How to Start a WordPress Blog on Cloudways: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide For Beginners

Starting a WordPress blog can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to choosing the right hosting platform. You want fast, reliable, and secure hosting that won’t drain your budget or require advanced technical skills. Enter Cloudways—a managed cloud hosting solution that combines power, simplicity, and scalability, making it an ideal choice for beginners and seasoned bloggers alike.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover how to start a WordPress blog on Cloudways from scratch. We’ll walk you through every step—from signing up and launching your server to installing WordPress, connecting your domain, securing your site, and optimizing for speed and performance.

Whether you’re in the USA, UK, Canada, or Australia, this guide will help you launch your blog quickly, confidently, and with all the essentials covered.

Why Choose Cloudways for Your WordPress Blog?

Before we dive into the “how,” it’s important to understand why Cloudways stands out as a hosting platform for WordPress blogs.

• Managed Cloud Hosting: Cloudways handles server maintenance, security patches, and updates, so you can focus on creating content.
• Exceptional Speed and Performance: Powered by leading cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud, Cloudways delivers lightning-fast load times with built-in caching and CDN integration.
• Scalability: Easily scale your resources as your blog grows, without downtime or hassle.
• User-Friendly Control Panel: The intuitive Cloudways dashboard simplifies server and application management—even for beginners.
• 24/7 Expert Support: Access round-the-clock support to resolve issues quickly.
• Free SSL and Automated Backups: Enhance security with free SSL certificates and scheduled backups.
• Flexible Pay-As-You-Go Pricing: Only pay for what you use, with no long-term contracts.
  

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

• What Cloudways is and why it’s perfect for WordPress blogging
• How to create your Cloudways account and launch a WordPress server
• Step-by-step WordPress installation on Cloudways
• How to connect your custom domain and set up SSL for security
• Essential optimizations for speed, security, and backups
• Common pitfalls to avoid when starting your blog on Cloudways
• Real-life tips to help your blog grow faster and more efficiently
  

Step 1: Sign Up for Cloudways and Launch Your Server

Create Your Cloudways Account

1. Go to Cloudways.com and click Start Free.
2. Enter your email address and create a password, or sign up using Google.
3. You’ll receive a 3-day free trial—no credit card required initially, so you can explore risk-free.

Choose Your Cloud Provider and Server Specifications

Once logged in:

1. Click Launch to start a new server setup.
2. Select your preferred cloud provider:
   • DigitalOcean (cost-effective and popular)
   • Vultr
   • Linode
   • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
   • Google Cloud Platform
3. Choose your server size based on your expected traffic:
   • For beginners or small blogs, the DigitalOcean Basic Plan (1GB RAM, 1 CPU) is usually sufficient.
4. Select a server location closest to your target audience (e.g., New York for USA, London for UK).
5. Under Application, select WordPress or WordPress + WooCommerce if you plan to sell products.
6. Name your server and application for easy management.
7. Click Launch Now.

Cloudways will automatically deploy your WordPress site on the cloud server within minutes.

Step 2: Access Your WordPress Dashboard

Once your server is ready:

1. Navigate to the Applications tab.
2. Click on your WordPress application.
3. Locate your Admin Panel URL, Username, and Password under Access Details.
4. Click the Admin URL and log in to your WordPress dashboard using the provided credentials.

Congratulations! Your WordPress blog is now live on Cloudways.

Step 3: Connect Your Custom Domain to Cloudways

By default, your site will use a Cloudways subdomain like yourapp-12345.cloudwaysapps.com. To use your own domain:

1. Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains).
2. Go to DNS Management.
3. Create an A Record pointing your domain to your Cloudways server’s public IP address (found under Server Management > Access Details).
4. In Cloudways, open your WordPress application dashboard.
5. Click Domain Management.
6. Enter your domain name and save.
7. Set your domain as Primary.

DNS changes may take up to 24 hours to propagate but often complete sooner.

