Plesk Obsidian on Ubuntu (BYOL)
Jun 28, 2024
IIS Settings.Plesk Functionality Explained 39
2. Select the Enter custom value option in the Default documents section. Add or
remove file names from the list. The web server will be looking for the
default page file starting from the topmost entry in the list and
continuing downwards. For example, if you specify "index.htm" with
"index.php" right underneath it, the web server will serve index.htm as
the default page. If the file with such name is not found, index.php will
be served.40 Plesk Functionality Explained
Changing the Document Root Directory
Every domain in Plesk created with website hosting has its own directory created on
the server''s file system. By default the path to the directory is as follows:
On Linux: /var/www/vhosts/
On Windows: C:\Inetpub\vhosts\
This folder contains the document root directory, that is, the folder where all the
domain''s web content is stored. By default it is the httpdocs folder, but it can be
changed in Plesk.
To change the document root directory, go to Websites & Domains> Hosting Settings and
change the directory name in the Document root field.
Selecting PHP Version
To change the PHP version, go to Websites & Domains > Hosting Settings and select the
required version in the PHP version menu.Plesk Functionality Explained 41
Configuring PHP Settings
To change PHP settings, go to Websites & Domains > PHP Settings.
Selecting ASP.NET Version
To change the ASP.NET version, go to Websites & Domains tab > Hosting Settings and
select the required version in the Version menu near the Microsoft ASP.NET support
checkbox.42 Plesk Functionality Explained
Setting MIME Types
Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange (MIME) types instruct a web browser or a mail
application how to handle files received from the server. For example, when a web
browser requests an item on a server, it also requests the MIME type of the object.
Some MIME types, such as graphics, can be displayed inside the browser. Others,
such as word processing documents, require an external application to be displayed.
By setting custom MIME types you can determine what applications are used to open a
particular type of file on the client side.
To configure MIME types in Plesk for Linux, go to Websites & Domains > Apache & Nginx
Settings.Plesk Functionality Explained 43
To configure MIME types in Plesk for Windows, go to Websites & Domains > IIS Settings.
Then specify MIME types associating file extensions with file types. For example:
"text/plain .mytxt".
Uploading Content
Plesk provides two convenient ways to upload content for your domains:
Uploading content using FTP. A program called an FTP client enables you to
connect to the server and upload your content.
Uploading content using the File Manager. Plesk enables you to upload and edit
content using a web interface.44 Plesk Functionality Explained
Uploading Content Using FTP
To connect to the server using FTP, you need the following information:
FTP server address. The FTP address is your domain name, that is, your site’s
Internet address.
FTP username. It is identical to your system user name. To find what your system
user name is, go to Websites & Domains > Web Hosting Access. You will find it
under Username. You can change your system user name if you want.
FTP password. It is identical to your system user password. If you do not know
what your system user password is, go to Websites & Domains > Web Hosting
Access. You can reset the password under Password.
You will also require a program called an FTP client. There are many free FTP clients
available on the Internet, such as FileZilla or FireFTP. Download and install the client
on your computer to connect to the FTP server. Please refer to the FTP client''s
instructions for information on how to install and configure it.
To change the FTP account username or password, go to Websites & Domains > Web
Hosting Access.Plesk Functionality Explained 45
Then specify new username and password for the System User.
Uploading Content Using the File Manager
To upload content, go to Files, navigate to the folder to which you want to upload
content, click Upload, select the file to be uploaded, and click Open.
Note that when uploading multiple files it is recommended to add them to an archive,
upload the archive, and extract the files to save time. Only ZIP archive files are
supported at the present time.46 Plesk Functionality Explained
To download a file, go to Files, navigate to the location of the file you want to download,
click the icon next to the file you want to download, and select Download from
the menu.
To compress files, go to Files, navigate to the location of the file or folder you want to
compress, select the checkbox next to it, and click Add to Archive.Plesk Functionality Explained 47
To extract files from an archive, go to Files, select the checkbox next to the file you
want to extract, and click Extract Files.
To edit files, go to Files, navigate to the location of the file you want to edit, and do
either of the following:
To edit the file in the code editor, click the icon next to the file you want to
edit, and select Edit in Code Editor from the menu.
To edit the file in the HTML editor, click the icon next to the file you want to
edit, and select Edit in HTML Editor from the menu.
To edit the file in the text editor, click the icon next to the file you want to edit,
and select Edit in Text Editor from the menu.48 Plesk Functionality Explained
Managing Mail Accounts
Mail service enables Internet users to send email messages to each other. Plesk can
function as your mail server. It also enables you to create mail accounts and manage
them, including performing a number of common mail-related operations. Such
operations include changing the password for a mail account, enabling automatic
replies, and so on.
To create a mail account:
Go to Mail > Create Email Address.Plesk Functionality Explained 49
To access your mail account using webmail:
In a Web browser, visit the URL webmail.example.com, where example.com is
the Internet address of your website. When prompted, specify your full email
address as the username (for example, mail@example.com), and specify the
email address password.
When logged in to Plesk, go to Mail, and in the list of email addresses, click the
icon next to the email address you need.
Note: If you cannot open the webmail page, make sure that a webmail solution is
enabled. Go to Mail > Mail Settings, click the name of the domain for which webmail is
inaccessible, and select a webmail client in the Webmail menu.
To access your mail account using a mail client:
Install a mail client program on your computer and start it. Typically, in such programs
you should specify the following settings:
Username. Specify your full email address in this field. For example,
johndoe@example.com.
Password. Specify the password to your email account here.
Mail server protocol. This property defines whether you want to keep copies of
messages on the server or not. To keep the copies on the server, select the
IMAP option. If you do not want to keep them on the server, select POP3.
Selecting IMAP also enables you to train the SpamAssassin spam filter on email
messages you receive, if SpamAssassin is switched on on the server.
