> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wpstratos.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently Asked Questions About WP Stratos Hosting

> Answers to common questions about WP Stratos hosting plans, domains, SSL, backups, managed plugins, and how to get support when you need it.

This page collects the most common questions WP Stratos customers ask about their hosting environment, managed plugins, domain setup, backups, and support. If you can't find what you need here, the linked guides go deeper on each topic — or you can reach the support team directly from your Cloud Panel.

## Hosting & Sites

<Accordion title="Can I host multiple WordPress sites?">
  Yes. Each WordPress site on WP Stratos is a separate, fully managed installation with its own database, file storage, and plugin set. The number of sites you can host depends on your current plan. Log in to **Cloud Panel → Sites** to see how many site slots are available under your subscription, or visit the pricing page to compare plans.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I import an existing WordPress site?">
  Yes. WP Stratos provides two paths for migrating an existing site:

  * **Migration Wizard**: available inside the Cloud Panel when you create a new site. It guides you through connecting to your old host and transferring files and database automatically.
  * **Backup restore**: if you have an export or backup from your previous host, you can upload it via **Cloud Panel → your site → Backups → Upload & Restore**.

  For large or complex migrations, the support team can assist.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What PHP versions are supported?">
  WP Stratos supports the following PHP versions:

  * PHP 7.4
  * PHP 8.0
  * PHP 8.1
  * PHP 8.2
  * PHP 8.3

  You can switch your site's PHP version at any time through the **WP Stratos Environment** plugin in your WordPress admin, or from **Cloud Panel → your site → PHP Version**. We recommend running the highest version your theme and plugins support for best performance and security.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Does WP Stratos support WooCommerce?">
  Yes, WooCommerce is fully supported. WP Stratos applies recommended server settings for e-commerce workloads, and the Aero caching plugin automatically excludes cart, checkout, and account pages from the page cache to prevent session and order conflicts. See the [Cache Issues guide](/troubleshooting/cache-issues) for details on WooCommerce-specific caching behaviour.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Are WordPress core updates automatic?">
  Minor WordPress core updates — primarily security releases — are applied automatically to keep your site protected. Major version updates (for example, moving from WordPress 6.4 to 6.5) are not applied automatically. You can review and apply major updates at your own pace via **Cloud Panel → your site → WordPress**, or directly from the WordPress admin dashboard. We recommend testing major updates on your staging environment first.
</Accordion>

***

## Domains & SSL

<Accordion title="Do I need to transfer my domain to WP Stratos?">
  No. You can keep your domain registered at any registrar you prefer. To point your domain to WP Stratos, choose one of two methods:

  * **Nameservers (recommended)**: update your domain's nameservers at your registrar to `ns1.wpstratos.com` and `ns2.wpstratos.com`. This lets WP Stratos manage all your DNS records.
  * **A record**: add an A record at your registrar pointing to the IP address shown in **Cloud Panel → Domains** for your site.

  See the [Domain Propagation guide](/troubleshooting/domain-propagation) for help checking that your changes have taken effect.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How long does SSL take after connecting a domain?">
  WP Stratos provisions SSL certificates automatically via Let's Encrypt once DNS propagation is confirmed. In most cases, your SSL certificate is issued within **a few minutes** of your domain resolving to WP Stratos. In cases where DNS propagation is slow, provisioning can take up to **24 hours**. You don't need to take any manual action — the process runs in the background.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I use a wildcard SSL certificate?">
  Wildcard SSL certificates are not currently available on WP Stratos. Each automatically provisioned certificate covers the **root domain** (e.g., `yourdomain.com`) and the **www subdomain** (`www.yourdomain.com`). If you need coverage for additional subdomains, add each subdomain as a separate domain in **Cloud Panel → Domains** and a certificate will be issued for each one.
</Accordion>

***

## Backups

<Accordion title="How often are backups taken?">
  Backups run **automatically every day**. The daily backup captures your WordPress files, database, and configuration. You can also trigger a **manual backup** at any time from **Cloud Panel → your site → Backups → Create Backup** — for example, before making significant changes to your theme or installing a major plugin update.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How long are backups retained?">
  WP Stratos retains daily backups for **30 days**. After 30 days, older backups are removed automatically. If you need to preserve a snapshot beyond this window — for example, before a major site redesign — download a copy of the backup to your own storage.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I download my backup files?">
  Yes. Go to **Cloud Panel → your site → Backups**, locate the backup you want, and click **Download**. The backup is packaged as a compressed archive containing your site files and a database export. You can use this archive to restore your site on any compatible WordPress host.
</Accordion>

***

## Plugins

<Accordion title="Can I install other plugins?">
  Yes. Any standard WordPress plugin from the WordPress.org repository or a premium marketplace is compatible with WP Stratos. Install plugins as you normally would from **WordPress admin → Plugins → Add New**. The only consideration is avoiding multiple plugins that serve the same purpose as the managed plugins — for example, running a second caching plugin alongside Aero can create conflicts.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Why do WP Postman, Aero, and WP Stratos Environment keep reactivating?">
  These are **managed plugins** — core components of the WP Stratos hosting infrastructure. They are automatically reactivated as part of the platform's plugin update process to ensure your site remains stable and correctly configured after each update.

  If you need to disable a specific feature (such as page caching or outgoing email), do so from within the plugin's own settings rather than by deactivating the plugin. See the full explanation and workarounds in the [Plugin Reactivation guide](/troubleshooting/plugin-reactivation).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I use a different caching plugin?">
  You can install other caching plugins, but we strongly recommend using **Aero** as your sole caching solution. Running multiple caching plugins simultaneously — for example, Aero alongside WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache — frequently causes conflicts that result in stale pages, broken CSS, or performance regressions. Aero is optimised for the WP Stratos server environment and is fully supported by our team.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I use a different SMTP plugin?">
  Technically yes — other SMTP plugins are compatible with WordPress and will work on WP Stratos. However, **WP Postman** is specifically configured for the WP Stratos environment, integrates with platform-level email diagnostics, and is the only SMTP plugin the support team can fully troubleshoot. If you choose to use an alternative plugin, note that support assistance for third-party SMTP configurations may be limited.
</Accordion>

***

## Support

<Accordion title="How do I contact WP Stratos support?">
  You can reach the support team through either of the following channels:

  * **Email**: send a message to [support@wpstratos.com](mailto:support@wpstratos.com)
  * **Support ticket**: log in to **Cloud Panel**, click your account menu in the top-right corner, and select **Open Support Ticket**

  Both channels reach the same team. Response times vary by plan tier; urgent issues related to site downtime are prioritised.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What information should I include in a support ticket?">
  To help the support team investigate quickly, include the following in every ticket:

  * **Your site URL** — the full domain of the affected site
  * **Description of the issue** — what is happening, when it started, and any steps you've already tried
  * **System Info export** — go to **WP Stratos Environment → Server Info** and copy the system information output. See the [Server Info documentation](/plugins/wp-stratos-environment/server-info) for instructions on finding this page.

  Screenshots or screen recordings are also helpful for visual or intermittent issues.
</Accordion>


## Related topics

- [Introduction to WP Stratos Managed WordPress Hosting](/introduction.md)
- [WP Postman: Reliable SMTP Email for Your WordPress Site](/plugins/wp-postman/overview.md)
- [View Your Site's Server and Environment Information](/plugins/wp-stratos-environment/server-info.md)
- [Fix Domain Propagation Issues on WP Stratos Hosting](/troubleshooting/domain-propagation.md)
- [Resolve Aero Caching Problems on WP Stratos Hosting](/troubleshooting/cache-issues.md)