Launch and Configure a WordPress Instance with Amazon Lightsail - Launch and Configure a WordPress Instance with Amazon Lightsail

Launch and Configure a WordPress Instance with Amazon Lightsail

AWS experience

Beginner

Time to complete

10 minutes

Cost to complete

Free Tier eligible

Last updated

August 4, 2022

Overview

Amazon Lightsail is one of the easiest ways to get started with AWS. It offers virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking, plus a cost-effective, monthly plan.

This tutorial shows you how to launch and configure a WordPress instance on Lightsail. It includes steps to connect to your instance by using SSH, sign in to your WordPress website, create a static IP and attach it to your instance, create a DNS zone, and map it to your instance. 

When you're done with this tutorial, you will have the fundamentals to get your WordPress website up and running on Amazon Lightsail.

Get started with Lightsail for free.

Implementation

Complete the following steps to get your WordPress instance up and running on Lightsail.

Note

For more information about creating an instance in Lightsail, see Create an Amazon Lightsail instance in the Lightsail documentation.

  1. Create an Amazon Lightsail account

    This tutorial is free tier eligible.

    Sign up for AWS

    Already have an account? Sign-in

  2. Create a Lightsail instance

    Sign in to the Lightsail console

    On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose Create instance.

    The resource creation interface.
  3. Select a Region

    An AWS Region and Availability Zone is selected for you. Choose Change AWS Region and Availability Zone if you want to create your instance in another location.

    The selection interface.
  4. Choose an image

    Choose your instance image.

    • Choose Linux/Unix as the platform.

    • Choose WordPress as the blueprint.

    Amazon Lightsail interface showing options to select a platform (Linux/Unix or Microsoft Windows) and a blueprint, with WordPress highlighted under Apps + OS.
  5. Select an instance plan

    Choose an instance plan. 

    A plan includes a machine configuration (RAM, SSD, vCPU) at a low, predictable cost, and data transfer allowance. You can try the $3.50 USD Lightsail plan without charge for three months (up to 750 hours). AWS credits the first three months to your account.

    Amazon Lightsail pricing plans with highlighted $3.5 USD plan offering 512 MB memory, 1 vCPU, 20 GB SSD, and 1 TB transfer, free for the first 3 months.
  6. Create your instance

    Enter a name for your instance and choose Create instance

    Resource name guidelines:

    • Must be unique within each AWS Region in your Lightsail account.

    • Must contain 2 to 255 characters.

    • Must start and end with an alphanumeric character or number.

    • Can include alphanumeric characters, numbers, periods, dashes, and underscores.

    Amazon Lightsail interface showing instance naming as "WordPress-Tutorial-1" with options for tagging and a highlighted "Create instance" button.

The default password to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website is stored on the instance.

Complete the following steps to connect to your instance using the browser-based SSH client in the Lightsail console, and get the password for the administration dashboard.

  1. Connect using SSH

    On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose the SSH quick-connect icon for your WordPress instance.

    Interface element requiring manual review.
  2. Retrieve the password

    After the browser-based SSH client window opens, enter the following command to retrieve the default application password:

    cat $HOME/bitnami_application_password
  3. Note the password

    Make note of the password displayed on the screen. You use it later to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website.

    Terminal screen showing Bitnami WordPress setup information, with a highlighted application password "kqw65VnL882z2".

Now that you have the password for the administration dashboard of your WordPress website, you can sign in. In the administration dashboard, you can change your user password, install plugins, change the theme of your website, and more.

Complete the following steps to sign in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website.

  1. Log in to WordPress

    In a browser, go to:

    http://PublicIpAddress/wp-login.php

    In the address, replace PublicIpAddress with the public IP address of your WordPress instance. You can get your instance's public IP address from the Lightsail console as shown in the image at the right.

    Interface element requiring manual review.
  2. Enter your credentials

    Log in to your instance. 

    • In the Username or Email Address box, enter user.

    • In the Password box, enter the default password obtained earlier in this tutorial.

