joogy06 Hostinger Hosting
Overview
Hostinger uses a custom control panel (hPanel, not cPanel), LiteSpeed web server, and NVMe storage. This skill covers hPanel navigation, WordPress-specific features, performance, SSH/developer tools, DNS, backups, SSL, email, security, troubleshooting, and migration.
hPanel Navigation
Main Sidebar
- Home — Hosting plans, domains, VPS, services overview
- Websites — Manage existing sites, add new, migrate
- Domains — Domain settings, DNS zone, purchase
- Emails — Email services (Hostinger Email, Titan Email)
- Billing — Subscriptions, invoices, payment methods
Per-Website Dashboard Sidebar
- Dashboard — Resource usage overview
- WordPress — Overview, auto-updates, plugins, themes, staging, security
- Files — File Manager, FTP Accounts
- Databases — MySQL Databases, phpMyAdmin, Remote MySQL
- Security — SSL, Force HTTPS, malware scanner, IP manager
- Performance — CDN, object cache, LiteSpeed
- Advanced — PHP Configuration, DNS Zone Editor, Cron Jobs, SSH Access, GIT, .htaccess editor, Hotlink Protection, Activity Logs
AI assistant (Kodee): Built into hPanel, can toggle maintenance mode, flush caches, tweak LiteSpeed, run migrations.
WordPress Features
Staging Environment
Availability: Business plan or higher.
Create: Websites > Dashboard > WordPress > Staging > Create staging. Enter subdomain name, wait a few minutes.
- Creates full copy (files + database) on a subdomain
- Production and staging are independent (safe to modify)
- Publish: Click three-dots menu > Publish (replaces live with staging)
- Revert: Option to revert after publishing
- Limitations: No multisite support. Only works for domains (not subdomains). External nameservers require manual A record.
Object Cache
Based on LiteSpeed Memcached (LSMCD), not Redis on shared hosting. Business plan or higher.
Enable: hPanel > WordPress > Overview > Core section > toggle Object Cache.
PHP Version Management
Location: Advanced > PHP Configuration.
Select version from dropdown (minimum 8.2 recommended). PHP Options tab for: upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, max_execution_time, memory_limit.
Auto-Updates
Location: WordPress > Security. Separate toggles for core, plugins, and themes.
Malware Scanner
Built into hPanel: Websites > Dashboard > Security. Scans for harmful files and suspicious code.
Performance
LiteSpeed Web Server
All Hostinger hosting runs LiteSpeed. LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress (LSCWP) plugin pre-installed. Features: page caching, image optimization, CSS/JS minification, lazy load, database optimization. OPcache enabled by default.
Hostinger CDN
Availability: Business plan or higher.
Enable: Dashboard > search CDN > Enable. Domain must point to Hostinger nameservers. Auto-resizes/compresses images (WebP). Up to 40% performance improvement.
Resource Limits
Web Hosting:
| Parameter | Single | Premium | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | 3 | 50 |
| Storage (NVMe) | 10 GB | 20 GB | 50 GB |
| Bandwidth | 100 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| CPU Cores | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| PHP Workers | 25 | 40 | 60 |
| PHP Memory | 1024 MB | 1536 MB | 2048 MB |
| Email Accounts | 1 total | 2/website | 5/website |
Cloud Hosting:
| Parameter | Startup | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Storage (NVMe) | 100 GB | 200 GB | 300 GB |
| CPU Cores | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | 12 GB |
| PHP Workers | 100 | 200 | 300 |
| PHP Memory | 3072 MB | 6144 MB | 12288 MB |
Compression & Protocols
- Brotli enabled by default (GZIP as fallback)
- HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 (QUIC) supported via LiteSpeed
SSH & Developer Tools
SSH Access
Availability: Premium plan and above (NOT Single).
Port: 65002 (custom, not standard 22)
ssh u123456789@185.x.x.x -p 65002
Enable: Advanced > SSH Access > Enable. Username: u{account_number}. Password: same as FTP password. SSH key auth supported.
WP-CLI
Available via SSH. Full command set accessible after connecting.
Git Integration
Location: Advanced > GIT.
- Supports public and private repos
- Configure: Repository Address, Branch, Install Path (default:
/public_html) - Webhook support for GitHub continuous deployment
- Limitation: Deploys files only — no build steps
Composer
Available via SSH for PHP dependency management.
Node.js
Availability: Business and Cloud plans. Deploy manually or from GitHub. Configured via hPanel.
Cron Jobs
Location: Advanced > Cron Jobs.
Two types: PHP (for .php files) and Custom (for scripts with special characters, use .sh file). Timezone: UTC+0.
DNS Management
DNS Zone Editor
Location: Advanced > DNS Zone Editor (domain must use Hostinger nameservers).
Default Hostinger nameservers: ns1.dns-parking.com, ns2.dns-parking.com
Supported Records
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| A | Domain to IPv4 |
| AAAA | Domain to IPv6 |
| CNAME | Alias to another domain |
| MX | Mail server |
| TXT | SPF, DKIM, verification tokens |
| SRV | Service location |
| CAA | SSL certificate authority auth |
Default TTL: 14400 seconds (4 hours).
Cloudflare Integration
Update nameservers at Domains > select domain > Change Nameservers. Then manage DNS in Cloudflare, not hPanel. SSL mode must be "Full" or "Full (Strict)" to avoid redirect loops.