Incoming mail server (POP3/IMAP). Specify your domain name here. For
example, example.com. The default POP3 port is 110. The default IMAP port is
143.
Outgoing mail server (SMTP). Specify your domain name here. For example,
example.com. The default SMTP port is 25. Specify that the server requires
authentication.
For detailed instructions on configuring your mail client, refer to your mail client
documentation.
Note: If you cannot access your mailbox following the instructions in this section, this
might be caused by mail server settings. For example, mail services may be listening
on non-standard ports, or access to them may be blocked. Contact your hosting
provider to resolve the issue.
Managing DNS Records50 Plesk Functionality Explained
A domain name is a human-readable Internet address of a website that can be used to
reach the website. The translation of human-readable names into machine-readable
ones is carried out by the Domain Name System, or DNS for short. It is very important
for the DNS settings for your websites to be correct, otherwise the operation of your
services may be disrupted. For example, your domain may become unavailable, or
mail may fail to reach your mail server. Plesk can function as the primary (master) or a
secondary (slave) name server for your domains. DNS settings are configured
automatically, but can be changed from the interface. If the DNS service for your
domains is provided by third-party name servers, you can disable the DNS service in
Plesk.
Adding and Modifying DNS Records
Note: This section is meant for advanced users. Configuring DNS settings incorrectly
can negatively affect website and mail accessibility.
For each new domain name, Plesk automatically creates a DNS zone in accordance
with the settings configured by your service provider. The domain names should work
fine with the automatic configuration. However, if you use Plesk NS server and need to
perform custom modifications in the domain name zone, you can do that in your control
panel.
To view the resource records in a DNS zone of a domain, go to Websites & Domains >
DNS Settings.Plesk Functionality Explained 51
To add a resource record to the zone, go to Websites & Domains > DNS Settings > Add
Record.52 Plesk Functionality Explained
To modify the properties of a resource record, go to Websites & Domains > DNS Settings
and click on the record.
In addition to the resource records described above, there is also a Start of Authority
record. This record indicates that this DNS name server is responsible for the domain''s
DNS zone. It also contains settings that affect propagation of information about the
DNS zone in the Domain Name System.
Using External NS Servers
If you host websites on your account and do not want to use Plesk as your primary
(master) NS server, you have the following options:
Use Plesk name server as a secondary (slave) name server. Choose this option
if you have a standalone name server acting as a primary (master) name server
for your websites.
Disable DNS for your domain in Plesk. Choose this option if you have external
primary and secondary name servers that are authoritative for your websites.
To switch the Plesk DNS server to a secondary name server, go to Websites & Domains
> DNS Settings and click Master/Slave.
To revert the Plesk DNS server to the primary name server, go to Websites & Domains >
DNS Settings and click Master/Slave.
To switch off Plesk''s DNS service for a site served by external name servers, go to
Websites & Domains > DNS Settings and click Disable.
Managing Web Applications
Web applications are software products designed to be installed on websites to add
functionality and improve user experience. A wide range of applications covering many
different user scenarios are available from the Plesk Application vault, and can be
installed from the Plesk interface with a minimum of effort.
To install an application, go to Applications > Install or Install (Custom) or Install Version.Plesk Functionality Explained 53
Viewing Statistics
Site Visit Statistics
To enable web statistics or change the web statistics application, go to Websites &
Domains > Hosting Settings and at the Web Statistics menu select the web statistics
software that you want to use for viewing graphical reports and charts on website
visitors.54 Plesk Functionality Explained
To view the web statistics, go to Websites & Domains > Web Statistics.Plesk Functionality Explained 55
Note: If you do not see any web statistics after following the instructions above, this
most likely indicates that they have not yet been generated for the domain in question.
Most likely the domain has been created recently, or web statistics have just been
enabled. Try following the instructions again after 24 hours. If no web statistics are
displayed, contact your provider.
Disk and Traffic Usage Report
To view the disk and traffic usage report, go to Statistics.56 Plesk Functionality Explained
Managing Backups
It is always recommended to keep backup copies of your website content to safeguard
against accidents and malicious attacks. Plesk facilitates the creation of backup copies
with the backup and restoration functionality. It enables you to create backups of both
configuration and content, including website content, mail accounts, databases and
more, and restore the data should the need arise. You can also download backup files
created in Plesk, as well as upload backup files, even those created in earlier Plesk
versions. Created backups can be stored either locally or in a remote FTP storage.
Backing Up Account and Websites
To back up all data related to your account and all your subscriptions, go to Account >
Back Up My Account and Websites.
To back up the websites related to currectly selected subscription, go to Account > Back
Up Websites.Plesk Functionality Explained 57
Then click Back Up to create a new backup.
Restoring Backups
You can restore backups made in Plesk Onyx or earlier versions of Plesk, but no
earlier than Plesk 8.6. The following restoration scenarios are available:
When restoring backups in Plesk 11.5 or earlier, or when restoring backups
made in Plesk 11.5 or earlier. All the objects included in the backup file are
restored. Objects with the same name already present on the server are
overwritten. For example, if you restore a backup file of the example.com
domain that includes domain content, the domain content of the example.com
domain already present on the server will be overwritten by the data contained
in the backup file.
When restoring backups in Plesk 12.0 or later and the backup is made in Plesk
12.0 or later. You can select which objects to restore from a backup file. You
can restore a particular site, file, database, and so on. This enables you to
restore only the objects you want to restore, without overwriting other objects.
For example, if you only want to restore a DNS zone of one domain,
example.com, there is no need to restore configurations of all other domains.
To restore a backup file, go to Account > Back Up Websites or Websites & Domains > Backup
Manager. Then click on the required backup, specify what should be restored and click
Restore.58 Plesk Functionality Explained">