    • Choose Log in. 

    WordPress login page with fields for username and password, a "Remember Me" checkbox, and a "Log In" button.
  3. Manage WordPress

    You are now signed in to the administration dashboard of your WordPress website where you can perform administrative actions. For more information about administering your WordPress website, see the WordPress Codex in the WordPress documentation.

    WordPress dashboard with a welcome message for version 5.9, featuring two balloon graphics and options to explore blocks, themes, and styles.

The default public IP for your WordPress instance changes if you stop and start your instance. A static IP address, attached to an instance, stays the same even if you stop and start your instance.

Complete the following steps to create a static IP address and attach it to your WordPress instance.

  1. Choose your instance

    On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose your running WordPress instance.

    The selection interface.
  2. Create a static IP

    Choose the Networking tab, then choose Create static IP.

    Amazon Lightsail networking page with options to create a static IP or a content distribution network (CDN) distribution.
  3. Attach to an instance

    The static IP location is preselected based on the instance zone that you chose earlier. Select the created WordPress instance from the Attach to an instance dropdown.

    Amazon Lightsail interface for creating a static IP address, showing the region set to Virginia (us-east-1) and an instance named "WordPress-Tutorial-1" selected for attachment.
  4. Name your static IP

    Name your static IP, then choose Create

    The Amazon Lightsail interface showing the process to attach a static IP to a WordPress instance, with a "Create" button highlighted.

Transfer management of your domain's DNS records to Lightsail. This allows you to more easily map a domain to your WordPress instance, and manage more of your website’s resources using the Lightsail console.

Complete the following steps to create a Lightsail DNS zone and map a domain to your WordPress instance.

  1. Create a DNS zone

    On the Networking tab of the Lightsail home page, choose Create DNS zone.

    The resource creation interface.
  2. Add your domain

    Enter your domain, then choose Create DNS zone. 

    The Amazon Lightsail interface for creating a DNS zone, showing a form to enter a registered domain (example.com) and options for adding tags, with a highlighted "Create DNS zone" button at the bottom.
  3. Note the name servers

    Make note of the name server address listed on the page. 

    You add these name server addresses to your domain name’s registrar to transfer management of your domain’s DNS records to Lightsail.

    The Amazon Lightsail DNS management page for "example.com," showing no DNS records and a list of four name servers.
  4. Add an A record

    After management of your domain’s DNS records are transferred to Lightsail, add an A record to point the apex of your domain to your WordPress instance, as follows:

    You add these name server addresses to your domain name’s registrar to transfer management of your domain’s DNS records to Lightsail.

    In the DNS zone for your domain, choose Add record.

    Amazon Lightsail DNS management interface showing no DNS records, an "Add record" button, and a list of name servers for configuration.
  5. Configure DNS settings

    Continue adding the following details to complete pointing the apex of your domain to your WordPress instance:

    1. In the Subdomain box, enter an @ symbol to map the apex of your domain (such as example.com) to your instance. The @ symbol explicitly symbolizes that you’re adding an apex record. It is not added as a subdomain.

    2. In the Resolves to box, choose the static IP that you attached to the WordPress instance in the previous step of this tutorial.

    3. Choose the green save icon.

    Allow time for the change to propagate through the internet's DNS before your domain begins routing traffic to your WordPress instance.

    Amazon Lightsail DNS management interface showing DNS records for example.com, with an A record resolving to IP address 34.234.129.251.
  1. Delete instance

    On the Instances tab of the Lightsail home page, choose the ellipsis (⋮) icon next to the WordPress instance you just created and choose Delete.

    The resource creation interface.
  2. Confirm deletion

    Choose Yes, delete from the prompt.

    A confirmation dialog in Amazon Lightsail asking, "Delete this instance?" with options to cancel or confirm deletion.

Congratulations

Congratulations! You have used Amazon Lightsail to launch and deploy a WordPress instance.

Amazon Lightsail is a great choice to develop, build, and deploy a variety of applications like WordPress, websites, and blog platforms.