How to Deploy Your Own Server in CloudStick
Overview
CloudStick lets you connect and manage your existing VPS or dedicated server from a single web dashboard — no command-line expertise required. Instead of provisioning a brand-new machine, the Connect Your Own Server flow brings a server you already own from any provider — Vultr, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Akamai (Linode), Contabo, RackNerd, AWS, or any other — under CloudStick management in just a few steps.
This guide walks you through the entire process: clicking + Add Server, choosing the connect-your-own pathway, selecting your provider, entering your server details, and monitoring the live installation until your server appears as Active in your dashboard — ready to host PHP applications and websites.
Your server must be a fresh Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated server running Ubuntu LTS (20.04, 22.04, or 24.04). OpenVZ is not supported, and the server must not already run Apache, Nginx, MySQL, ServerPilot, Ploi, RunCloud, or Laravel Forge — connecting a used server can cause it to crash.
Step 1: Log In and Add Server
Start by signing in to your CloudStick account. The dashboard is your home base — it lists every server already connected to your account and is where every new connection begins.
Sign in to CloudStick: Log in with your account credentials to open the main dashboard.
Click + Add Server: Locate the blue "+ Add Server" button in the top-right corner of the dashboard and click it to begin the server connection flow.
Fig. 01 — The CloudStick dashboard with the + Add Server button in the top-right corner.
Step 2: Choose to Connect Your Own Server
CloudStick offers two ways to add a server: purchase a new, pre-optimized server through CloudStick, or bring a server you already own. Since you already have a server, you'll take the connect-your-own pathway.
Select Connect Your Own Server: On the setup screen, choose the connect-your-own option if you already have a server provisioned with your provider.
From the Purchase Server wizard, click Connect your server → in the top-right of the screen to switch to the connect flow.
Fig. 02 — The server setup screen, where you can purchase a new server or click Connect your server to bring your own.
Step 3: Select Your Server Provider
This is Step 1 of the 3-step connection wizard. Choosing your provider correctly lets CloudStick tailor the installation to your network environment.
You'll see a grid of common cloud providers — Akamai (Linode), Vultr, DigitalOcean, Hetzner Cloud, Contabo, RackNerd, and AwsLightsail. If your provider is not listed — for example, AWS EC2 — select Other Provider.
Click the card for your cloud provider (or Other Provider if it isn't shown).
Click the blue Next → button to continue to the details step.
Fig. 03 — Provider selection grid (Step 1 of 3) listing supported cloud providers and the Other Provider option.
Step 4: Enter Server Details
This is Step 2 of 3. Provide your server's network information and choose how CloudStick will connect to install its management agent.
Server Information
Server Provider Name: The provider you selected in the previous step.
Server Name: A descriptive label to identify this server in your dashboard.
Server IP Address: The public IPv4 address of your server instance.
Root Password: The root password for your server — CloudStick uses this only for the initial connection and does not store it.
Installation Method
Direct Installation (Recommended): CloudStick connects to your server automatically via SSH using the root password and completes the entire setup with no manual steps. This is the right choice for most users.
Manual Installation: CloudStick generates a command for you to copy and run in your own terminal — useful when root-password login is disabled (common on AWS and Google Cloud).
Choose your preferred installation method, then click Next.
Your server credentials are encrypted and used only for the initial connection. After installation, CloudStick switches to SSH keys for all future secure access.
Fig. 04 — Server Details form (Step 2 of 3) with IP address, server name, installation type, and root password field.
Step 5: Review and Connect
This is Step 3 of 3. Before the installation begins, a summary screen lets you confirm every detail is correct.
Provider Information: Confirm the selected cloud provider.
Server Name: Verify the label you assigned.
Server IP Address: Double-check the public IPv4 address — an incorrect IP will cause the installation to fail.
Installation Method: Confirm Direct or Manual installation is selected.
Once everything looks correct, click Connect Server at the bottom-right of the review screen.
CloudStick will immediately begin connecting to your server and running the installation.
Fig. 05 — Review & Connect screen (Step 3 of 3) summarizing provider, server name, IP address, and installation method.
Step 6: Review the Installation Instructions
Before the installation runs, CloudStick displays an Installation Tips popup with important requirements and recommendations. Reading these carefully now prevents the most common connection failures.
Confirm your server is a fresh Ubuntu install (20.04, 22.04, or 24.04) with no existing web stack.
Ensure inbound traffic is allowed on ports 22/tcp, 80/tcp, and 443/tcp before installation, and that the server is not behind NAT or VPN.
If your server is behind an external firewall, make sure ICMP-IPv4 ports are open.
Once you've reviewed the instructions, click Got It to continue.
Fig. 06 — The Installation Tips popup listing prerequisites and recommendations before installation begins.
Step 7: Monitor the Installation Process
After connecting, the installation begins automatically and you're returned to the dashboard. Your new server card shows a Provisioning status while CloudStick installs and configures every required service in the background.
Your server card displays a live setup message — you can safely navigate away and it will update when the server is ready.
Click View Installation Logs on the server card, or the status icon in the bottom-left, to open the live progress view.
Fig. 07 — The dashboard showing the new server card in a Provisioning state with the View Installation Logs button.
Step 8: Track the Real-Time Installation Logs
The Installation Logs modal gives you a real-time terminal feed of everything CloudStick is doing on your server, so you can follow the setup as it happens.
Watch CloudStick configure the repository, install packages, set up WP-CLI, apply performance tweaks, and install the CSF Firewall.
Each log line is timestamped, and a progress bar at the bottom shows the current completion percentage.
You can leave this view open to monitor logs and status updates, or close it and return at any time.
Fig. 08 — The Installation Logs modal showing live, timestamped terminal output during the agent installation.
Step 9: Complete the Setup
When the installation finishes successfully, the logs modal displays an Installation Complete confirmation, with the final entry reading INSTALL_DONE.
Review the final log entries to confirm the CloudStick agent installed and the CSF Firewall was configured successfully.
Click the green Complete button to close the installation view.
Your server will now appear in the dashboard with an Active status.
Fig. 09 — The Installation Logs modal showing Installation Complete and the green Complete button.
Your server is now successfully connected to CloudStick and ready to host PHP applications and websites. You can begin creating websites, managing databases, configuring SSL certificates, and using every other CloudStick feature from the dashboard.