multisite support, ProPanel, and site cloning. Ultimate adds custom retention, advanced caching controls, and dedicated support.”
🦉 Beak: “Overages—do they charge extra?”
👨💻 Byte: “No overage fees for traffic or storage within plan limits. Excess usage prompts an upgrade recommendation.”
🦉 Beak: “Discounts for annual billing?”
👨💻 Byte: “Yes—save two months free when you choose annual payment over monthly.”
🦉 Beak: “Can I trial Ultimate?”
👨💻 Byte: “A 14-day free trial of Ultimate is available—no credit card required at sign-up.”
StellarPay Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started with StellarPay
🦉 Beak: “Byte, is StellarPay really free, or is there a catch?”
👨💻 Byte: “StellarPay itself is open-source and free to install. The only fees you’ll see are the Stripe transaction fees when processing payments—no surprise add-ons from StellarPay.”
🦉 Beak: “Do I need a developer to set it up?”
👨💻 Byte: “Not at all. Install the StellarPay plugin, connect your Stripe keys, configure your payment form via the WordPress dashboard, and you’re ready to accept payments.”
Privacy
🦉 Beak: “Will credit card numbers ever be stored on my website?”
👨💻 Byte: “Never. StellarPay delegates card handling to Stripe’s secure APIs, so your site never touches raw card data—keeping you and your customers safe.”
🦉 Beak: “Does StellarPay or StellarWP have access to my customers’ data?”
👨💻 Byte: “We do have access to facilitate transactions, but we strictly follow our privacy policy and terms to ensure all customer data is encrypted, purpose-limited, and never used for marketing.”
Transactions
🦉 Beak: “Can I issue refunds directly from StellarPay, or do I have to log into Stripe?”
👨💻 Byte: “You can refund right from your WordPress dashboard. Go to StellarPay → Payments, select the transaction, click ‘Send refund,’ confirm, and Stripe handles the rest.”
Using Test Mode
🦉 Beak: “I see ‘You are in test mode; however, this page still displays LIVE data’—what’s that about?”
👨💻 Byte: “That means you’ve set your Stripe account to Test mode for Stripe’s live account. You can create and view test transactions with real-looking data without moving real money.”