Email DNS Records
SPF (TXT): v=spf1 include:_spf.mail.hostinger.com ~all
DKIM (CNAME): Auto-configured for Hostinger Email
DMARC (TXT): v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
MX: mx1.hostinger.com (priority 5), mx2.hostinger.com (priority 10)
Only one SPF record per domain. Only one email provider per domain at a time.
Backup & Restore
| Plan | Frequency | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Weekly | 6 weeks |
| Business | Daily | 7 days |
| Cloud | Daily | 7 days |
Location: Files > Backups.
- Generate on-demand backups (files, database, or both)
- Download or restore from backup date
- Can restore files and database separately
- Restoration overwrites current files/database (10-15 min for large sites)
SSL/TLS
Free SSL (Let's Encrypt)
Auto-installed on all websites. Lifetime free with auto-renewal. Domain-validated (DV).
Custom SSL: Uninstall free cert first, then Import SSL (paste cert, private key, CA bundle).
Force HTTPS
Method 1: hPanel > Security > SSL > toggle "Force HTTPS"
Method 2: .htaccess:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
Server Settings
Hostinger Email:
| Protocol | Server | Port |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP | imap.hostinger.com | 993 (SSL) |
| POP3 | pop.hostinger.com | 995 (SSL) |
| SMTP | smtp.hostinger.com | 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS) |
Titan Email (premium add-on):
| Protocol | Server | Port |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP | imap.titan.email | 993 (SSL) |
| POP3 | pop.titan.email | 995 (SSL) |
| SMTP | smtp.titan.email | 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS) |
Email Limits Per Plan
Single: 1 total. Premium: 2/website. Business: 5/website. Cloud: 10/website.
Features
Aliases, forwarding, catch-all, webmail (Hostinger Mail Web App). Compatible with Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail via IMAP/SMTP.
Security
- 24/7 server monitoring, firewall, mod_security, Suhosin PHP hardening
- WordPress malware scanner (hPanel > Security)
- DDoS protection (RTBH filtering)
- IP blocking (Advanced > IP Manager)
- Directory password protection
- Hotlink protection (Advanced > Hotlink Protection)
- Activity/access logs
- 2FA for hPanel login
- WAF on managed WordPress plans
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified
Troubleshooting
500 Internal Server Error
- Rename
.htaccessto.htaccess_backup - Increase PHP memory: Advanced > PHP Configuration > PHP Options > memory_limit
- Disable plugins via File Manager (rename
wp-content/pluginstoplugins_disabled) - Check file permissions (755 dirs, 644 files)
- Re-upload WordPress core files
- Check error logs
Database Connection Error
- Verify wp-config.php credentials (DB_HOST is
localhoston shared hosting) - Check database exists: Databases > MySQL Databases
- Verify user privileges
- Check if database size limit reached
SSL Issues
- ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR: Clear browser cache, check in incognito, use SSL Checker tool
- Mixed content: Update HTTP links to HTTPS, use Really Simple SSL plugin
- Redirect loop: Rename .htaccess, verify
siteurl/homein wp_options are HTTPS, if Cloudflare set SSL to "Full"/"Full (Strict)" - Certificate not showing: Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48h)
Upload Size Limits
Change via: Advanced > PHP Configuration > PHP Options > upload_max_filesize and post_max_size. post_max_size must be larger than upload_max_filesize.
Email Deliverability
- Verify SPF, DKIM, DMARC records are set correctly
- Only ONE SPF record per domain (combine if using multiple services)
- DKIM must be CNAME (not TXT)
- Wait 24h for DNS propagation
- Test with mail-tester.com or mxtoolbox.com
Migration
Automatic Migration Tool
Location: Websites > Add website > Migrate website.
Supported: WordPress (single-site), Joomla, cPanel/WHM. NOT supported: WordPress Multisite, Blogger, Shopify, Squarespace.
Provide domain name + admin credentials. Hostinger handles the rest.
What migrates: Files, database, .htaccess. Does NOT migrate: Cron jobs, DNS records, custom SSL, FTP accounts, email.
DNS Cutover Process
- Complete migration first (do NOT change DNS yet)
- Preview with temporary URL / SkipDNS tool
- Change nameservers: Domains > DNS/Nameservers > "Use Hostinger nameservers"
- Wait 24-48h for propagation
- Install SSL certificate
- Verify all functionality
Manual Migration
- Export source DB (phpMyAdmin or mysqldump)
- Download source files (FTP/SFTP)
- Create new DB on Hostinger (Databases > MySQL Databases)
- Import DB via phpMyAdmin
- Upload files to
public_html - Update wp-config.php: DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_HOST (
localhost) - Update
siteurl/homein wp_options if domain changed - Follow DNS cutover process
Anti-Patterns
| Don't | Why |
|---|---|
| Change DNS before migration completes | Visitors see broken/empty site |
| Use standard SSH port 22 | Hostinger uses port 65002 |
| Create multiple SPF records | Only one SPF per domain; combine them |
| Set DKIM as TXT record | Must be CNAME on Hostinger |
| Ignore PHP memory limits per plan | Cannot exceed plan maximum regardless of wp-config |
| Skip staging for major updates | No easy rollback on shared hosting |
| Use Cloudflare "Flexible" SSL mode | Causes redirect loops with Hostinger |
| Attempt multisite migration with auto tool | Not supported; must migrate manually |