How to Install OpenPublishCMS on CloudPanel, cPanel, or Forge

OpenPublishCMS is a free and open-source blogging software built to make publishing simple and flexible. This guide will walk you through how to deploy it from your local machine to a live server such as CloudPanel, cPanel, or Forge.

Whether you are launching your own blog, setting up a content platform, or testing it on shared hosting, this tutorial will help you get OpenPublishCMS online properly and securely.

Before You Start

Before uploading OpenPublishCMS to your live server, make sure you prepare the project correctly.

Package the Files Properly

Go to your local project folder and compress the application into a zip file for upload.

Follow these steps:

1. Open your local blg folder.
2. Select all application files and folders.
3. Exclude the node_modules folder because it is large and not required on the live server.
4. Exclude database/database.sqlite because the live installation should use MySQL or MariaDB.
5. Delete the storage/installed file if it already exists. This file locks the installer after setup for security purposes.
6. Compress the project into a file such as OpenPublishCMS.zip.

This zip file will be the package you upload to your hosting environment.

Server Requirements

Before installation, confirm that your hosting server supports the required environment.

Minimum Requirements

• PHP 8.2 or 8.3
• MySQL 8.0 or higher, or MariaDB 10.3 or higher

Required PHP Extensions

Your server should have the following PHP extensions enabled:

• BCMath
• Ctype
• cURL
• DOM
• Fileinfo
• JSON
• Mbstring
• OpenSSL
• PCRE
• PDO
• Tokenizer
• XML
• Zip

The Zip extension is especially important because it is required for the built-in updater.

Upload the Files to Your Server

Once your zip file is ready, upload it to your server using your hosting panel’s File Manager.

For CloudPanel or cPanel

1. Open your hosting File Manager.
2. Go to your domain’s root directory, such as:
3. htdocs/yourdomain.com/
4. Remove any default index.php or index.html files created by the hosting panel.
5. Upload OpenPublishCMS.zip.
6. Extract the zip file directly inside the domain folder.

After extraction, the public folder should be located at:

htdocs/yourdomain.com/public

This is important for the next step.

Set the Correct Document Root

This is the most important part of the installation.

Your domain must point to the public folder, not the base project folder.

If the document root is set incorrectly, your application may not work properly and sensitive files such as .env could become exposed.

CloudPanel Setup

If you are using CloudPanel:

1. Go to Sites
2. Select your domain
3. Open Settings
4. Go to Vhost
5. Change the document root from:
6. /home/your-user/htdocs/yourdomain.com
7. to:
8. /home/your-user/htdocs/yourdomain.com/public
9. Save the changes
10. Restart NGINX

cPanel Setup

If you are using cPanel:

• For addon domains, set the document root to:
• public_html/openpublishcms/public
• For primary domains, some shared hosts do not allow changing the root easily. In that case, you may need help from your hosting provider or use a suitable workaround.

Create Your Database

Before launching the installer, create a blank MySQL or MariaDB database from your hosting control panel.

You will need:

• Database name
• Database username
• Database password

Keep these details ready because you will enter them during installation.

Run the Auto Installer

After uploading the files, configuring the document root, and creating the database, open your browser and visit your domain:

https://yourdomain.com

If OpenPublishCMS is not yet installed, it will automatically redirect you to the setup wizard.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Welcome

The installer checks your PHP version and required extensions.

Step 2: Environment Setup

Enter your database details, including host, database name, username, and password.

The installer will update your environment configuration automatically.

Step 3: Database Setup

OpenPublishCMS will run the necessary migrations and seed the default data required for the application.

Step 4: Admin Account

Create your administrator account by entering:

• Your name
• Your email address
• A secure password

This account will be used to log in to the admin dashboard after installation.

Step 5: Finalize

The installer completes the setup, locks the installation process for security, clears caches, and redirects you to the login screen.

At this point, your OpenPublishCMS site should be ready to use.

How to Update OpenPublishCMS Later

Once your site is live, you do not need to manually upload the entire project again for every update.

OpenPublishCMS includes a built-in system updater.

Update Steps

1. Log in to your dashboard
2. Go to Settings
3. Open System Update
4. Upload the latest update package or paste a direct zip file URL
5. Start the update process

The updater will extract the new files, run any required database updates, and clear cache automatically.

This makes future maintenance much easier, especially for non-technical users.

Installation Tips

To avoid common deployment problems, keep these points in mind:

• Always point your domain to the public folder
• Do not upload node_modules
• Do not use SQLite for production unless you intentionally configured it
• Make sure the Zip extension is enabled
• Delete storage/installed before a fresh installation
• Use supported PHP versions such as 8.2 or 8.3

Final Thoughts

OpenPublishCMS is designed to make deployment easier for bloggers, developers, and site owners who want a flexible open-source publishing platform.

With the built-in installer and updater, the setup process is much simpler than many traditional CMS platforms. As long as your server is configured correctly and your domain points to the public directory, installation should be smooth.