Connect a server to ServerPilot

Once you connect your cloud server, ServerPilot will install and configure everything necessary for fast, secure, and reliable hosting.

Create a server at your cloud provider

The first step to managing a server with ServerPilot is to create a server at your cloud provider.

When you create the server at your cloud provider, choose Ubuntu LTS 24.04 as the server’s operating system. If your server provider gives you a password for your server’s root user, store the password securely such as in a password manager. After creating your server, enable automated server backups at your server provider.

Note

Step-by-step instructions are available for the following cloud providers:

• Create a server on Google Cloud.
• Create a server on DigitalOcean.

If you don’t already have a cloud provider, see our guide for choosing a cloud provider.

Run the ServerPilot installer

There are two ways to run ServerPilot’s installer: fully automated or with an installer command you run on your server.

Use the automated installer if:

• Your server provider gave you a password for your server’s root user.

Use the installer command if:

• Your server provider did not give you a password for your server’s root user.
• You have a firewall at your server provider blocking access to SSH (port 22).

Option 1: Automated installer

1. In ServerPilot, go to the Servers page in the dashboard and choose Connect Server.
2. In the form, enter your server’s IP address and your root password.
3. Click Connect to ServerPilot.
4. The installation will start and you’ll see the installation’s progress.

Option 2: Installer command

1. In ServerPilot, go to the Servers page and choose Connect Server.
2. In the form, check the box that says “I don’t have a root password or public IP address.”
3. Enter the display name to use for your server in ServerPilot. You can change this later.
4. Click Connect to ServerPilot.
5. You’ll be shown a unique installer command for this server. Copy the command to your clipboard.
6. SSH into your server as root (or another user with sudo privilege), paste the installer command you copied in the previous step, and press Enter.
7. When the installer command completes, go back to your browser to see ServerPilot’s progress configuring your server.

Your server is now connected

Once your server is connected to ServerPilot, you can create an app to begin hosting sites on your server.