Admin Dashboard - Checklist Management

Categories

18

Sections

24

Items

166

Pre-Installation Requirements ✅

4 sections, 21 items

System Requirements

items

Linux operating system
Apache 2.x web server with mod_rewrite enabled
PHP 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, or 8.3
MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+
Minimum 250MB disk space
PHP memory limit: 128MB (minimum 64MB)
ionCube Loader 10.2.0+ (version dependent on PHP)

PHP Extensions Required

items

cURL with SSL support
GD2 Image Library
PDO MySQL extension
SOAP extension
XML-RPC extension
Remove escapeshellcmd and escapeshellarg from disabled functions

Network Requirements

items

Port 8443 open for outbound connections (WHMCS to Plesk)
SSL certificate installed on WHMCS domain
Valid domain/subdomain for WHMCS installation

Plesk Server Preparation

items

Plesk Obsidian/Onyx installed and licensed
Administrator or reseller account created
API access enabled in Plesk
Port 8443 accessible from WHMCS server
Test API connectivity

Pre-Flight System Requirements ✅

1 sections, 5 items

System Validation

items

Server stack validated
OS & firewall configured
SSL certificate installed
WHMCS licence activated
Backup system configured

WHMCS Installation ✅

2 sections, 15 items

Database Setup

items

Create new database for WHMCS
Create database user with strong password
Grant ALL PRIVILEGES to user during installation
Test database connection

WHMCS Installation Process

items

Download latest WHMCS from client area
Upload and extract files to web directory
Set appropriate file permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files)
Navigate to yourdomain.com/whmcs/install/install.php
Accept End User License Agreement
Configure file permissions (if needed)
Enter license key
Configure database connection
Create admin account with strong password
Complete installation process
DELETE install folder immediately

Secure the Core ✅

1 sections, 8 items

Harden Writable Directories

items

Move attachments to secure location
Move downloads to secure location
Move templates_c to secure location
Update configuration.php paths
Secure configuration file
Rename admin directory
Enable reCAPTCHA v3
Limit admin access by IP

Security Hardening ✅

1 sections, 16 items

File and Directory Security

items

Set configuration.php permissions to 400
Test WHMCS still loads (try 440 or 444 if needed)
Backup configuration file securely
Create secure directory above web root
Move attachments folder to secure location
Move downloads folder to secure location
Move templates_c folder to secure location
Update paths in configuration.php
Set folder permissions to 777 (or 755 for suPHP)
Move crons folder to secure location above web root
Update cron job paths accordingly
Test cron job execution
Rename admin directory to custom name
Add $customadminpath to configuration.php
Set up password protection for admin directory
Restrict admin access by IP (optional)

Initial WHMCS Wizard & Global Settings ✅

1 sections, 9 items

Global Configuration

items

General Settings - Company
Localization settings
Payment Gateways setup
Tax Configuration
Domain Registrars
Servers configuration
Friendly URLs
Cron setup
System Health Check

Plesk Integration Setup ✅

1 sections, 9 items

Plesk Service Plans Creation

items

Log into Plesk panel
Navigate to Hosting Services > Service Plans
Create service plan: "Starter Web" (10GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Create service plan: "Business Pro" (25GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Create service plan: "Django Optimised" (120GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Create service plan: "Laravel Premium" (120GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Create service plan: "Container Cloud" (200GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Create service plan: "Enterprise Dedicated" (400GB disk, unlimited bandwidth)
Test each service plan by creating a test subscription

Create Service Plans in Plesk ✅

1 sections, 8 items

Plesk Service Plans

items

Create "Starter Web" plan
Create "Business Pro" plan
Create "Developer VPS" plan
Create "Django Optimised" plan
Create "Laravel Premium" plan
Create "Container Cloud" plan
Create "Enterprise Dedicated" plan
Verify service plan names

Testing and Validation ✅

1 sections, 4 items

Connection Testing

items

Test server connection from WHMCS
Verify API connectivity
Check module logs for errors
Test single sign-on functionality

WHMCS Product Groups & Products ✅

2 sections, 19 items

Create Product Groups

items

Create "Web Hosting" group
Create "VPS Hosting" group
Create "Framework Hosting" group
Create "Container Hosting" group
Create "Dedicated Hosting" group
Create "Development Services" group
Create "Add-on Services" group
Order product groups

Bulk Product Creation

items

Create bulk_products.php script
Configure Starter Web product
Configure Business Pro product
Configure Developer VPS product
Configure Django Optimised product
Configure Laravel Premium product
Configure Container Cloud product
Configure Enterprise Dedicated product
Verify module settings
Configure upgrade paths
Copy direct cart links

Go-Live Preparation ✅

1 sections, 10 items

Final Checks

items

Complete end-to-end testing
Verify all integrations working
Check all email templates
Validate pricing and tax calculations
Test customer signup process
Enable live payment processing
Update DNS if needed
Announce service availability
Monitor initial orders closely
Have support team ready

Configurable Options & Product Add-Ons ✅

2 sections, 9 items

VPS Resource Options

items

Create "VPS Resources" option group
Add vCPU Cores option
Add RAM option
Add NVMe Storage option
Link to VPS products

Global Add-Ons

items

Create "Premium Support SLA" addon
Create "DevOps Automation" addon
Create "Advanced Security" addon
Configure addon settings

Email Templates ✅

1 sections, 7 items

Template Customization

items

Customize "Order Confirmation" template
Customize "Hosting Account Welcome" template
Customize "Premium Support Welcome" template
Create "Dev Project Kick-off" template
Configure template styling
Test email variables
Configure DMARC settings

Support System Setup ✅

1 sections, 4 items

Support Configuration

items

Create support departments
Configure email piping
Enable ticket ratings
Set up email integration

Automation & Cron Jobs ✅

1 sections, 6 items

Cron Configuration

items

Configure cron.php
Configure pop.php
Configure update_exchange_rates.php
Set invoice generation timing
Configure suspension/termination
Set credit card capture timing

Payment Gateway Configuration ✅

1 sections, 4 items

Gateway Setup

items

Configure Stripe
Configure PayPal Checkout
Configure GoCardless
Test payment flows

Testing Matrix ✅

1 sections, 7 items

End-to-End Testing

items

Test shared hosting order
Test VPS upgrade
Test add-on purchase
Test payment failures
Test VAT exempt EU business
Test ticket workflow
Test knowledgebase

Go-Live Tasks ✅

1 sections, 5 items

Production Launch

items

Switch to live payment keys
Clean test data
Disable maintenance mode
Launch announcement
Enable production backups