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This guide walks you from a brand new WP Stratos account to a live, fully configured WordPress site. By the end you’ll have a domain connected, SSL active, outbound email working, and caching running, without having touched a server.
1

Create your account

Go to the WP Stratos website and click Sign Up. Enter your name, email address, and a password, then check your inbox for a verification email. Click the link in that email to activate your account and gain access to the Cloud Panel.
2

Launch your WordPress site

Once you’re inside the Cloud Panel, click Add New in the top right corner of the header, next to your account menu, then select Create New WordPress Instance and hit Continue. Pick a theme from the list (use Preview to see it before committing, you can always change it later), choose which hosting service to build on if you have more than one, then set a name for your site. Hit Continue to finish and WP Stratos provisions your WordPress installation in the background. It usually takes a few minutes. You can navigate away and check on progress from your instance list at any time. WP Postman, Aero, and WP Stratos Environment come pre-installed and activated on every new site.Already have a WordPress site somewhere else? See Migrate an Existing Site instead.
3

Connect your domain

Open your site in the Cloud Panel and click Change Domain under your instance’s name. You’ll be asked to choose how to map your domain: either Set DNS Records (add two A records and a CNAME at your current DNS provider, no nameserver change required) or Set Nameservers (point your domain to a pair of WP Stratos-managed Cloudflare nameservers, generated specifically for that domain, and manage DNS from the Cloud Panel going forward). WP Stratos provisions an SSL certificate automatically once your domain resolves correctly.If you go the nameserver route, know that your existing DNS records don’t come along for the ride. You’ll need to recreate anything you rely on (MX records, TXT records for SPF/DKIM, etc.) inside the Cloud Panel once the switch takes effect.For a detailed walkthrough of both options, see the Connect a Domain guide.
4

Configure your email

Transactional email (password resets, order confirmations, contact form replies) is handled by WP Postman. In your WordPress admin, go to Settings → WP Postman and ensure you’re on the WP Postman delivery method. Add a From Name and Save Changes. On the same page, you should see a green light next to API Key and Auto DKIM Signing should have a green Enabled tag next to it. If one or both of these aren’t working, email missioncontrol@wpstratos.com.For a full list of supported providers and recommended settings, see the SMTP Configuration guide.
5

Optimize performance

Aero is already active and caching is enabled by default. Your site is faster from the moment it launches without any manual setup. To review or adjust caching rules, object cache settings, or cache exclusions, go to Aero → Settings in your WordPress admin.For a full overview of every Aero feature, see the Aero plugin documentation.
Before pushing changes to your live site, use the one-click staging environment in the Cloud Panel. Create a staging clone, test your updates safely, then push the changes to production when you’re happy with the results, all without touching your live site.
If you’re setting this site up on behalf of a client, or as one of several sites you manage under your own hosting brand, the same five steps apply every time. That repeatability is the point. A new WordPress install with email, caching, and SSL already sorted out takes the same handful of minutes whether it’s your first site or your fiftieth.

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Next steps

Now that your site is live, explore the rest of the WP Stratos platform.

Cloud Panel Overview

Learn how to manage sites, backups, staging environments, and server settings from the Cloud Panel.

Connect a Domain

Dive deeper into DNS configuration, nameserver management, and SSL certificate provisioning.

WP Postman

Explore all WP Postman features including provider integrations, email logs, and delivery diagnostics.

Aero

Discover advanced Aero caching strategies, performance tuning options, and CDN.
Last modified on August 24, 2026