📋 WHMCS-Plesk Integration Setup Checklist
Complete setup and installation checklist for WHMCS-Plesk integration
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Table of Contents
Progress Summary
Pre-Installation Requirements ✅
System requirements and server preparation before installation
System Requirements
Basic server and software requirements
Linux operating system
Ensure the server is running a supported Linux distribution
Apache 2.x web server with mod_rewrite enabled
Web server configuration
PHP 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, or 8.3
Supported PHP versions
MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+
Database server requirements
Minimum 250MB disk space
Available disk space
PHP memory limit: 128MB (minimum 64MB)
PHP configuration
ionCube Loader 10.2.0+ (version dependent on PHP)
Required PHP extension
PHP Extensions Required
Required PHP extensions for WHMCS
cURL with SSL support
Required for external API calls
GD2 Image Library
Image processing capabilities
PDO MySQL extension
Database connectivity
SOAP extension
SOAP web services support
XML-RPC extension
XML-RPC protocol support
Remove escapeshellcmd and escapeshellarg from disabled functions
PHP security configuration
Network Requirements
Network and security requirements
Port 8443 open for outbound connections (WHMCS to Plesk)
Firewall configuration
SSL certificate installed on WHMCS domain
Security requirement
Valid domain/subdomain for WHMCS installation
Domain setup
Plesk Server Preparation
Plesk server setup and configuration
Plesk Obsidian/Onyx installed and licensed
Plesk installation
Administrator or reseller account created
Account setup
API access enabled in Plesk
API configuration
Port 8443 accessible from WHMCS server
Network connectivity
Test API connectivity
Verify Plesk API is working
WHMCS Installation ✅
Download, install, and configure WHMCS
Database Setup
Create and configure the WHMCS database
Create new database for WHMCS
Database creation
Create database user with strong password
User account setup
Grant ALL PRIVILEGES to user during installation
Database permissions
Test database connection
Verify connectivity
WHMCS Installation Process
Step-by-step installation process
Download latest WHMCS from client area
Get installation files
Upload and extract files to web directory
File deployment
Set appropriate file permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files)
Security setup
Navigate to yourdomain.com/whmcs/install/install.php
Start installation
Accept End User License Agreement
License acceptance
Configure file permissions (if needed)
Permission setup
Enter license key
License activation
Configure database connection
Database setup
Create admin account with strong password
Admin account
Complete installation process
Finalize installation
DELETE install folder immediately
Security cleanup
Security Hardening ✅
Secure your WHMCS installation
File and Directory Security
Secure files and directories
Set configuration.php permissions to 400
Secure config file
Test WHMCS still loads (try 440 or 444 if needed)
Verify functionality
Backup configuration file securely
Create backup
Create secure directory above web root
e.g., /home/username/whmcs_data/
Move attachments folder to secure location
Security enhancement
Move downloads folder to secure location
Security enhancement
Move templates_c folder to secure location
Security enhancement
Update paths in configuration.php
Update file paths
Set folder permissions to 777 (or 755 for suPHP)
Writable permissions
Move crons folder to secure location above web root
Cron security
Update cron job paths accordingly
Update cron configuration
Test cron job execution
Verify cron functionality
Rename admin directory to custom name
Security through obscurity
Add $customadminpath to configuration.php
Configure custom admin path
Set up password protection for admin directory
Additional security
Restrict admin access by IP (optional)
IP-based access control
Plesk Integration Setup ✅
Configure Plesk server integration
Plesk Service Plans Creation
Create service plans in Plesk
Log into Plesk panel
Access Plesk interface
Navigate to Hosting Services > Service Plans
Service plan management
Create service plan: "Starter Web" (10GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Basic hosting plan
Create service plan: "Business Pro" (25GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Business hosting plan
Create service plan: "Django Optimised" (120GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Django hosting plan
Create service plan: "Laravel Premium" (120GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Laravel hosting plan
Create service plan: "Container Cloud" (200GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Container hosting plan
Create service plan: "Enterprise Dedicated" (400GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Enterprise hosting plan
Test each service plan by creating a test subscription
Verify service plans work
Testing and Validation ✅
Test all functionality before going live
Connection Testing
Test Plesk connectivity
Test server connection from WHMCS
Verify WHMCS can connect to Plesk
Verify API connectivity
Test API calls
Check module logs for errors
Review error logs
Test single sign-on functionality
SSO testing
Go-Live Preparation ✅
Final checks and launch preparation
Final Checks
Pre-launch validation
Complete end-to-end testing
Full system test
Verify all integrations working
Integration verification
Check all email templates
Email testing
Validate pricing and tax calculations
Financial verification
Test customer signup process
Customer workflow testing
Enable live payment processing
Payment gateway activation
Update DNS if needed
DNS configuration
Announce service availability
Service launch
Monitor initial orders closely
Launch monitoring
Have support team ready
Support preparation