Migrating with aaPanel

After you install aaPanel on the server, the panel's login address and credentials will be displayed in the console.

The first time you log in to aaPanel, you'll need to choose a server configuration by selecting the software stack you want installed.

Once the configuration is complete, you're ready to add your site in aaPanel.

Step 1. Adding a Site

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1. Go to the Website section and click Add site.

2. In the Domain name field, enter your site's address. The Website path (home directory) is filled in automatically, but you can change it if needed.

3. Leave Apply for SSL checked to issue a Let's Encrypt certificate. If you're planning to use your own certificate, uncheck this option.

4. If you'll be uploading files over FTP, select Create under FTP.  Enter a username and password in the FTP User field, or leave the default values.

   You can skip this step if you plan to use the panel's built-in file manager instead. 

5. If your site uses a database, select the database type under Database, for example, MySQL (the available options depend on your chosen configuration). Enter a username (which also serves as the database name) and password in the DB User field, or leave the default values. We recommend using the credentials already specified in your site's configuration file.

   If your configuration uses a username that's different from the database name, skip this step and create the database separately in the Databases section instead (see below).

6. Once you've filled in all the fields, click Confirm.

Adding a site in aaPanel

aaPanel will then display the credentials for the FTP user and database it created. Make sure to copy these somewhere safe.

Step 2. Uploading Site Files

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You can upload files either through the aaPanel's built-in file manager or via an FTP connection.

Using the File Manager

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1. Open the Files section.

2. Go to your site's home directory.

3. Click Upload.

4. Select the files and folders that you want to upload and click Confirm Upload.

File manager in aaPanel

Using FTP

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To connect over FTP, you'll need an FTP user set up on the server.

If you didn't create one while adding the site, do it now:

1. Go to the FTP section.

2. Click Add FTP.

3. Enter a username, password, and the path to the site's home directory.

4. Click Confirm.

Then connect to your server—for example, using FileZilla—with the following settings:

• Host: your server's IP address
• Username: the FTP username you created
• Password: the user's password
• Port: 21

This connects you to the site's home directory, where you should upload your files.

Step 3. Importing a Database Dump

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Go to the Databases section.

If you didn't create a database while adding the site, do it now: click Add DB, enter a database name, username, and password (you can find these in your site's configuration file), then click Confirm.

Creating a database in aaPanel

To import a dump:

1. In the Databases section, click Import in the Backup column.

Databases section in aaPanel

2. Click Upload from local and select the database dump on your computer.

3. Click Upload.

Alternatively, you can import the dump through phpMyAdmin:

1. In the Databases section, click the phpMyAdmin button.

Databases section in aaPanel

2. Click Public access.

3. Enter the database username and password.

4. Import the dump using the phpMyAdmin interface.