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InstaWP users can choose from different plans while creating their site. Based on their project needs, users can select the most suitable plan, ensuring cost efficiency and optimized performance.



InstaWP allows you to create a new WordPress site, which gives the benefit of testing different configurations and settings without affecting the live website. It operates in a safe environment where users can experiment with different themes, plugins, and codes without any risk of breaking the live website.



In this documentation, we will explore the steps to:



Let’s get started 🚀




Create New Site


You can create a new staging site where you can test changes, updates, or new features to your WordPress website without affecting the live site.


Sign in to your InstaWP account to access the main dashboard. Locate the Add Sites button from the Sites page.



A new window will appear with the following options:


From Scratch
From Snapshot
From Store
From AI




From Scratch



Step 1: Configure the values for your site as per your preferences and click Next Step.






On the top-right corner, you'll get options for configuring your site. You can build your WordPress site from scratch by choosing configurations as described in the table below:


Configurations

Description

Your Configuration

It is the default WordPress configuration (pre-selected). You can also customize your configuration, refer to this doc.

Curated Configuration

To choose from the admin’s predefined configuration which automatically set PHP & WordPress versions, some of them are: ⚙️Multisite, ⚙️Woocommerce, ⚙️Devstack.


👉 Note: You can also add or edit configuration by clicking the Manage option from the box.


From the main window, you can configure the following values for your website as per your preferences:


Values

Description

WordPress version

To select different versions of WordPress for your site ranging from 3.7 (min.) to Nightly (max.)

PHP version

To select different PHP versions for your site ranging from 5.6 (min.) to 8.3 (max.). Only in paid plans.

Server Location

To change the server location. Only in paid plans.

Site name

To add a custom name for your WordPress site. Only in paid plans.

Reserved Site

To reserve the site as it will not expire and will stay in your account forever (unless manually deleted). Only in paid plans.


👉 Note: The user can also select "Beta" as a WordPress version to easily create staging sites to test newly released features, plugins, and themes.




Step 2: Now choose your preferred tools for your site and click the Next Step button.




This window allows you to select themes and plugins from the available categories:


⚙️Popular
⚙️Security
⚙️Speed
⚙️Forms
⚙️Backups
⚙️Page Builder
⚙️SEO
⚙️Marketing
⚙️Translation
⚙️eCommerce



Step 3: Now, choose a site plan from the site plan list according to your preference and click Create Site.


👉 Note: Skip this step if you are a fixed plan user.



Your site will be ready in a while.






From Snapshot


You can build your WordPress site by using a snapshot. Snapshots are your formerly built WordPress websites, which are saved as snapshots to be used again.



Step 1: Select your preferred snapshot and click on the Next Step button.


👉 Note: If the user does not find any snapshots, they will need to create one first and then find it here. For more information, you can refer to the Create Snapshot documentation.







Step 2: Choose PHP Version and Site name from the window, or keep them unchanged to make it the same as the snapshot. Now, click the Next Step button.



👉 Note: The WordPress version cannot be changed while creating a website from a snapshot because it was already defined when the snapshot was created. The same goes for Server Location. The rest of the values can be configured, such as PHP version, Custom site name & Reserve Site in paid plans only. View Pricing here. If you are not logged in, use this link to view pricing.




Step 3: Now, choose a site plan from the site plan list according to your preference and click Create Site to create your new site from the snapshot.


👉 Note: Skip this step if you are a fixed plan user.



Your site will be ready in a while.




From Store


You can build your WordPress site by using the publicly monetized templates that are available in the store. For more information, please refer to the Monetize Templates document.


Step 1: Select any publicly monetized template from the store based on your preferences and click Next Step.




Step 2: Optionally, configure PHP Version and Site name from the window, or keep them unchanged to make it the same as the template. Now, click the Next Step button.




Step 3: Now, choose a site plan from the site plan list according to your preference and click Create Site to create your new site from the store template. 


👉 Note: Skip this step if you are a fixed plan user.



Your site will be ready in a while.





Creating a Site with the Beta Version of WordPress


InstaWP allows you to create a site using the beta version of WordPress for testing and development purposes.



This feature is ideal for developers and early adopters of WordPress updates who want to explore upcoming features, test plugins and themes for compatibility, or provide valuable feedback on WordPress development before the official release.



To create a site with the beta version of WordPress, follow these steps:


  1. Click on Add New from Sites in the InstaWP dashboard.
  2. From the WordPress Version dropdown, select Beta.
  3. Choose your plugin if necessary, then click Next Step.
  4. Choose a site plan according to your preference.
  5. Click Create Site to launch your beta version site.



Beta versions are not recommended for production sites as they may contain bugs or incomplete features.




Using Older WordPress Versions for Staging Sites


InstaWP allows you to create staging sites with older versions of WordPress (above version 5.0). This feature is particularly useful for testing and maintaining compatibility with legacy plugins, themes, or custom code that may not function optimally with the latest WordPress versions. It ensures that you can troubleshoot issues and implement updates safely in a controlled environment.


To create a site with an older version of WordPress, follow these steps:


  1. Click on Add New from Sites in the InstaWP dashboard.
  2. From the WordPress Version dropdown, select the desired older version (e.g., 5.1, 5.2).
  3. Choose your plugin if necessary, then click Next Step.
  4. Choose a site plan according to your preference.
  5. Click Create Site to launch your staging site with the selected version.



👉 Note: In your InstaWP account, "Sites" will count as a limit for all kinds of active sites, including template sites.




From AI


You can build your site using AI. Go through the following documentations for details:


👉 Using Kadence AI
👉 Using ZipWP AI





Fixed Plan users


Creating a site in InstaWP is quite the same for fixed plan users, with one less step. Fixed plan users won’t have to choose any site plan while creating a new site. Additionally, they’ll get an option for making their site temporary or permanent while creating their new site.



Turn on the toggle switch to make the site permanent.



👉 Note: This option is not available for pay-as-you-go accounts.



Logging into your WordPress Admin Dashboard



When the WordPress site is created, you can access the WP admin panel and manage everything on your website you would like to. There are two ways to access the Admin Panel:




Auto Login


From Magic Login button you can automatically log in to the WordPress admin panel without using credentials.





Manual Login


You can also do a manual login (using credentials) to the WP admin panel of your website.



Step 1: Click on the horizontal ellipsis button and select Login Details from the options.




Step 2: Copy the site details, username, and password. Paste the details in a new tab manually and login to WordPress Admin Panel. You can also click on the Magic Login button to access the WordPress Admin Panel.




💡 Did you know - You can create template that saves the current files and database snapshots of your active staging site. Learn about Creating template.

Updated on: 27/06/2025

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