Creating a website using custom PHP applications on xCloud can be a powerful way to build a tailored online presence. Unlike traditional WordPress-based sites, xCloud allows you to go beyond WordPress and develop fully customized PHP applications to meet your unique requirements. Whether you’re building a dynamic web app, an interactive platform, or a simple portfolio, xCloud provides a flexible hosting environment to support your PHP-based projects.

If you’re migrating a custom PHP website from a Git repository or manually uploading your files, xCloud makes deployment seamless. In just a few easy steps, you can have your custom PHP application live. Follow this step-by-step guide to configure and deploy your fully functional website with ease—without the limitations of WordPress.

Step 1: Choose Your Server #

Log in to your xCloud dashboard and click the ‘+New Site’ to add a new site. Then, choose a server from the list and go to ‘Next’.

Step 2: Select Custom PHP  #

Here you will find ‘WordPress’ and ‘Custom PHP’ options. Go to ‘Custom PHP’ to upload your custom PHP scripts. 

Then choose your preferred  way from ‘Clone a Git Repository’ and ‘Manually Upload a Website’ options.

How To Migrate Custom PHP Applications From Your Git Repository #

Migrating a website from a Git repository with xCloud involves several easy steps. The below guide can help you to understand how you can perform this migration. Follow the steps below to migrate a custom php site from a Git Repository. 

Step 1: Select Option To Clone A Git Repository Option #

First, click on ‘New Site’ from the xCloud dashboard. Click on the ‘Custom PHP’ field. Now, choose ‘Clone A Git Repository’ to import your custom php site. 

Step 2: Select Destination Server #

From the ‘Destination’ tab, select the destination server to migrate your site. You can keep the server that is already selected, or you can change it from the dropdown. Then, click on ‘Next’.

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Step 3: Set Up Domains #

From the ‘Domains’ tab, you will get two options, either you can create your site in a staging domain and refine it until it is ready for launch, or, you can migrate into a new domain to get your site up and running in a new domain.  To create a site with your live domain, you need to select the ‘Migrate into a New Domain’ option. Then you have to put ‘New Site Title’ and ‘Domain Name’. 

Here, you need to enable HTTPS to make your website more secure. From the DNS Setup section, toggle on the ‘Do You Want To Enable HTTPS?’ option. After enabling it, you will get two options to select. Either choose to use a free SSL certificate issued & managed by xCloud, or, you can provide the certificate and manage it yourself. Select according to your choice.

Instead of migrating into a new domain, you can select the ‘Demo Site’ option. xCloud offers a temporary staging domain to make your site live which helps promptly showcase your site’s progress and collect feedback from teammates or clients. Subsequently, you can integrate your custom domain to make the site accessible to your users or visitors. Now, click on ‘Next’.

Step 4: Settings To Manage Database #

In the ‘Settings’ tab, you will see the ‘PHP Version’ and ‘Site Users’. You can change these according to your choice. 

Now, it is time for database management. You will get two options. Either you can create a new database on the server, or, you can add your existing database that is hosted on another server. If you select this option, you need to get a ‘Database Name’, ‘Database Username’ and ‘Database Password’. You can keep these auto-generated credentials, or you can modify them according to your choice. 

If you select this option, you need to put in a few information and credentials such as ‘Database Host’, ‘Database Port’, ‘Database User’, ‘Database Name’, and ‘Database Password’. Please make sure that the database connection configuration is correct. 

After selecting any one option and providing all essential information and credentials, click on ‘Next’.

Note: For this documentation, we are going with the ‘Create Database In Server’ option. 

Step 5: Insert Git Repository Credentials #

In the ‘Git Repo’ Tab, add your ‘Git Repository’ and ‘Git Branch’. Also, toggle on the ‘Enable push to deploy’ option. 

Once you enable the ‘Push To Deploy’, it will generate a ‘Deployment URL’. ‘Push To Deploy’ is a way to automatically deploy your site live once you push code to a Git repo. We need to insert this URL into GitHub. Let’s copy the ‘Deployment URL’

Step 6: Add Deployment URL In Git Repository #

Now, go to your Git Repository. From the ‘Code‘ tab, go to the ‘Settings’ tab and click on ‘Webhooks’ page from the ‘Code and automation’ section of the left navigation. Insert the Deployment URL into the ‘Payload URL’ field. Select the ‘Application/json’ from the ‘Content type’ dropdown. 

Step 7: Add Public Key In Git Repository #

From the xCloud dashboard, copy the ‘Public Key’ to add it to your Git repository as a deploy key. Git migration uses the ‘Public Key’ for SSH authentication. This is necessary to enable xCloud to access your Git repository and clone it. It ensures secure and authorized access for the cloning process.

Now, again, go to your Git Repository. From the ‘Code‘ tab, go to the ‘Settings’ tab and click on ‘Deploy Keys’ in the security section of the left navigation. Click on the ‘Add Deploy Key’ button and paste the key that you copied from xCloud. 

After inserting the deploy key in GitHub, click on ‘Next’ on your xCloud settings of the ‘Git Repo’ tab.  

Step 8: Confirm Migrating The Website #

Now, to start the migration process, click on the ‘Start’ button. After clicking on the ‘Start’ button, the migration process will start. And, you will see the progress of migrating. 

Note: The Git Repository must contain a wp-config-sample.php. xCloud generates a wp-config.php file from wp-config-sample.php file with the database information.

Once the migration is successfully complete will see the following screen. You go to the site dashboard from there. 

How To Manually Upload PHP Site Websites On xCloud #

If you’re migrating an existing PHP site or starting from scratch, xCloud makes it easy to upload and configure your website. Follow the steps below to successfully upload your site, set up your database, and get your site live on a custom domain or a staging environment.

Step 1: Create A New Site #

First, click on ‘New Site’ from the xCloud dashboard. Click on the ‘Custom PHP’ field. Now, you choose ‘Manually Upload Website’ to import your custom php site. 

Step 2: Add Information To Manually Upload Website #

Now, select the destination server to migrate your site. Afterward, click on the ‘Next’ button.

In the next step, you need to add your source site URL. And if you choose to migrate to a new domain you can include your custom domain. xCloud offers a staging environment and with it, you can upload your site and visit it live with a temporary domain. After successfully uploading your site, you may update the site with your custom domain later.

In this tutorial, we will be working on a staging site. Select ‘Demo Site’ and then click on the ‘Next’ button.

Now, you will be sent to the ‘Settings’ step. Make sure to correctly add your ‘PHP Version’, ‘Prefix’, ‘Site Users’, and other details before clicking the ‘Next’ button.

Step 3: Upload The Exported Zip File & SQL File #

You will be now directed to the ‘Settings’ step. Just upload your exported custom php file as shown and click on the ‘Next’ button.

Now from the ‘Files’ step, upload your SQL file similarly. Afterward, click on the ‘Next’ button. 

Step 4: Complete Database Settings & Finalize #

In the ‘Database’ tab you can configure your preferred database setup.  If you are good to go for uploading an existing custom PHP website with xCloud, click on the ‘Start’ button.

Within a few moments, your PHP website will be uploaded on xCloud automatically. You will see the following screen while uploading. 

Once the migration is successfully complete will see the following screen. You go to the site dashboard from there. 

Final Outcome #

After the migration is completed, if you visit the site, you can see the newly custom PHP site that you have uploaded with xCloud.

This is how easily you can create a site with custom PHP applications in xCloud. With simple steps, you can quickly deploy your site, configure your database, and choose your preferred domain settings. If you’re using a Git repository or uploading files directly, xCloud provides easy ways to get your website live and running smoothly.

Still, feeling stuck? Contact our dedicated support team for further assistance.