Step 4: Secure Your WordPress Blog with SSL

Security is vital for protecting your visitors and improving SEO.

1. In Cloudways, go to your application.
2. Click SSL Certificate.
3. Choose Let’s Encrypt (a free SSL provider).
4. Enter your domain and email address.
5. Click Install Certificate.

Cloudways will automatically configure HTTPS for your site, ensuring secure connections.

Step 5: Optimize Your WordPress Blog for Speed and Security

Enable Built-In Caching

Cloudways offers powerful caching layers:

• Varnish Cache
• Memcached
• Redis

Enable these under Server Management > Settings & Packages > Packages to boost your site speed.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Integrate Cloudways’ Cloudflare Enterprise or third-party CDNs like BunnyCDN to deliver your content faster worldwide.

Install Essential WordPress Plugins

• WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache for enhanced caching.
• Wordfence or Sucuri for advanced security.
• UpdraftPlus for automated backups.
• Yoast SEO or Rank Math for SEO optimization.
  

Schedule Regular Backups

Set up daily or weekly backups in the Backup section of your Cloudways dashboard to safeguard your data.

Step 6: Customize Your WordPress Blog

• Choose a lightweight, responsive theme such as Astra or GeneratePress.
• Add plugins for social sharing, contact forms, and analytics.
• Create essential pages like About, Contact, and Privacy Policy.
• Write and publish your first blog post.
  

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a WordPress Blog on Cloudways

• Ignoring Server Location: Always select a server near your target audience to minimize latency.
• Skipping SSL Setup: Not securing your site can harm SEO and user trust.
• Overloading with Plugins: Use only essential plugins to keep your site fast and lean.
• Neglecting Backups: Always have a recovery plan in place.
• Failing to Update: Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated to maintain security and performance.
  

Real-World Example: How Cloudways Helped a Blogger Scale Quickly

Sarah, a lifestyle blogger from Canada, launched her blog on Cloudways using DigitalOcean’s 2GB plan. Within months, her traffic doubled, and thanks to Cloudways’ seamless scalability, she upgraded her server effortlessly. With built-in caching and Cloudflare CDN, her site loads in under 2 seconds, significantly boosting user engagement and ad revenue.

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Conclusion

Launch Your WordPress Blog on Cloudways with Confidence

Starting a WordPress blog on Cloudways in 2025 is a smart move for anyone seeking speed, reliability, and ease of management. With managed cloud hosting, flexible pricing, and powerful features, Cloudways empowers beginners and pros alike to launch and grow their blogs without technical headaches.

By following this step-by-step guide—from signing up and launching your server to securing your site and optimizing performance—you’ll have a fast, secure, and scalable WordPress blog ready to attract readers worldwide.

Starting your WordPress blog on Cloudways is straightforward, efficient, and future-proof. Follow this guide to get your blog online today and start sharing your voice with the world!

FAQs

How much does it cost to start a WordPress blog on Cloudways?
Cloudways offers pay-as-you-go pricing starting around $10/month for basic plans. You only pay for the resources you use, with no long-term contracts.

Is Cloudways beginner-friendly for WordPress hosting?
Yes, Cloudways provides an intuitive dashboard and one-click WordPress installation, making it accessible even if you have no technical background.

Can I use my own domain with Cloudways?
Absolutely. You can easily point your domain to your Cloudways server by updating DNS records and setting the domain in the Cloudways dashboard.

Does Cloudways provide SSL certificates?
Yes, Cloudways offers free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates that can be installed with a few clicks for secure HTTPS connections.

How do I scale my WordPress blog on Cloudways?
You can upgrade your server size or switch cloud providers anytime through the Cloudways dashboard without downtime.

What support options does Cloudways offer?
Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat and ticket-based support, plus extensive documentation and tutorials.

Is Cloudways faster than traditional shared hosting?
Yes, Cloudways uses cloud infrastructure and advanced caching, delivering significantly faster load times compared to typical shared hosting.