WHMCS Installation and Setup Service

What does a complete WHMCS installation include?

A complete installation is a billing system that has been configured, connected and tested with real order flows, not just a WHMCS folder that loads in a browser. The table shows what I configure and what stays your decision.

Which server requirements are checked before WHMCS is installed?

I check that the server runs a PHP version supported by your WHMCS release, has the ionCube Loader enabled, and has the PHP extensions WHMCS needs. Skipping this check is the most common reason a fresh install shows a blank page.

The extensions usually needed include cURL, GD, mbstring, OpenSSL, PDO MySQL and XML, plus IMAP if you want tickets imported from a mailbox. The exact list depends on the WHMCS release, so I compare against the official requirements, not memory. I read the PHP version and Loader from php -v, then check the web PHP separately. On cPanel servers the command-line PHP and the site's PHP can be different versions, and cron uses the command-line one.

Why move attachments, downloads and templates_c outside the web root?

These folders are writable by the web server, and anything writable inside the web root is a larger target than it needs to be. Moving them out means a misconfiguration cannot serve their contents directly.

WHMCS lets you set their paths in configuration.php, using $attachments_dir, $downloads_dir and $templates_compiledir. I create the folders above the public directory, set ownership so the web user can write but other accounts cannot read, update the paths, then upload a test ticket attachment to prove it works. I can also rename the admin folder with $customadminpath if you want one more layer, though I treat that as a small extra, not a defence on its own. A deeper review of this kind is covered in the WHMCS security audit.

How do I set up the WHMCS cron job?

You set up one cron job that runs crons/cron.php every five minutes, using the PHP binary that matches your site. Invoice creation, payment reminders, suspensions, terminations and domain syncs all depend on it.

The line looks like */5 * * * * php -q /path/to/whmcs/crons/cron.php. On servers with several PHP versions I put the full binary path in, not plain php. If you import tickets from a mailbox, I also confirm how that import is scheduled on your WHMCS release. I run the command by hand once, read the Activity Log and the Automation Status page, and only then call the cron job finished. Without that check, a broken cron can run for weeks before anyone notices.

How do I connect WHMCS to cPanel/WHM?

You add the server in the WHMCS admin area as a cPanel server and authenticate with a WHM API token. I create the token in WHM with only the permissions WHMCS needs, then run the built-in connection test.

Three details cause most failures. The server's firewall must allow the WHMCS server's IP address. The package name in the product's module settings must match the WHM package name exactly, and reseller packages carry the reseller's username as a prefix. If you connect over SSL, certificate and hostname problems on the WHM server are another common cause of connection errors, so I check both. For the server side of this, see cPanel and WHM setup, and the official reference is at docs.cpanel.net.

Which billing settings matter most before launch?

Suspension and termination timing matter most, because they decide when a customer loses service and when their data is deleted. I set them from your written policy, not from defaults.

• Invoice generation: how many days before the due date renewal invoices are created.
• Reminders: the unpaid reminder and the first, second and third overdue notices.
• Suspension and termination: days after due date, and whether either runs automatically.
• Tax and currency: inclusive or exclusive pricing, tax rules by region, and the base currency.
• Fraud: which orders are held for review before an account is created.

Before launch I shorten these periods on a test service so the whole sequence can be watched in one afternoon, then restore the real values.

How are test orders handled before launch?

I place full test orders through the public order form with gateways in sandbox mode and follow each one from basket to a working service. Then I force a suspension, an unsuspension and a termination. This is the only test that proves the pieces work together.

Each run checks that the invoice is created, the payment is recorded, the module creates the account, the welcome email arrives and the customer can log in. I also read the cron output and send test emails to the major mailbox providers. Failures are fixed and the order is run again. If you are moving an existing system instead of starting a new one, see WHMCS migration.

What does an installation not cover?

I do not install nulled or unlicensed WHMCS, and I do not edit core files. I do not open merchant accounts or registrar accounts for you, and I do not choose your tax rates or write your legal text. Gateways approve merchants on their own terms, so I cannot promise an approval. If your gateway needs a custom module, that is quoted separately under payment gateway integration.